Npower Championship Matchday Thirteen: Coventry City v Barnsley

Team News:

Full-back Jay McEveley is out for about four months after suffering medial knee ligament damage in the 3-0 defeat at Burnley on Tuesday. This should mean a debut for Matt Hill, who joined on a month’s loan from Wolves to cover McEveley’s absence. Reds boss Mark Robins may also be considering changes in other areas of the team to try and end the club’s wretched away form. Goran Lovre and Andy Gray failed to shine at Turf Moor, whilst Jacob Butterfield will be hoping to dislodge either Hugo Colace or Nathan Doyle from the midfield.

Likely Lineup:

Luke Steele

Matt Hill

Jason Shackell

Stephen Foster

Bobby Hassell

Kieran Trippier

Adam Hammill

Hugo Colace

Nathan Doyle/ Jacob Butterfield/ Diego Arismendi

Goran Lovre/ Chris Wood

Andy Gray

Head To Head:

There are probably quite a few clubs that Barnsley would consider bogey teams, but none, you expect, quite as much as Coventry City. To put it bluntly, The Reds record against the Sky Blues, especially their recent record, is shocking. The Reds have lost eight of the last nine meetings with the East Midlands side and haven’t beaten them since a 2-0 home win way back in the Premier League season of 1997-1998.

Indeed Barnsley have only emerged victorious from trips to Coventry twice in their 25 visits- 3-2 in 1923 and 1-0 in 1921. It’s been a very painful 87 years since. In four of the last nine meetings, Coventry have hit four goals past Barnsley, including in both meetings in the 2007-2008 season.

In that campaign, the two sides met at Oakwell on the opening day of the season with Coventry triumphing 4-1. Leon McKenzie put The Sky Blues into a sixth minute against a side featuring six debutants in the starting line-up. Brian Howard equalised with a penalty three minutes later but Coventry then ran riot in the second half with Kevin Kyle, Julian Gray and Michael Mifsud all netting. It was even worse in the return meeting the following February when Leon Best (2), Gray and Jay Tabb all scored without reply.

Teams:

4-1 home defeat:

Barnsley: Colgan, Guedes (Werling,73 ) , Nyatanga, Reid, Kozluk, Devaney, Howard, Johnson(Togwell, 73 ) , Ricketts, Mostto (Odejayi, 60 ) , Ferenczi
Subs not used: Letheren,McCann,

Coventry: Konstantopoulos, Borrowdale, Ward, Hall, Osbourne, Gray, Doyle, Hughes ( Hughes, 81 ) ,Tabb, McKenzie ( Best, 72 ) , Kyle ( Mifsud, 72 )
Subs not used: Marshall, Hawkins,

4-0 away defeat:

Coventry: Konstantopoulos, Osbourne, Ward, De Zeeuw (Dann, 85 ) , Fox, Tabb, Hughes, Doyle, Gray(Davis, 83 ) , Mifsud (Simpson, 72 ) , Best
Subs not used: Cairo,Hughes,

Barnsley: Warner, Foster, Guedes, Nyatanga, Tininho, Campbell-Ryce ( Devaney, 46 ) , Howard, De Silva, Leon ( Odejayi, 71 ) , Nardiello ( Ferenczi, 63 ) , Macken
Subs not used: Hassell, Coulson,

Those two hammerings meant Coventry had hit four past Barnsley three games running as the previous season, the Sky Blues had also won 4-1 at the Ricoh Arena in March 2007. Tabb, Mifsud and a brace from Dele Adebola had Coventry cruising before Bobby Hassell grabbed a late consolation.

Teams:

Coventry: Marshall, Virgo, Hawkins, Ward, Hall, Osbourne (Birchall, 72 ) , Hughes, Doyle, Tabb(McKenzie, 76 ) , Adebola, Mifsud (Cameron, 86 )
Subs not used: Steele,Page,

Barnsley: Colgan, Austin ( Hassell, 52 ) , Reid, Nyatanga, Heckingbottom, Togwell, Howard ( Nardiello, 59 ) , McCann, Ferenczi, Rajczi, Devaney ( Reid, 52 )
Subs not used: Lucas, Eckersley,

Unfortunately those three hammerings are not the only times Coventry have slammed four past Barnsley this century as they also won 4-0 at their old Highfield Road ground in the 2001-2002 season. Youssef Chippo got the ball rolling in the very first minute and he was joined on the score sheet by a David Thompson brace before the break and a second half effort from Lee Mills.

