CITY’S 1-0 win over Barnsley in their final home game this afternoon delighted boss Phil Parkinson “for many reasons.”

Jon Stead’s 11th goal of the season for the club proved enough against the Tykes on a day when the whole country paid tribute to the victims of the Valley Parade fire disaster.

Parkinson said: “There was a lot of pressure on us today with the poignancy of the occasion. We had to do that justice.

“It was also the last home game of the season and we wanted to send the supporters away with a smile on their face - and we’d got beaten after a poor performance last time here.

“It was crucial that we got the result and I thought it was a solid, hard-working performance. We needed that against a good team.”

Parkinson confirmed that central defender Gary MacKenzie had returned to Blackpool after Alan Sheehan had come back from his loan spell with Peterborough. Francois Zoko was also not involved in the squad.