BARNSLEY RUFC will look to avoid a 30th consecutive defeat today when they visit Burley in a basement battle in Yorkshire Division Three.
The Shaw Laners are currently bottom, having lost all seven games so far this season but picking up three bonus points.
They are three points behind second-bottom Burley and seven adrift in the bottom two.
Barnsley were relegated from Yorkshire Division Two last season, losing every game including ten which they withdrew from due a lack of players. Their last win was in April of last year when they won Yorkshire League Three.
Coach Jonathan Rickerby said: “We have solved the problem of a lack of players, and we have 20 plus to choose from for each match.
“We are in a 100 per cent better position than this time last season when every week it was: ‘oh my word, do we have a team?’
“We are getting a good consistent squad together, it’s an enjoyable place to be again on a Saturday.
“The next problem is finding a way to win.
“We know we have to put some wins together.
“We have the quality in the squad to do that. We have put extra training sessions on. We’re trying our best.
“The reason we play is to win, certainly at first team level.
“We can see we’re not that far away from it. We’re just making little mistakes in games then heads go down.
“We’re working on resilience and visualising what that win will look like. When it does happen, it will be glorious.”
Do Barnsley still believe they can avoid a second successive relegation into Yorkshire Division Four?
“We will wait and see after Christmas. A lot of clubs have issues with player availability in the second half of the season.
“We are fighting to compete.
“The scores are an awful lot closer than they were in Yorkshire Two.
“We will keep going, we will put in a performance week in, week out and see what happens.”
A win over Burley would likely take Barnsley off the foot of the table.
“We look to win every game no matter where they are in the league. We played the leaders Northallerton last and went into it to win. We will do the same with Burley.
“I know Burley are at the bottom like us and no doubt they will be giving everything to win this game.
“It’s an opportunity for us both to get a big win.”
Rickerby is now being supported by Tom Kittrick, Mark Fisher and Andrew Smith as a coaching team.
Meanwhile, Wath return to action at Ossett in Yorkshire Division Two.
Wath have won all seven games so far this season and are ten points clear at the top.
Barnsley Ladies lost 24-0 Kenilworth in Championship North on Saturday.
They are now seventh out of nine having won one and lost four this season.
They are now due to visit Worcester on Saturday.
