ANDY HOLDSWORTH can't wait for tomorrow's big derby clash with rivals Barnsley and vowed: "Everyone is buzzing."

The 21-year-old has racked up 50-plus senior games for Town in quick time, including last season's play-off final victory, and is already making his mark at Coca-Cola League I level this term.

His effective attacking performances down the right flank have already drawn comparisons with a man who has gone down in Town folklore - record-breaking full-back Malcolm Brown.

"I've heard of Malcolm Brown, my granddad told me about him," said Holdsworth, aware of the attacking No2's incredible 259 consecutive appearances from 1978 to 1983.

"I like to attack too and if I could play that many games on the trot I'd be very happy.

"As a wing-back, you have to take defensive duties first and then attack as you can, but myself and Rob Edwards have got it working really well at the moment.

"We are getting a lot of help from the strikers and from Chris Brandon and Danny Schofield in the middle, who are cutting off the opposition full-backs.

"When we work like that we are a really good unit, as we've shown against Hull and Port Vale and as we are hoping to continue against Barnsley tomorrow."

Holdsworth is confident that if he and Town maintain recent form they can pick up a third successive win to close the gap on runaway leaders Luton.

"The derbies are coming thick and fast, I'm really enjoying it and hopefully I can keep on playing," he said.

"What happened at Doncaster has really woken us up and, as the gaffer has said, we are a team now that everybody fears.

"The gaffer and Taff have always said that if we get the ball down we can beat anybody and in the second half at Port Vale everyone was passing, everyone was moving and Pav (Abbott) scored three great goals.

"Everyone is buzzing after that. We all questioned ourselves after Doncaster and the fans questioned us, but we have come back with two great results and now we are looking for another against Barnsley."

Holdsworth, an ever-present, admits he was hard on himself after the Belle Vue defeat, explaining: "I took a long, hard look at myself in the mirror and asked myself what I was going to do about it."

"I needed to get my head up because I had a nightmare that day, a few of the other lads knew they'd played badly as well and we just had to come back into training and start all over again.

"That's gone now, just like the games against Hull and Port Vale, and we've now got to look forward to another battle against Barnsley."

Town: Gray, Holdsworth, Edwards, E Sodje, Mirfin, Yates, Worthington, Brandon, Schofield, Booth, Abbott. Subs (from): Senior, Fowler, A Sodje, Brown, Mendes, McAliskey, Clarke, Lloyd.

Barnsley (from): Colgan, Hassell, Carbon, Reid, Williams, Kay, Burns, MacPhail, Conlon, Chopra, Wroe, Nardiello, Scarsella, Boulding, Stallard, Tonge.

Referee: Michael Ryan (Lancashire).