Prize guys: Oakwell manager Andy Ritchie with Barnsley Player of the Year Nick Colgan last nightPlayers do it their way BARNSLEY boss Andy Ritchie has let player power kick in ahead of Thursday's play-off semi final against Huddersfield Town at Oakwell. The squad were due to train yesterday and tomorrow, taking today to rest up. "We're going to train Tuesday and Wednesday for the game Thursday," Ritchie explained. "They've had Monday off. That's having listened to the players who said they'd rather train the two days before they play. "We know all about Huddersfield, we'll prepare in the normal way. We'll try keep it as uniform as we can do." Ritchie and the players were at the annual player of the year dinner last night at Brooklands Hotel. Goalkeeper Nick Colgan received the main award after topping a fans' poll ahead of Bobby Hassell and Stephen McPhail. Meanwhile, Barnsley chairman Gordon Shepherd welcomed the home and away games with near neighbours Huddersfield, declaring: "It's worked out exactly as we would have wanted. We've been spared long trips to either Brentford or Swansea." Shepherd admitted that he suffered anxious moments during the 2-1 win at Walsall. "In the second half when their two wingers were tearing us apart and when they got the penalty to make it 1-1, I thought 'oh no, here we go again'. "But we got the result that we wanted." Barnsley drew 2-2 with Huddersfield at Oakwell on December 31 and were beaten 1-0 at they Galpharm Stadium on April 1. Shepherd added: "We've played Huddersfield twice this season and have taken only a point from them. In the game at Barnsley, I thought they were the better side. They scored right at the end. Had they lost the game that would have been unfair on the day. I thought at Huddersfield we were the better side. We had a goal disallowed and I don't know why. Marc Richards was brought down in the penalty area and got booked.