Teams:

Coventry: Flowers, Quinn, Breen, Konjic, Hall (Joachim, 64 ) , Thompson (Fowler, 80 ) , Healy, Safri,Guerrero (Betts, 87 ) , Mills, Chippo
Subs not used: Zuniga,Montgomery,

Barnsley: Miller, Mulligan, Morgan, Chettle, Barker, Ward, Lumsdon, Jones ( Crooks, 80 ) , Barnard (Donovan, 64 ) , Sheron ( Rankin, 64 ) , Dyer
Subs not used: Marriott, Regan,

Overall Coventry have hit four or more past Barnsley on six separate occasions.

The closest The Reds have come to claiming victory over the Sky Blues came in the 2008-2009 season. They had been defeated 2-1 in The Reds first home game of that campaign- indeed this season is the first season in four that Coventry have not been the first visitors to Oakwell- when Freddie Eastwood and Julian Gray scored either side of a Brian Howard equaliser, but in the following April, The Reds came desperately close to gaining their first ever victory at the Ricoh Arena. An early effort from Daniel Bogdanovic put Barnsley in front but in the dying seconds of the game, Rob Kozluk was adjudged to have handled in the area and Elliot Ward kept his cool from 12 yards to give Coventry a point. It is the only point Barnsley have taken from a meeting with Coventry since 2001.

Teams:

2-1 home defeat

Barnsley: Steele, Foster, Moore, Guedes, Hassell (Odejayi, 86 ) , Teale (Rigters, 74 ) , Leon, Howard,Devaney, Hume (sent off 80), Macken
Subs not used: Mostto,Atkinson,Butterfield,

Coventry: Westwood, Beuzelin, Ward, Dann, Fox, Tabb, Gunnarsson, Gray ( McKenzie, 79 ) , Morrison( Simpson, 85 ) , Eastwood, Mifsud ( Doyle, 87 )
Subs not used: Ireland, Turner,

1-1 away draw:

Coventry: Westwood, Osbourne, Ward, Turner, Hall, Gunnarsson, Beuzelin (Cain, 73 ) , Doyle, Fox,Eastwood, Simpson
Subs not used: Marshall,Grandison,Walker,Wynter,

Barnsley: Steele, Hassell, Moore, Guedes ( El Haimour, 72 ) , Kozluk, Campbell-Ryce, Colace, De Silva, Hammill, Bogdanovic ( Odejayi, 85 ) , Macken
Subs not used: Muller, Teymourian, Devaney,

The last victory over the Sky Blues came in front of the SKY cameras when both sides were Premier League outfits. An impressive display from the Reds saw Ashley Ward and Neil Redfearn score to gain three vital points. Inevitably The Reds did follow that up by losing 7-0 at Manchester United the following weekend.

Teams:

Barnsley: Watson, Eaden, Sheridan, De Zeeuw, Redfearn, Thompson, Liddell (Hristov, 46 ) , Bullock(Moses, 80 ) , Krizan, Barnard, Ward
Subs not used: Marcelle,Leese,Bosancic,

Coventry: Ogrizovic, Shaw, Burrows, Breen, McAllister, Salako, Boland, Lightbourne ( Johansen, 68 ) ,Hall, Haworth, Nilsson
Subs not used: Soltvedt, Strachan, Shilton, Hedman,

Apart from that though it seems Barnsley lose to Coventry no matter how good their current form is. Last season, The Reds headed to the Ricoh at the start of 2010 in good spirits as they were unbeaten in their last eight matches stretching back to mid October. It did not matter as they still came a cropper losing 3-1. Freddie Eastwood and Sammy Clingan put the hosts 2-0 up before the break. Jon Macken pulled one back for The Reds but Clinton Morrison ensured another Sky Blues double in the final minute. The double was achieved as back in August, Coventry had left Oakwell with a 2-0 success. Leon Best and Morrison on target in that game.

