WANDERERS: Mental breakdown

ARK Fish believes Wanderers have hit a mental barrier in their push for the Premiership.

Ultra-confident and hot favourites for automatic promotion a fortnight ago, they have become their own worst enemies, dramatically self-destructing in sight of the star prize.

"It's become a psychological problem now," the South African defender admitted after 'supersub' Eidur Gudjohnsen rescued a consolation point for the second time in four days with a late equaliser.

The game and three morale-boosting points were in the bag at 2-0 . . . then panic set in and the whole thing went to pieces.

"As soon as we let in one goal we seemed to think 'Here we go again!'" Fish confessed.

"We've started to make life difficult for ourselves. We're letting ourselves down and it's got to be sorted out. We still want automatic promotion but, if results keep going like this, we're going to have to do it the hard way, through the play-offs, and we don't want that.

"It's not something that can be worked out on the training ground. It's a psychological thing that we need to sort out ourselves. We might not be under any pressure from the manager but we are putting ourselves under pressure."

Thank Gud-ness for Eidur. Face-saving hero of the 3-3 draw at Swindon on Saturday, the young Icelander repeated the feat with an even more impressive strike to get Wanderers off the hook and underline the enormity of the potential that was once being groomed for European stardom.

He's looking good for the future but Colin Todd's problems are more immediate. With 11 games to go he faces the awesome task of stopping a rot that has seen his highly-rated, expensively-assembled team fail to win in five games, concede 12 goals in the last four and collect a miserly three points.

For the second time in four days, the manager found himself tortured by defensive frailties and clutching at straws to come up with positive pointers.

"At least we've shown character, digging deep and getting ourselves out of a hole," he suggested. "But the fact is that it's two points dropped again. At 2-0 up and with the players we have, we should be good enough to win the game. We were looking comfortable then, after the first goal went in, we lost our way. The fear factor crept in.

"Yet I'd love to be in a position every game where we were 2-0 up after half an hour. But I won't lose my faith and my belief in the players. They've had their rollickings but they are professionals and they have to learn to take those.

"They have the ability to bounce back and, if they do, things can change for the better."

T

he tide that threatens to sink Wanderers' promotion ambitions appeared to have turned. Scott Sellars swerved a left-footer out of Andy Bullock's reach on 17 minutes and Dean Holdsworth confidently tucked away a 26th minute penalty for his 12th goal of the season after working a clever one-two with Michael Johansen, which ended with the Dane being unceremoniously up-ended by Scott Jones.

But Barnsley boss John Hendrie, having been encouraged when Eric Tinkler's header flashed narrowly wide and Bruce Dyer's acrobatic snapshot sailed just over, made a bold substitution that made all the difference. Off went Mike Sheron and on went Clayton Blackmore - the former Manchester United man strengthening midfield and releasing Criag Hignett to play as an out-and-out striker.

"Bolton's strength is in midfield," Hendrie explained, "and putting Clayton in there strengthened our midfield. I'd seen Bolton a couple of times recently and I knew we'd create chances against them and, with 'Higgy' up there it paid off."

Handsomely, as it turned out. Barnsley hadn't scored in their previous four games so their jubilation was understandable when Hignett collected Nicky Eaden's pass, turned Paul Warhurst and drilled a low shot that just beat Jussi Jaaskelainen's full-length dive. And they were positively ecstatic when Jones speared an unstoppable free kick into the top corner two minutes before half-time - although Mike Whitlow's challenge on Dyer didn't look out of order.

The paint on the dressing room walls was still blistering from Todd's scorching interval blast when, for the fourth time in successive games the defence dropped its guard. Schoolboys learn to play to the whistle but professionals sometimes forget the basics and so it was when defenders hesitated, then stopped when Sean McClare went down clutching his face after being caught by Per Frandsen's boot. Barnsley played on, Blackmore prodded the ball forward and Hignett, completely unmarked, casually claimed the Tykes' third, in off the post.

"At 2-0 up we were coasting," Holdsworth said, reflecting on the latest chapter in the great 'How They Blew It!' mystery.

"To let a lead like that slip is bitterly disappointing. Going forward we are very, very strong but we need to be more disciplined at the other end."

B

o Hansen, preferred to Bob Taylor and getting his first start since his £1 million transfer from Brondby, went close to grabbing the equaliser with his only chance of the game in the 58th minute before being withdrawn in favour of Gudjohnsen. Suddenly the attack had more impetus.

Johansen, scampering and scurrying as if he took the predicament as a personal insult, was the main motivator; Claus Jensen started to make inroads and Jaaskelainen, with his 77th minute save from Dyer, did as much to save a point as anyone.

But the glory fell to Gudjohnsen who displayed the class that was so coveted by Dick Advocaat when the great Dutch coach - now manager at Glasgow Rangers - had him as a 17-year-old at PSV Eindhoven.

He collected Johansen's angled pass on the edge of the box, nudged it a yard to beat his marker, and thumped a right-footer past Bullock for a goal of sheer class.

At 20 he may well be one for the future but, with two vital goals in two games, he's given Colin Todd plenty to think about as he ponders a solution to more pressing problems.

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