Npower Championship Matchday Nineteen: Barnsley v Watford

Team News:

Reds boss Mark Robins is forced into one change to the side that has secured a hat-trick of victories. Midfielder Nathan Doyle will serve a one match suspension after Saturday’s 1-0 win booking of the season in last Saturday’s 1-0 win over Portsmouth. Jacob Butterfield is his most likely replacement to sit alongside Hugo Colace. There are also suspension worries over Adam Hammill, Diego Arismendi and Bobby Hassell who have all accrued four yellow cards. Full back Matt Hill will return to Oakwell on loan once his foot injury has fully healed but that wont be for at least another nine days.

Likely Lineup:

Luke Steele

Kieran Trippier

Jason Shackell

Stephen Foster

Bobby Hassell

Adam Hammill

Jacob Butterfield

Hugo Colace

Jim O’Brien

Goran Lovre

Garry O’Connor

Head To Head:

Barnsley go into this match looking for their fifth successive home victory over Watford. Not since the 2000-2001 season have the Hornets left Oakwell with any points. Back then a single second half strike from Allan Neilson secured a 1-0 victory in Division One. That though is Watford’s only victory at Oakwell in the last 14 years and The Reds have won the last four.

Teams:

Barnsley: Miller, Salli, Morgan, Chettle, Barker, Corbo (Jones, 72 ) , van der Laan (McClare, 20 ) ,Appleby, Dyer (Neil, 56 ) , Sheron, Shipperley
Subs not used: O'Callaghan,Bullock,

Watford: Chamberlain, Cox, Robinson, Kennedy, Page, Ward, Nielsen, Palmer, Smith, Noel-Williams,Mooney
Subs not used: Baardsen, Palmer, Vernazza, Wooter, Helguson,

They secured their own 1-0 victory back in February thanks to a fine effort from Emil Hallfredsson. That result would lift Barnsley to their highest position of 2009-2010- ninth.

Teams:

Barnsley: Steele, Foster, Moore, Dickinson, Shotton (sent off 76), Teixeira, Doyle, De Silva (Rodriguez, 53 ) , Hallfredsson, Colace, Gray
Subs not used: Preece,Macken,Hammill,Potter,Butterfield,Hume,

Watford: Loach, Doyley ( Hoskins, 84 ) , Taylor, Demerit, Mariappa, Harley, Eustace, Lansbury, Cowie,Jenkins ( Graham, 63 ) , Helguson
Subs not used: Lee, McGinn, Bennett, Hodson, Bryan,

A 2-1 victory was secured in November 2008, in which Adam Hammill showed a sign of things to come when he ran the show. Tommy Smith had put the Hornets in front but a rare goal from Miguel Mostto- one of only two the £400,000 Peruvian would get for the club - and a header from then captain Stephen Foster in the space of two minutes turned the game around.

Teams:

Barnsley: Muller, Foster, Moore (Hassell, 15 ) , Guedes, Kozluk, Campbell-Ryce, Colace, Leon (Van Homoet, 85 ) , El Haimour (Mostto, 55 ) , Odejayi, Macken
Subs not used: Steele,Rigters,

Watford: Lee, Mariappa, Bromby, Demerit, Doyley, McAnuff, Williamson, Smith, Jenkins ( O'Toole, 80 ) , Harley ( Hoskins, 78 ) , Priskin ( Rasiak, 60 )
Subs not used: Tyler, Ward,

The two sides played out a real epic in 2007-2008. Watford came to Oakwell in the November top of the Championship having lost just two of their 16 matches. Barnsley though were unbeaten at home since the opening day of the season and surged into a 2-0 lead thanks to goals from Brian Howard and Martin Devaney in the first 34 minutes. Watford were level by the break however courtesy of a brace from powerful centre half Danny Shittu. Barnsley were not to be denied however and a comedy own goal from Hornets keeper Richard Lee saw The Reds edge it 3-2.

Teams:

Barnsley: Muller, Foster, Guedes, Nyatanga, Werling, Campbell-Ryce (McCann, 87 ) , De Silva,Howard, Devaney, Ferenczi, Macken
Subs not used: Reid,Togwell,Odejayi,Christensen,

Watford: Lee, Doyley, Shittu, Mariappa ( Ainsworth, 79 ) , Stewart, Kabba, Mahon ( Francis, 70 ) ,Williamson, Smith, King, Henderson
Subs not used: Jackson, Priskin, Ellington,

The Reds record at Watford’s Vicarage Road ground is none too clever however and they have won just one of their last six visits. That victory was a stunner though. Just three days after missing THAT chance at Wembley, Kayode Odejayi scored twice to help The Reds to a 3-0 victory. Foster grabbed the other goal.

