PHIL Parkinson hopes Wanderers have stopped the rot by earning a precious point against relegation rivals Barnsley.

Four successive defeats had sapped spirits before Saturday’s dramatic game at Oakwell, and left the Whites looking nervously over their shoulder at the bottom three.

But despite conceding late equaliser Parkinson feels more encouraged by what he saw in the second half in South Yorkshire and wants to see more of the same as a season-long fight for survival boils down to just three games.

“It was just important we reversed that run of form,” he said of the 2-2 draw. “It can really have a draining effect on you.

“Even a club like Manchester City, top of the Premier League, can lose their confidence a bit after a few bad results.

“When you have been down the bottom of the league and lose four on the bounce it can really take wind out of your sails.

“Maybe you saw that in the first half when we’d gone a goal down? The supporters were getting frustrated with us giving the ball away too cheaply and going long too quickly.

“But what pleased me was the fact the players handled the occasion and battled back.”

Subs Will Buckley and Craig Noone pressed home a claim for a starting spot in this Saturday’s home clash with already-promoted Wolves, who need just one more point to claim the league title ahead of Cardiff City and Fulham.

After seeing his team end a run of defeats, Parkinson is now challenging his side to show the same sort of fearlessness at the Macron Stadium, where they will start the day as heavy underdogs against Nuno Santo’s Premier League-bound side.

“We live to fight another day, we are still very much in the mix,” he said. “I thought we’d lost our way a bit after Millwall. The spirit had drained out of us but now it’s back.

“That is the kind of thing we need to maintain. We’ve got experienced players, good characters and we expect it. We want more, starting with Wolves.”