EOGHAN O’Connell experienced losing at Oakwell for the first time as a Barnsley player in midweek and says the defeat to Wycombe Wanderers was ‘such a disappointment.’
The Irish centre-back joined in January just as the Reds were starting a five-game unbeaten home run, which ended with the poor display in a 1-0 loss to the Chairboys. O’Connell told the Chronicle: “We’ve played quite well in all the home games, to be honest, since I’ve been here.
“It’s obviously such a disappointment, being at home as well. Coming off the back of a really good victory away from home at the weekend, we come into the game really looking forward to it, but we ultimately just didn’t perform.
“I think we’ve shown in the games when I’ve been here, we’ve done well at home. So we’ve got to just get back to it on Saturday (against Exeter). We have another two home games in a row so we need to just get back to performing well, first of all, and then try and implement our style on the game and then see where we can go from there.”
Barnsley fans booed their team and coach off after the game. O’Connell said: “We’ve all been football fans. When your team loses, the fans are disappointed, and they choose to vent their anger and disappointment. And that’s the way football is. We’ve got to pick ourselves up and just do better.”
Wycombe’s goal saw Daniel Harvie played into plenty of space on the left wing to cross for Aaron Morley to shoot into the top right corner from the edge of the box.
“We’re disappointed with it. I think we tried to be a bit more aggressive in the way we pressed them in the second half, and then they’ve got a run in behind.
“I think it’s a bit scrappy, and it falls to Aaron Morley, I’ve played with him before, I know what kind of player he is. He very rarely misses the target.
“I think you can look at every goal, and I think you can do better with it.
“So I’m sure we’ll look at that and clean it up.”
O’Connell has been playing with Mael de Gevigney at centre-back since Jack Shepherd was dropped this week.
“I thought we were really solid at the weekend (at Leyton Orient). Obviously, their goal comes from a free-kick.
“And I think we defended the box quite well again on Tuesday.
“But look, I think whoever plays, you’re disappointed when we lose.”
O’Connell praised goalkeeper Owen Goodman’s performance in midweek.
“Owen did really well. I think even in the game at the weekend, second half, he was really good for us coming punching, catching things.
“We’ve got to look to build on that defensively, I think, but not let it take it away from what we’re trying to do as a team going forward as well.”
