‘Forget the cup, we’ll win the league’ sang the Wanderers fans coming out of Blackpool on Tuesday night - and that was still the mood in our Doombar deliberations.

All agreed we have had a good transfer window, bringing in much-needed players to boost our squad, ready for the final push, without any major exits. A clear statement of intent from the board.

Now it was down to the business in hand and a tough match in prospect against promotion rivals, Barnsley. Caleb Taylor replaced the injured Rico Santos, while the other recruits were on the bench.

The Tykes have a robust approach to playing football and the referee was kept busy from the start. Barnsley caught us napping with a long throw, headed on at the near post and poked in by Andy Cole’s lad, Devante. We managed to create a few chances, mainly free headers in the box, but put them well wide.

We got into a right mess in the second half, as we tried to play it out from the back as Barnsley pressed. But somehow we survived by bringing Jon Dadi Bodvarsson and Aaron Collins on, and the debutant showed his class with his first touch, crossing to the far post for Ashworth to nod us level. Chances came and went for both teams and in the end, a draw was a fair result. I would imagine both managers were relieved to get something.

This was a match we could not afford to lose. We had players missing, new players bedding in against a team that were very unlucky to lose the play-off final last season. League One is taking shape now with the top six battling for automatic promotion and the next two for the play-offs. We have got to go to five of our promotion rivals and face the other two at home. Every match will be a challenge. No one will give us the points. They will have to be earned - each and every one of them. All clubs have played their final cards with the transfer window closing. We all have to go with what we have got now.

This is the time when it is important we are all together and get behind Ian Evatt and the team, especially during matches. Keep any negativity away from the Toughsheet. Do not make it easy for the opposition.