SWINDON Town manager Mark Cooper said that he always knew that the time would come when his side would find the breakthrough at Barnsley.

The hosts, managed by ex-Town boss Danny Wilson, played three in attack to keep the Robins’ back three penned in.

The amount of energy the Tykes exerted in the a dull first half at Oakwell meant Cooper’s side would be able to take advantage of their hosts’ tiredness after the break.

“If a team choses to press like that it is very difficult for them to press for 90 minutes - virtually impossible,” Cooper said.

“It was important that we remained patient. Yes we are going to give the ball away when teams go man for man and press.

“But it is important that we stayed focus, do the little things really well, stay professional, keep a clean sheet and when it is time to stick the knife you do it.”

After a drab first half in south Yorkshire, goals from Nathan Byrne, Jake Reeves and Williams lifted Town to third place in League One.

Cooper was pleased with how his maturing team went about their business.

“I thought that it was a professional display,” he said. “In the first half it was difficult. Full respect to Barnsley their gameplan was to make it uncomfortable all over the pitch and press us, which they did.

“We still had some good situations in the first half where we could have scored. (We) kept them to minimum opportunities and second half we were very good.

“First half I would say that we were six (out of 10), second eight.”

The Town chief was pleased with the contribution of Amari’i Bell on his debut at Oakwell, with Brad Smith out with a groin injury.

The 20-year-old arrived at the County Ground last week before his temporary switch from Championship side Birmingham City was completed on Friday.

The left-sided player started the campaign at League Two outfit Mansfield Town on a six-month youth loan but was quickly recalled to St Andrews before linking up with Swindon.

“It is difficult when you come to a place like this with new team mates, but in his first game he looked solid,” Cooper said.

“There were a couple of little glimpses of going past people so it is another good addition for us.

“We have done a little bit (with Bell earlier in the week), obviously Brad Smith wasn’t fit to play so it was good that we brought someone in that position.

“Brad, with it being a muscle injury, the pace he runs at he could easily go so we didn’t want to pull that anymore.”