Form wise, the Reds do not head into the end-of-season lottery in the best of places after failing to win in their final six matches of the regular campaign. All told, they won just twice in their last 12 games. Top-two candidates in March, Barnsley hobbled into the play-offs and their place was confirmed in nervy fashion with a draw against Northampton.
Former Wanderers player Connell, among a host of Reds stars seeking to make amends after last season’s heart-breaking play-off final loss to Yorkshire rivals Sheffield Wednesday at Wembley, said: “That will be a positive for us. 'Everything in the past few weeks or season is gone. The good or bad things get forgotten about and you have just got to move onto the play-offs. 'All the lads speak it about it and the lads who haven’t been there say ‘oh, what was it like it?’.