Barnsley are staking a strong case for an immediate return to the Championship, with the Tykes currently sitting third and well in the League One promotion hunt. 

Barnsley boss, Daniel Stendel, has been praised for his first managerial spell in England and he will be keen for his side to build on a recent good run of form heading into the weekend.

One player who has stood out for Stendel's side this season is Alex Mowatt, with the midfielder looking like a completely different player under his new boss.

Barnsley face local rivals Doncaster Rovers this weekend and Mowatt is looking forward to producing a result for the club's supporters.

"Derby games are always the best games, personally, so I look forward to it and I’m sure all the boys will, too", Mowatt admitted in an interview with Barnsley's official website. 

"The fans really look forward to them as well, so everyone is up for it and they’re normally entertaining games, too."

Mowatt recently signed a new deal with the club and he insists that competition for places is high, revealling that there is a feel good atmosphere at the club this season:

"Even when the team changes – like the boys who played in the Checkatrade Trophy against Bradford – we did really well.

"So there’s lots of fighting for positions and training is really intense every day to play, and there’s a real buzz around the place."

Mowatt will be hoping that his team can make it four successive wins with a positive result over their local rivals in the derby this weekend, with Doncaster also hoping to justify their promotion credentials.

The Verdict

Barnsley are certainly justifying their pre-season promotion credentials and Mowatt will be hoping he can play a crucial part in that promotion push this season.

After signing a new deal earlier in the week, fans will be keen for him to kick on and show the sort of form that made him a fan favourite at Leeds earlier in his career.

They will be favourites heading into this weekend's game against Doncaster and I'm confident in saying that Stendel's side should be winning games like this if they are to remain in the promotion hunt.

Thoughts? Let us know!