CONOR Hourihane says Barnsley should get praise for their exciting attacking output to balance the criticism of their defensive record and added: ‘the way we play is very, very good.’

The Reds are 15th in League One with 41 points from 30 games.

They are 11 points off the top six and seven clear of the bottom four, with between one and four games in hand on every other team.

This week, they lost 2-1 at Huddersfield Town before a rare free week with no Tuesday game, ahead of a trip to lowly Leyton Orient on Saturday.

Barnsley have kept the fewest clean sheets in English league football this season, with two, and have let in 100 goals in Hourihane’s 50 games as head coach.

But they are also the fourth highest scorers in the division.

In an answer to a question about working on defending in training, which lasted two and a half minutes, Hourihane laid out his case for the positives.

He told the Chronicle: “People go on about our defensive structure and conceding goals but our attacking play is top.

“We came off the pitch at Huddersfield against a team who have more than double our budget, Championship players, and it’s their coaching staff saying to us: the way you play is pretty impressive.

“Bolton said the same to us.

“We got beat but the way we play is very, very good in my opinion.

“Our identity and how we play is clear for everyone to see.

“Cardiff, Bolton, Peterborough and ourselves probably off the top of my head are teams at this level who have a real identity.

“Davo (Davis Keillor-Dunn) wouldn’t have been sold for a hefty amount of money if we didn’t play him that way, Reyes Cleary wouldn’t have been valued at a high amount of money if we didn’t play him the way we did.

“Patrick Kelly wouldn’t be getting the plaudits he’s getting.

“Blandy (Jono Bland) probably wouldn’t have been coached into the way I want him to play and stand out as much as he has over the last three or four months – not over the last few games because he hasn’t played.

“You can talk about the defensive part of it. We absolutely want to get better.

“But one thing that is really impressive and that many people say and we need to focus on more is our attacking play.

“We have the fourth most open play goals in the EFL because we don’t get penalties.

“Patrick Kelly’s penalty incident at Huddersfield (Barnsley were not given a spot-kick despite what looked like a clear trip) is a disgrace in my opinion.

“Our attacking play is one of the best in the league.

“As a head coach trying to create an identity and developing players for the modern game, valued at a high sum of money, I think that’s pretty alright.”

The Orient match is the start of a sequence of seven games in 22 days – including five out of six at home – until the international break at the end of March when they could have two weeks off if their game at Northampton is postponed due to call-ups.

If so, they will conclude their season with nine games in the final 29 days, including six away trips.

Hourihane told the Chronicle: “I don’t look at it from a point of view of: can we reach a certain amount of points to finish in mid-table?

“We know where we are right now.

“We have quite a few games until the international break because we feel that game might be called off.

“In that block of seven games, can we pick up as many points as we can to put ourselves in decent position and a better position than we are in now?

“I am not thinking about a points total but we have quite a few games at home in that period so we want a decent amount of points.”

Barnsley have not won in eight away league games but, starting from the trip to 20th-placed Orient, their next six scheduled hosts are all currently below them in the table as they also visit Mansfield, Northampton, Burton, Rotherham and Port Vale.

“It’s a mentality to win games at home and away.

“We need to get better mentally away from home, whether that is seeing games out better or better performances in general.

“I always feel we will perform at home but we have been a complete mixed bag away.

“Exeter and Cardiff, we were poor but Cardiff can do that because they are the best side in my opinion.

“Wigan and Bolton, we showed up for 45 minutes, Reading was an OK performance and we could have come away more than one point.

“We need to have the same confidence and mentality away from home as at home.”

Barnsley have had a week without a midweek match scheduled this week for the first time since mid-January as, even though their game at Stevenage this month was called off, they still travelled to Hertfordshire and it restricted their training schedule.

Hourihane said: “We have done a lot of work on the grass, attacking and defensively, individually and collectively.

“There has been a constant work on everything.

“We’re trying to cram in as much as we can from all facets of the game.

“Hopefully that will stand us in good stead going into this next bunch of games.

“We’re working tactically as a group structure and individually as well.

“There are a couple of individual meetings going on as well.

“It’s just a full in and out of possession week.

“You have to find a little bit of rest as well for individuals because of the schedule.

“Hopefully the next block of games will show a good improvements in all elements.”