Teams:

2-0 home defeat

Barnsley: Steele, Hassell, Moore, Foster, Kozluk (sent off 59), Campbell-Ryce, De Silva, Butterfield(Sodje, 79 ) , Hammill, Macken (Hume, 67 ) , Bogdanovic (Odejayi, 66 )
Subs not used: Preece,Devaney,El Haimour,Potter,

Coventry: Westwood, Wright, Cranie ( Grandison, 72 ) , Van Aanholt, Turner, Gunnarsson, Clingan,Osbourne, McIndoe, Morrison, Best ( Jeffers, 80 )
Subs not used: Quirke, Clarke, Cain, Walker, Cameron,

3-1 away defeat

Coventry: Westwood, Barnett, Cranie, McPake, Wright, Bell (Baker, 76 ) , Clingan, McIndoe (Deegan, 71 ) , Gunnarsson (Morrison, 84 ) , Eastwood, Best
Subs not used: Konstantopoulos,Wood,Madine,Hussey,

Barnsley: Steele, Foster, Moore, Dickinson, Hassell, Shotton ( Butterfield, 85 ) , De Silva ( Hammill, 46 ) , Hallfredsson, Colace, Macken, Bogdanovic ( Hume, 46 )
Subs not used: Campbell-Ryce, Kozluk, Preece, Gray,

Barnsley 0-2 Coventry Match Report 15/8/09

Barnsley 1-2 Coventry Match Report 16/8/08

Coventry 4-0 Barnsley Match Report 2/2/08

Barnsley 1-4 Coventry Match Report 11/8/07

Barnsley 0-1 Coventry Match Report 28/10/06

Last Six Coventry v Barnsley results:

9/1/10 Coventry 3-1 Barnsley (Championship)

15/8/09 Barnsley 0-2 Coventry (Championship)

21/4/09 Coventry 1-1 Barnsley (Championship)

16/8/08 Barnsley 1-2 Coventry (Championship)

2/2/08 Coventry 4-0 Barnsley (Championship)

11/8/07 Barnsley 1-4 Coventry (Championship)

Overall Record:

Coventry Wins: 24

Barnsley Wins: 14

Draws: 12

Coventry Goals: 87

Barnsley Goals: 63

At Coventry: (21 at Highfield Road, 4 at Ricoh Arena)

Coventry Wins: 17

Barnsley Wins: 2

Draws: 6

Coventry Goals: 58

Barnsley Goals: 22

This Season:

This season it is 10 years since Coventry’s 33 year association with the Premier League ended and it has been a long struggle on and off the pitch for the Sky Blues since. Only once have they threatened to return and that was when they finished two places outside the playoffs in 2005-2006 and they have not finished above 17^th in any of the past four years. That though could be about to change this season under manager Adrian Boothroyd- the club’s 13^th permanent or temporary manager since their Premier League relegation. Coventry have risen to ninth in the Championship despite an indifferent start to the season. Like Barnsley, Coventry have yet to win back to back games this season and followed up an impressive 2-1 win at Ipswich at the weekend with a 2-1 home defeat to Cardiff on Tuesday. That Bluebirds reversal was only their second at the Ricoh Arena this season, but some hope for Barnsley fans is that the other one was 2-1 against Preston- a side currently occupying the bottom three.

Barnsley’s dreadful away form continued with the 3-0 defeat at Burnley on Tuesday night. It is now eight months and 13 matches since The Reds last won on the road- a 2-0 win at Cardiff. The Reds have also only managed four goals on their travels this season, with three of them coming in the same match and not in the last three. Only Middlesbrough and Crystal Palace who have netted just two away goals have scored less on away from home.

Last six 2010-2011 results:

Coventry:

19/10/10 Coventry 1-2 Cardiff (Championship)

16/10/10 Ipswich 1-2 Coventry (Championship)

2/10/10 Hull 0-0 Coventry (Championship)

28/9/10 Coventry 2-1 Doncaster (Championship)

25/9/10 Coventry 1-2 Preston (Championship)

18/9/10 Bristol City 1-2 Coventry (Championship

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

Barnsley:

19/10/10 Burnley 3-0 Barnsley (Championship)

16/10/10 Barnsley 3-1 Nottingham Forest (Championship)