Barnsley: Wembley heroes set sights on play-offs

Doing the league and cup double would be the talk of the town and cause scenes of celebration around Oakwell that have been seldom seen.

Success would also bring in more blockbuster payments to the club’s coffers after they reeled in a huge haul of almost £500,000 with victory in the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy on Sunday.

With just seven games to go in League One, they remain on the cusp of a top-six spot which would give them a shot at a return to the second tier - worth more than £4 million.

“I want to be greedy. I want promotion. I can’t hide that,” admitted caretaker boss Paul Heckingbottom.

“Financially, it would be better for the club, and it poses some really good challenges ahead to be successful again.

“It’s been a strange season. After the run of defeats, we turned a corner, and if we hadn’t achieved something this season it would have been a disappointment.

“We’ve achieved something. Now let’s go for the play-offs.”

The Reds put in a superb second-half show to come back from a goal behind and beat Oxford at Wembley, clinching their first success in a knockout competition since winning the FA Cup in 1912.

For the Barnsley-born boss, leading his home-town club out and lifting the trophy at the iconic home of football was a proud moment that he will struggle to process for some time.

“It might sink in in a few years!” grinned Heckingbottom. “The good thing is I’ll never forget this is because my friends will never let me forget it. There was a point in the second half where I could just have easily jumped in with the fans.”