Barnsley 0-0 Preston North End

Last updated : 27 December 2017 By Rob Miles

This Boxing Day stalemate means Barnsley have now gone nine league games without a win, their longest run since March-April 2015.

This nine game drought has encompassed two draws and seven defeats; the 2015 run was comprised of six draws and three defeats.

This was Barnsley's 104th point won on Boxing Day, it was Preston's 119th- - prior to today Barnsley had the 14th best record on this date, Preston the 3rd.

The Reds have though won only two of their last nine fixtures now on this festive date, losing five.

This is the second time in four years that Barnsley and Preston have met on Boxing Day; this 0-0 draw follows a 2-1 Preston win at Oakwell in 2014.

Barnsley have drawn two of their last three matches 0-0, as many as in the previous 37.

Each of Barnsley's last three matches have been goal-less at half time, the first time this has happened since April 2016 when they drew 0-0 with Burton, defeated Peterborough 1-0 and then drew 0-0 with Sheffield United.

Barnsley's alarming current scoring run continues, in this winless nine games, they have scored only three times.

They have now gone four home games without a goal, their worst run since March- April 2014 (5 games)

They have also had a total of 29 shots on target in these nine games, an average of just over three per game - they have had exactly two shots on target in each of the last three matches.

Lloyd Isgrove made only his third start for the Reds since returning in the summer, Barnsley are unbeaten in the last 11 matches the winger has started.

Barnsley have now played 35 home league games since winning promotion back to the Championship, and won only nine.

Only three of those wins have come in 2017-2018 and they have the third worst home record in the division - only Sunderland and Burton, two of the four teams below them, have collected less points in front of their own supporters.

Former Barnsley player Alex Neil has now faced The Reds three times as a manager and is still to win (D2 L1)

Barnsley continued a good recent record against the Lilywhites and have now lost only one of the past nine meetings  (W4 D4).

Joe Williams collected his seventh booking of the season, at least two more than any other Barnsley player this season.

FINALLY, after 23 matches Stevie Mallan got to make his Barnsley debut, he played the full 90 minutes against Preston, the first time he has managed this since the 6th May when he was at St Mirren.

Paul Heckingbottom made only one substitution in this game, the lowest amount he has made this season and the lowest since the 3-2 defeat at Wigan in April when again he made only one.

Both sides enjoyed an average of 50% possession, the fifth time this has happened in a Barnsley game this season.

There were only four shots on target in this game (two for each side) the lowest in a Barnsley game this season.

Barnsley also only won one corner, again their lowest of the season, and their lowest since the aforementioned Wigan game (also 1)

 

 

Barnsley Team:

Adam Davies

Andy Yiadom

Ethan Pinnock

Liam Lindsay

Zeki Fryers

Joe Williams

Gary Gardner

Stevie Mallan

Lloyd Isgrove

Adam Hammill

Tom Bradshaw

Substitutes:

Harvey Barnes (for Isgrove 75)

Unused Substitutes:

Nick Townsend, Jason McCarthy, Angus MacDonald, Cameron McGeehan, Mamadou Thiam, Ike Ugbo.

 

Match Reports:

Official Website

BBC

Sky Sports

 

Sky Bet Championship results:

Tuesday 26th December 2017:

 

Millwall 2-2 Wolverhampton Wanderers

Gregory 13   Jota 45+4, Saiss 56

Cooper 72

 

BARNSLEY 0-0 Preston North End

 

Birmingham City 0-2 Norwich City

                                     Pritchard 33, Murphy 71

 

Bristol City 2-0 Reading

Paterson 68

Kelly 90+3

 

Burton Albion 1-2 Leeds United

Naylor 29                 Hernandez 61, Roofe 64

  

Cardiff City 2-4 Fulham

Zohore 57           Ream 12, Ayite 56, Sessegnon 78, Johansen 90+7

Paterson 90+2

 

Hull City 0-0 Derby County

 

Ipswich Town 0-0 Queens Park Rangers

 

Middlesbrough 2-0 Bolton Wanderers

Braithwaite 49

Assombalonga 67

 

Nottingham Forest 0-3 Sheffield Wednesday

                                         Reach 5, Rhodes 45+1 pen, Lucas Joao 65

 

Sheffield United 3-0 Sunderland

Lundstram 36

Stearman 58

Baldock 62

 

Brentford 2-1 Aston Villa

Sawyers 22      Onomah 30

Vibe 52

 

Barnsley lie in 20th place in the Sky Bet Championship with 22 points from 24 games.

We are 19 points outside the Play-Offs, 25 points off the Automatic Promotion Places, 33 points off First place and 3 points above the Relegation Zone.

Up to 26/12/17

 

Next Up:

At Oakwell:

Sky Bet Championship Matchday Twenty Five: Barnsley v Reading, Saturday 30th December 2017. Kick-Off: 3pm

On The Road:

Sky Bet Championship Matchday Twenty Six: Sunderland v Barnsley: Monday 1st January 2018. Kick-Off: 3pm