Barnsley face an unenviable task to make it to the Fifth Round of the FA Cup for the first time in eight years after being drawn against Championship leaders Norwich City at Oakwell.
The Reds who were defeated 1-0 at Carrow Road in the league at the start of January have won only one of the past 16 meetings with the narrow loss in Norfolk their 11th in that run.
They have won only one of the past seven Oakwell meetings, losing four of the past seven.
The two sides have met three times before in the FA Cup, with their first ever meeting coming in this competition. Back in January 1922 the two sides drew a first round tie 1-1 at Oakwell, with the Reds winning the replay 2-1 at Norwich’s old ground the Nest in the replay, one of only three wins they have ever managed at Norwich. Barnsley went on to reach the third round that season where they were defeated 3-0 at Preston who would go on to reach the final and lose 1-0 to Huddersfield.
The next FA Cup clash was in the second round in 1953-1954 where Norwich triumphed 2-1 at Carrow Road, going on to reach the fifth round where they lost 2-1 to Leicester.
The two clubs last met in this competition in the third round of 1991-1992 with Norwich triumphing again at Carrow Road, 1-0, and they went on to reach the semi-finals where they lost 1-0 to eventual runners-up Sunderland.
This draw means Barnsley have been drawn at home in successive FA Cup ties within the same season for the first time since 2014-2015 and should they progress they will play three consecutive FA Cup ties at Oakwell just like they did six seasons ago.
Should the Reds gain a rare win over the Canaries they will play either Premier League giants Chelsea or fellow Championship side Luton in the fifth round. It probably doesn’t need mentioning that Barnsley have a perfect FA Cup record against the men from West London, defeating them 4-0 in the third round in 1988-1989, but more famously in the quarter-finals 1-0 in 2007-2008.
Barnsley have already met Chelsea in a cup this season, being dismantled 6-0 at Stamford Bridge in the third round of the League Cup back in September. Should both Barnsley and Chelsea win their respective fourth round ties it would be the first time Barnsley have faced the same team in both the League Cup and FA Cup since 1998-1999 when they faced Bournemouth in both, with the Reds progressing in both, winning 2-1 in the League Cup and 3-1 in the FA Cup.
Alternatively Barnsley could face Luton Town who will travel to the Bridge. The Reds and the Hatters have met twice before in the FA Cup, Barnsley being defeated in a third round replay in 1932-1933 and then triumphing 1-0 in the fifth round in 1960-1961.