Barnsley 0 AFC Wimbledon 0: Winkler focuses on positives as Reds drop points for first time and are knocked off top of table

Assistant manager Andreas Winkler was keen to focus on the positives despite Barnsley dropping points for the first time this campaign.
OakwellOakwell
Oakwell

The Reds were held to a frustrating 0-0 draw by a determined AFC Wimbledon side, a result which saw them knocked off top spot..

But the German was delighted with the attitude shown as his side made it three clean sheets in a row.

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“We had a positive attitude throughout the whole 90 minutes,” he said. “It was a very good start and a good performance.

“We were playing a strong physical opponent who set up very well, so it was not easy for us to create chance after chance. We had to be switched on against the counter.

“We got another clean sheet and have seven points from our first three games, which is okay. It is a good start."

But he did concede that Barnsley would need to find a way to unlock defensive teams visiting Oakwell to make life difficult.

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“We are one of the league’s big boys now and teams are going to make it hard for us,” he said.

“We have to come up with a way of beating these teams, perhaps with impact from the subs or when teams tire late on.

“If we had been more ruthless with our chances in the first half we could have won it.”

The visitors started the brightest with Tom Soares bringing out a good save from Adam Davies with a long-range effort on nine minutes.

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Scott Wagstaff nearly sliced the ball into his own net five minutes later as Barnsley pressed.

Kwesi Appiah went close for the Dons when he whipped a free-kick just over on 34 minutes.

Shouts for a Barnsley penalty were waved away after Tom Bradshaw went down, before Alex Mowatt brought the half to an end by firing narrowly wide.

Appiah brought another good low save out of Davies just before the hour mark, before Tom King saved well from Liam Lindsay at the other end.

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The lively Appiah was then denied an opener by the offside flag on 63 minutes before the game fizzled out.

Barnsley: Davies, Cavaré, Pinnock, Lindsay , Pinillos, Potts (J Williams 75), Dougall, Mowatt, Bradshaw (Moncur 65), Moore, Thiam (Adeboyejo 82).

Unused subs: McGeehan, Walton, Jackson, B Williams

AFC Wimbledon: King, Watson (Sibbick 83), Oshilaja, Nightingale, Purrington, Wagstaff, Soares, Trotter, Barcham, Appiah (Piggott 80), Hanson.

Unused subs: Pinnock, Garratt, McDonnell, McDonald, Wordsworth.

Referee: Martin Coy. Attendance: 11607.