Coca-Cola Championship Matchday Twenty Five: Burnley v Barnsley

Team News

Anderson De Silva, Jamal Campbell-Ryce Stephen Foster, Diego Leon and Jon Macken have all missed training this week but should be fit for the Boxing Day War of the Roses clash. Hugo Colace also returns after serving his one match suspension but Bobby Hassell's performance last weekend should keep Colace on the bench. Maceo Rigters is also pushing for a start with Jamie Cureton yet to find the net.

Likely Line-Up:

Heinz Muller

Marciano Van Homoet

Stephen Foster ©

Darren Moore

Rob Kozluk

Bobby Hassell

Anderson De Silva

Jamal Campbell-Ryce

Diego Leon

Jon Macken

Jamie Cureton

Jon Macken

This will be the third time that Burnley and Barnsley have met on Boxing Day- with all of them coming this side of the Millennium and both previous ones ending in 1-0 wins to the Reds. Those victories came at Oakwell however and The Reds record at Turf Moor is pretty dismal with Barnsley winning just four of the 29 meetings there. They have lost the last three and haven't taken victory from the Clarets since 1994.

Ironically Burnley's last defeat this season came at Oakwell on the 24^th November when The Reds won 3-2 in front of the SKY cameras after leading 3-0 and before the weekend that was also Barnsley's last victory.

Barnsley 3-2 Burnley Match Report 24/11/08

Barnsley 1-1 Burnley Match Report 20/10/07

Last six Burnley v Barnsley Results:

24/11/08 Barnsley 3-2 Burnley (Championship)

29/3/08 Burnley 2-1 Barnsley (Championship)

20/10/07 Barnsley 1-1 Burnley (Championship)

26/12/06 Barnsley 1-0 Burnley (Championship)

12/9/06 Burnley 4-2 Barnsley (Championship)

20/9/05 Burnley 3-0 Barnsley (League Cup)

Overall:

Burnley Wins: 27

Barnsley Wins: 15

Draws: 15

Burnley Goals: 98

Barnsley Goals: 71

At Burnley:

Burnley Wins: 19

Barnsley Wins: 4

Draws: 6

Burnley Goals: 67

Barnsley Goals: 29

Burnley are having a cracking season in the league and cup! As well as flying high in the Championship as they aim for their first taste of top flight football for 33 years they are also into the semi-finals of the Carling Cup- disposing of Fulham and Arsenal on the way! Who do they think they are, Barnsley?!? Since losing to The Reds in November The Clarets are unbeaten in the proceeding six games, winning five of them including the famous 2-0 victory over Arsenal. Turf Moor is also something of a fortress with just one defeat there- to Ipswich in August.

Barnsley were buoyed at the weekend by winning their first game since the Burnley match when ten man Plymouth were defeated 2-0 in a game that should have been 6 or 7-0. They haven't won away in their last four outings and have just two away wins- the back to back ones against Doncaster and Charlton.

A win for Burnley would leave them fourth but they could close the gap on second placed Reading to three points, whilst a win for Barnsley could lift them as high as 13^th.

Last Six Results

Burnley:

20/12/08 Bristol City 1-2 Burnley (Championship)

13/12/08 Burnley 3-2 Southampton (Championship)

9/12/08 Burnley 2-2 Cardiff (Championship)

6/12/08 Sheffield United 2-3 Burnley (Championship)

2/12/08 Burnley 2-0 Arsenal (League Cup)

29/11/08 Burnley 3-0 Derby (Championship)

W:5 D:1 L:0 F:15 A:7 GD:+8 Points:13

Barnsley:

20/12/08 Barnsley 2-0 Plymouth (Championship)

13/12/08 Wolves 2-0 Barnsley (Championship)

9/12/08 Swansea 2-2 Barnsley (Championship)

6/12/08 Barnsley 0-1 Reading (Championship)

29/11/08 Nottingham Forest 1-0 Barnsley (Championship)

24/11/08 Barnsley 3-2 Burnley (Championship)

W:2 D:1 L:3 F:7 A:8 GD:-1 Points:7

Burnley lie 4^th in the Coca-Cola Championship with 43 points from 24 games.

Barnsley lie 17th in the Coca-Cola Championship with 28 points from 24 games

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