Barnsley Preview

There Are No Second Prizes

Was it really only 8 weeks since we were last there? Seems so much longer ago such has so much passed under the bridge. Inept performances against the likes of Rotherham mean nothing tomorrow as there is no prizes for coming second and there is only one ambition - Championship football at White Rock next season.

All season long we have bought previews very much with the tongue firmly in cheek but the fun is over and this is serious so we go into 'serious head' mode.

The choice for our team is easy - trips to Sunderland and West Brom or Scunthorpe and Yeovil. Cardiff City or Carlisle United - that is the prize that is at stake and an extra income projected to be in excess of £2 million for next season for the winners. Big money, big exposure and a big stage.

It has been said that we are a big occasion team and where better to prove it tomorrow then in the League One play off final? Two cups under our belt this season and a win will make it not just a nice triple but also spark huge celebrations in Swansea as we could look forward to Championship football for the first time in over twenty years.

The team will be backed by almost 34,000 Swans fans who are making not just the short trip up the road but also travelling from all over the UK and beyond to see this game which be very probably the largest gathering of Swans fans for any single game in their history. An incredible achievement considering we were being watched by just a small fraction of that number just a few years back

The nigh on two week break since the great win at Brentford in the semi finals have given Kenny Jackett no real headaches but also the plus point that Kevin McLeod has regained fitness and is very likely to take his place in the matchday squad probably on the bench as Jackett seems set to name an unchanged side meaning no place again for leading scorer Lee Trundle.

Barnsley's attack is led by former Swans Marc Richards and Daniel Nardiello with Martin Devaney, a transfer target last summer, looking to supply the ammunition for them. They too will be fill of confidence having won superbly at Huddersfield in their semi final.

It is literally winner takes all tomorrow and for all our sakes let's hope it's Swansea and with a fan advantage of around 14,000 then lets make it count and make some noise.

For one last time, WHO ARE WE?

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