Conor Hourihane praised his ‘brilliant’ Barnsley team for their 3-1 home win over Stevenage on Saturday.

David McGoldrick and Davis Keillor-Dunn, playing up front in a 4-4-2 after a change from a back three, scored early then, after the visitors made it 2-1 at the break, Keillor-Dunn netted again minutes into the second half.

Head coach Hourihane told the Chronicle: “I thought we were brilliant. We played some really good stuff, particularly in the first half. It felt like we created numerous chances. We looked really exciting and played the way I want my team to play.

“I haven’t liked the back five, we went to Anfield (in the FA Cup earlier this month) and did it there because they are one of the best teams in the world and kept with the buzz and energy we created. It got us results but I didn’t like how we were playing. I wanted to go out and attack the game, with a really exciting team. It’s great it came off.”

He added: “We gave a poor goal away which gave them hope but the goal early in the second half killed their momentum.

“In the second half we got into the mode of managing the game, doing basics well and there was a lot of rain. We didn’t play as well in the second half but deserved the win.

“We had Didzy and Davo up front, two wingers, Patrick Kelly driving into space with technical ability. The back four was very compact, winning first contacts and seconds balls, defending their box because Stevenage like to go long. Everyone to a man was outstanding.”

It was an impressive recovery from Tuesday’s 4-0 loss at leaders Cardiff. Hourihane said: “After Cardiff we were the worst team ever, now all of a sudden we’re going to the best team ever. We just need to stay calm and relaxed. I back my boys over everyone. We just move onto Tuesday.”

Hourihane confirmed Adam Phillips has been ill since Cardiff on Tuesday but hoped he would back for Northampton at home in midweek.

He said he was hoping for a pacy striker on deadline day and, when asked if he believes Keillor-Dunn and Reyes Cleary would stay, he said: “We’re hoping so. There is a lot of talk going around, my point of view is it was really important to settle things down with a win. If we had lost, people are going ‘Reyes and Davo what’s going on?’ Everyone has emotions sky high. A win keeps everything calm and I am hoping we will be a good place come Tuesday.”

Captain Luca Connell made an error for Stevenage’s goal. Hourihane said: “I back Luca all the time, hence why he is captain of the football club. He got criticised during the week, off the back of the couple of weeks he’s had in terms of being sent off then the Cardiff performance, but everyone was criticised after Cardiff. I had a really good word with him the other day and said ‘this is where you earn your stripes as a captain - puff your chest out with character’. I thought he played really, really well.

People will point to the goal but I thought was instrumental in our midfield throughout the 90 minutes.”