Team News:
Jim O’Brien is the only serious doubt for the long, 367 mile round trip to Suffolk. The winger suffered a “severe dead leg” that saw him stretchered off in last weekend’s victory over Leeds. The Irishman has been given an injection and will travel down to Ipswich before being assessed in the morning.
Jim McNulty has been nursing a sore knee but should be fit.
Last time out - Barnsley Team:
Luke Steele
Scott Golbourne
Jim McNulty
Martin Cranie
Tom Kennedy
John Stones
Stephen Dawson
Jim O'Brien
David Perkins
Marlon Harewood
Chris Dagnall
Last Six Ipswich v Barnsley Results:
29/9/12 Barnsley 1-1 Ipswich (Championship)
31/3/12 Ipswich 1-0 Barnsley (Championship)
10/12/11 Barnsley 3-5 Ipswich (Championship)
12/2/11 Barnsley 1-1 Ipswich (Championship)
13/11/10 Ipswich 1-3 Barnsley (Championship)
20/3/10 Ipswich 1-0 Barnsley (Championship)
Overall Record:
Ipswich Wins: 21
Barnsley Wins: 13
Draws: 6
Ipswich Goals: 67
Barnsley Goals: 55
At Portman Road:
Ipswich Wins: 13
Barnsley Wins: 3
Draws: 3
Ipswich Goals: 37
Barnsley: 14
This Season
Last six 2012-2013 results:
Barnsley:
12/1/13 Barnsley 2–0 Leeds (Championship)
5/1/13 Barnsley 1–0 Burnley (FA Cup)
1/1/13 Peterborough 2–1 Barnsley (Championship)
29/12/12 Barnsley 1-3 Blackburn (Championship)
26/12/12 Barnsley 1–2 Birmingham (Championship)
22/12/12 Millwall 1-2 Barnsley (Championship)
W: 3 D: 0 L: 3 F: 8 A: 8 GD: 0 Points: 6* (one victory in FA Cup)
Ipswich:
12/1/13 Cardiff 0–0 Ipswich (Championship)
5/1/13 Aston Villa 2-1 Ipswich (FA Cup)
1/1/13 Ipswich 0-3 Brighton (Championship)
29/12/12 Wolves 0-2 Ipswich (Championship)
26/12/12 Charlton 1-2 Ipswich (Championship)
22/12/12 Ipswich 1-1 Bristol City (Championship)
W: 2 D: 2 L: 2 F: 6 A: 7 GD: -1 Points: 8
Interesting Stats:
Portman Road is not a happy hunting ground for Barnsley and they have won just three of their 19 visits there. The surprising 3-1 victory in November 2010 is their only victory in the last seven visits, and they have lost five of those.
Indeed The Reds have won just two of the last 18 visits, spanning 55 years.
If Barnsley manage to score at Portman Road tomorrow, something they have failed to do in four of the last five trips, it will be their 50th league goal against them.
The Tractor Boys are undefeated home and away against The Reds since that game (four meetings)
Current Ipswich boss, Barnsley born Mick McCarthy made 272 appearances for his hometown club between 1977 and 1983. In 12 matches against them as manager of Millwall and Wolves he has won only five.
The 53 year old has though revitalised Ipswich since taking the reigns from Paul Jewell in November. They were bottom when he took over, had won just once in their 13 games and were five points from safety. Mick has masterminded seven wins from his 14 league games in charge to move them up to 19th and six points clear of the drop zone.
Ipswich have lost just one of their last five league games and only two of the last 10. Last time out they became the first side this season to stop the league leaders Cardiff scoring on their own patch.
They have also lost just one of their last six home games but are susceptible to conceding in front of their own supporters. Out of the 13 teams to have visited Portman Road this season only Millwall have failed to score.
Overall Ipswich have conceded 21 goals on their own patch, only Sheffield Wednesday, Peterborough and Bristol City, who occupy three of the bottom four places in the league table have conceded more home goals. They have also scored only 16 times at home, only Barnsley themselves have scored less with 12.
Indeed home and away the Tractor Boys have seen their defence breached 48 times, with only Peterborough and Bristol City having conceded more. 25 of those were conceded under Jewell but they have shipped 23 under McCarthy.
All of this means Ipswich have the worst goal difference in the division (-21), five goals worse than the next- Bristol City with –16.
Barnsley secured only their second win in 16 league outings with the 2-0 victory over Leeds last weekend. It was also their first clean sheet in the league since October and only the fourth time they had scored more than once in a game this season.
The Reds are yet to win back-to-back league games this season or at any point in the last 13 months. The last occasion was back in December 2011 when they won four in a row.
The Reds have won just one of their last seven away games and have lost eight times on their travels this season, only bottom side Bristol City have lost more with nine.
This game sees the divisions two lowest scorers going head to head. Ipswich have managed just 27 goals, Barnsley only 28.
The scorer of tomorrow’s first goal could be crucial, especially for Barnsley. The Reds have won six of the nine games they have scored first in but have failed to win any of the 18 in which they have gone 1-0 down during 2012-2013. It is a massive 19 months since they last won a game after going behind first. Back in April 2011, they defeated Bristol City 4-2 after originally being behind.
On This Day:
Ipswich:
Played: 8 Won: 4 Drawn: 3 Lost: 1 Scored: 13 Conceded: 9.
Last match on the 19th January: 2008. Blackpool 1-1 Ipswich (Walters) ATT: 9,154.
Last win: 2002
Last draw: 2008
Last defeat: 1974
STAT! – Ipswich have only played eight times on this date and they have lost just once- 5-0 at Leicester in 1974.
Barnsley:
Played: 12 Won: 3 Drawn: 2 Lost: 7 Scored 11, Conceded 23.
Last match on the 19th January: 2008. QPR 2-0 Barnsley. ATT: 16,197.
Last win: 1999
Last draw: 2002
Last defeat: 2008
STAT! – Barnsley have won only three of their 12 matches on this date and have achieved victory just once in the last nine.
Mad Sites:
Official Sites:
Other Fixtures:
Friday 18th January 2013:
7:45pm:
Leicester v Middlesbrough
Saturday 19th January 2013:
1pm:
Derby v Nottingham Forest
3pm:
Birmingham v Brighton
Blackburn v Charlton
Crystal Palace v Bolton
Leeds v Bristol City
Millwall v Burnley
Peterborough v Hull
Sheffield Wednesday v Wolves
Watford v Huddersfield
5:20pm:
Blackpool v Cardiff