Team News
Barnsley are likely to be without seven first team regulars for tomorrow’s visit of in form Reading. David Preece, Luke Potter, Bobby Hassell, Rob Edwards, Jacob Butterfield, David Perkins and Jim O’Brien are all on the treatment table with Preece, Potter, Butterfield and Perkins unlikely to return this season. New recruit Lee Collins is set to go straight into the squad after joining from Port Vale but Chris Dagnall will be missing after joining Bradford short term.
Last time out:
Luke Steele
Jay McEveley
Stephen Foster
Scott Wiseman
Jim McNulty
Nathan Doyle
Stephen Dawson
Matty Done
David Cotterill
Craig Davies
Frank Nouble
Head To Head
Last Six Barnsley v Reading Results:
20/8/11 Reading 1-2 Barnsley (Championship)
19/3/11 Barnsley 0-1 Reading (Championship)
25/9/10 Reading 3-0 Barnsley (Championship)
30/1/10 Reading 1-0 Barnsley (championship)
29/8/09 Barnsley 1-3 Reading (Championship)
25/8/09 Reading 1-2 Barnsley (League Cup)
Overall Record:
Barnsley Wins: 25
Reading Wins: 26
Draws: 16
Barnsley Goals: 98
Reading Goals: 104
At Oakwell:
Barnsley Wins: 19
Reading Wins: 9
Draws: 5
Barnsley Goals: 67
Reading Goals: 44
This Season
Last six 2011-2012 results:
Barnsley:
10/3/12 Southampton 2–0 Barnsley (Championship)
6/3/12 Middlesbrough 2–0 Barnsley (Championship)
3/3/12 Barnsley 1–1 Nottingham Forest (Championship)
25/2/12 Coventry 1-0 Barnsley (Championship)
21/2/12 Barnsley 1–3 Birmingham (Championship)
18/2/12 Barnsley 2–0 Portsmouth (Championship)
W: 1 D: 1 L: 4 F: 4 A: 9 GD: -5 Points: 4
Reading:
13/3/12 Doncaster 1-1 Reading (Championship)
10/3/12 Reading 3–1 Leicester (Championship
6/3/12 Reading 1-0 Portsmouth (Championship)
3/3/12 Millwall 1-2 Reading (Championship)
25/2/12 Middlesbrough 0-2 Reading (Championship)
17/2/12 Reading 1-0 Burnley (Championship)
W: 5 D: 1 L: 0 F: 10 A: 3 GD: 7 Points: 16
Interesting Stats
Reading are sweeping almost all before them in their quest to return to the Premier League for the first time since 2008. The Royals only saw their club record eight straight victories ended by a 1-1 draw at Doncaster in midweek. This incredible run of wins has seen Brian McDermott’s side leap from eighth and a point outside the playoffs, to the automatic promotion places.
Indeed Reading have won 15 of their last 20 games, losing just four.
During their eight game winning streak, Reading conceded just two goals and kept six clean sheets, including five in a row.
Overall, The Royals have won 20 Championship games this season, the joint most with league leaders Southampton who they trail by just two points.
They have also won nine games away from home, bettered by only West Ham with 10, and have conceded just 15 times on their travels, a stat bettered only by Hull who have shipped 13.
Overall, Reading have let in just 30 goals this season, again a stat that only Hull can better as they have conceded just 28 times.
Barnsley are at the other end of the form table with last weekend’s 3-1 defeat at league leaders Southampton being their sixth defeat in their last eight matches.
The Reds have also failed to score in three of their last four outings and have won just three times in 2012.
There is bound to be a Reading goal tomorrow afternoon- The Royals have scored in each of their past nine matches whilst Barnsley have just one clean sheet in their last 20 outings.
The two sides are closely fought in head to head meetings with Reading just edging it 26 wins to 25.
Reading have won three of the last four meetings but The Reds did win 2-1 at the Madejski Stadium back in August- the first victory of the Keith Hill era.
Reading have won on each of their last three visits to Oakwell with Barnsley’s last home win coming way back in September 1998 when Darren Barnard and a Jan Aage Fjortoft brace saw The Reds romp to a League Cup victory.
It is 15 years since The Reds achieved a league double against The Royals. Barnsley’s promotion winning season of 1996-1997 saw them triumph 3-0 at home and 2-1 away.
Barnsley need two more goals to reach 100 against Reading, whilst Reading are two shy of a century of league goals against Barnsley (they have 104 overall.)
Mad Sites
Official Sites
Other Fixtures
Saturday 17th March 2012:
3pm:
Birmingham v Middlesbrough
Blackpool v Brighton
Crystal Palace v Hull
Doncaster v Derby
Ipswich v Peterborough
Leeds v West Ham
Millwall v Southampton
Portsmouth v Bristol City
Watford v Coventry
Sunday 18th March 2012:
3pm:
Cardiff v Burnley