Teams:

Watford: Lee, Doyley, Shittu, Sadler (Kabba, 56 ) , Bromby, McAnuff, Williamson, O'Toole, Stewart,Henderson (Demerit, 71 ) , Ellington (Priskin, 55 )
Subs not used: Poom,Mariappa,

Barnsley: Steele, Foster, Guedes, Nyatanga, Van Homoet, Campbell-Ryce, Hassell, Leon, Kozluk,Odejayi ( Ferenczi, 86 ) , Macken
Subs not used: Letheren, Butterfield,

That though is their only success in Hertfordshire since Steve Davis and an Andy Rammell brace secured a 3-2 win in August 1995.

Mark Robins first game as Reds manager ended in a 1-0 defeat. Danny Graham’s 54^th minute effort consigning Barnsley to a fifth defeat from the first six matches.

Teams:

Watford: Loach, Doyley, Mariappa, Bennett, Hodson, Eustace, Lansbury (Harley, 85 ) , Cleverley(Ellington, 89 ) , Cowie, Jenkins, Graham
Subs not used: Lee,Hoskins,Oshodi,Sordell,Bryan,

Barnsley: Preece, Kozluk, Foster, Moore, Hassell, Campbell-Ryce ( Hammill, 52 ) , De Silva,Hallfredsson, Devaney, Thompson ( Odejayi, 28 ( Hume, 79 )) , Gray
Subs not used: Macken, El Haimour, Colace, Rusling,

Barnsley 1-0 Watford Match Report 6/2/10

Watford 1-1 Barnsley Match Report 11/4/09

Barnsley 2-1 Watford Match Report 15/11/08

Barnsley 3-2 Watford Match Report 24/11/07

Last Six Barnsley v Watford results:

6/2/10 Barnsley 1-0 Watford (Championship)

12/9/09 Watford 1-0 Barnsley (Championship)

11/4/09 Watford 1-1 Barnsley (Championship)

15/11/08 Barnsley 2-1 Watford (Championship)

9/4/08 Watford 0-3 Barnsley (Championship)

24/11/07 Barnsley 3-2 Watford (Championship)

Overall Record:

Barnsley Wins: 19

Watford Wins: 16

Draws: 14

Barnsley Goals: 59

Watford Goals: 53

At Oakwell:

Barnsley Wins: 12

Watford Wins: 6

Draws: 6

Barnsley Goals: 33

Watford Goals: 21

This Season:

It looks like being another inconsistent season for Malky Mackay’s young Watford side. Last season they looked set for a promotion push when they sat eighth in November, but a poor end to the season saw them finish a modest 16^th. Now in 2010-2011 it looks like history may be repeating itself. The Hornets certainly set off well; winning five of their first 10 matches including a stunning 6-1 win at Millwall. But since beating Middlesbrough 3-1 the following week, they have managed just two victories from the following ten matches, and have lost five of those. Watford are also on a six match winless run and have lost their last four away matches.

Barnsley’s form is going in the opposite direction. Three weeks ago they were on the edge of the relegation zone having won just one game in nine and none on the road. But three successive victories, two of them away from Oakwell have lifted The Reds into the top half of the Championship, and amazingly just two points off the play-off places. Last Saturday’s 1-0 victory over Portsmouth saw them complete a hat-trick of victories since October last year and gave them their first clean sheet in nine outings. They have not managed four wins on the bounce since Paul Hart’s stewardship in 2004.

Last six 2010-2011 results:

Barnsley:

20/11/10 Barnsley 1-0 Portsmouth (Championship)

13/11/10 Ipswich 1-3 Barnsley (Championship)

9/11/10 Preston 1-2 Barnsley (Championship)

6/11/10 Barnsley 0-2 Leicester (Championship)

30/10/10 Barnsley 1-1 Hull (Championship)

23/10/10 Coventry 3-0 Barnsley (Championship

W: 3 D: 1 L: 2 F: 7 A: 8 GD: -1 Points: 10

Watford:

20/11/10 Watford 1-1 Reading (Championship)

13/11/10 Burnley 3-2 Watford (Championship)