CONOR Hourihane admits he will be emotional during his final game as Barnsley head coach at home to promotion-chasing Stockport County on Saturday but is focused on his team’s performance.

County are fourth but need a point at Oakwell to be sure of a place in the play-offs.

Hourihane told the Chronicle: “I will be emotional but like always, really professional and really, really thorough.

“My work will get the lads set up and ready to go.

“Stockport will obviously be coming to get a result for the play-off situation.

“And we know that we’re going to have to be on it to get a result. I’ll have to push my emotions to one side and get the lads ready for the game.”

He added: “It’s good that it’s not a dead rubber or it’s not a Barnsley against Peterborough, for example, who have got nothing to play for now.

“It’s good that it’s a club high up that are needing to come here and get something from the game, which adds to it, no doubt.

“And they’re a big-sized club for the level, so they’re always going to bring a good away attendance as well.

“They might even bring in another couple of hundred now off the back of what they need to do.”

Stockport won 3-1 at home to Peterborough on Saturday then lost 2-1 at home to relegated Port Vale on Tuesday when a point would have secured a place in the top six.

Dave Challinor’s side have the fourth best away record in the division, having taken 31 points from 22 games on the road but have only won one of their last eight on their travels.

Hourihane said: “I think they’re a really good side, a manager who’s done terrific in his career. They’re a really good club going in the right direction over the last four or five years.

“I think they’ve put plenty (of money) in over the last few years from the Conference to where they are now.

“I think they’ve made some big signings last summer. They’re a club that are very ambitious and are going in an upward trajectory.”

Could Barnsley capitalise on Stockport’s nerves?

“Maybe so. But they have a really experienced side and manager so they’ll know how to handle situations like this, no doubt. We just want to put in a really good solid performance to give the fans something to cheer about heading into the off-season because obviously there’s a lot of unknowns around.

“I was pleased for the away fans on Tuesday night to get a win on the road so they could drive home happy.

“And hopefully we can send a decent crowd here home happy into the summer off the back of a good performance as well.”

Barnsley have taken nine wins and 33 points from 22 home games so far this season, seven more points than the last campaign when they won just six times on their own turf and one fewer than the previous season.

But they have not won in five at home and no side has conceded more than their 34 goals on their own turf.

Stockport have former Reds under 21s goalkeeper Corey Addai.

Corey O’Keeffe spent the first half of the season on loan at County before being sent back to Oakwell.

This will be the 97th meeting between the clubs, with Barnsley winning 32 and losing 30.

The Reds have not beaten Stockport in five attempts, drawing four and losing away last season.

They returned to Edgeley Park in November and took the lead through Vimal Yoganathan before the hosts levelled in the 89th minute through ex-Red Callum Connolly.

Stockport also levelled late on at Oakwell last season in a 1-1 draw after an early Adam Phillips penalty.

The Reds’ last win over Stockport was away in 2004 when they triumphed 3-2 thanks to goals by Nicky Wroe, Gary Birch and Alex Neil.