Despite wretched away form that has seen Barnsley lose their last seven matches on the road yesterday’s 2-0 victory was their fifth from the last six home games, four of which have now been accompanied with a clean sheet.
This vital win, the first of the Mark Burton/Paul Heckingbottom caretaker reign ended a run of three straight defeats for The Reds and was only their sixth win in 18 matches in all competitions.
Like Danny Wilson, David Flitcroft, Keith Hill and Mark Robins before them, Burton and Heckingbottom failed to win their first match in charge, but like Flitcroft and Robins they managed to win their second.
A Barnsley match was goalless at half time for the first time in six matches. This was only the third time this season they have gone on to win a game that was goalless at the break.
Lewin Nyatanga’s strike was his third of the season making this his best goal-scoring season of his career.
All three goals have been the opening goals of those particular games.
In each of the past two home games a Reds defender has opened the scoring.
Barnsley have opened the scoring in each of their last nine home games for the first time since they won promotion from this division in 2005-2006. They also did it in nine in a row in that season.
And now only the divisions top two sides (Bristol City and MK Dons) have scored more home goals than Barnsley.
Barnsley benefited from an own goal for the third time this season the second time from a goalkeeper.
Paul Rachubka put the ball into his own net just eight minutes after coming off the bench.
Speaking of goalkeepers, Ross Turnbull saw his run of successive games end at nine as he was omitted from the squad completely and replaced by Adam Davies who started his first match since Boxing Day.
It was Davies’ 10th league start of the season and only his fourth win, two of them have been against Crewe. This was his third clean sheet.
Barnsley secured a first league double over Crewe for 36 years and a remarkable run of “twos” continued. One team has netted exactly two goals in each of the last eight meetings, and in six of those that team has kept a clean sheet.
Barnsley have scored in 12 home league games in a row, their best run since 2011 when they managed to net in 17 games in a row at Oakwell.
After 33 successive 90-minute appearances for Conor Hourihane, the Irishman has now either been dropped or substituted from three of the last four.
In all competitions Barnsley have gone 14 games without a draw, their longest run since they went 25 without a stalemate between 1st October 2011 and 3rd March 2012.
Crewe enjoyed 51% of the possession at Oakwell yesterday. Barnsley have been beaten in the possession stakes in each of their last six home games in all competitions, but have still won four of them
Barnsley Team:
Adam Davies
George Smith
Jean-Yves Mvoto
Martin Cranie
Lewin Nyatanga
Josh Scowen
Ben Pearson
Conor Hourihane
James Bailey
Leroy Lita
Kane Hemmings
Substitutes:
John O’Sullivan (for Hourihane ht)
George Waring (for Lita 61)
Rhys Oates (for Hemmings 90)
Unused Substitutes:
Christian Dibble, Mason Holgate, Luke Berry, Milan Lalkovic.
Match Reports:
Sky Bet League One results:
Saturday 21st February 2015:
BARNSLEY 2-0 Crewe
Bradford 1-1 Walsall
Colchester 3-2 Bristol City
Fleetwood 2-1 Notts County
Leyton Orient 3-0 Oldham
MK Dons 3-0 Peterborough
Port Vale 3-0 Doncaster
Preston 2-0 Scunthorpe
Rochdale 1-0 Chesterfield
Sheffield United 2-2 Coventry
Swindon 1-2 Crawley
Yeovil 2-2 Gillingham
Barnsley lie in 18th place in the Sky Bet League One with 38 points from 31 games.
We are 7 points off the Play-Offs, 24 points off the Automatic Promotion Places, 26 points off First place and 5 points above the Relegation Zone.
Up to 22/2/15
Next Up:
On The Road:
Sky Bet League One Matchday Thirty Two: Scunthorpe United v Barnsley, Tuesday 24th February 2015. Kick-Off 7:45pm.
Tickets:
Adults: £23.00
Over 60: £16.00
Student: £16.00 (With valid NUS)
Under 21: £16.00
Under 18: £12.00
Under 16: £ 7.00
Under 12 FREE: (Only 2 per paying adult)
At Oakwell:
Sky Bet League One Matchday Thirty-Four: Barnsley v Coventry City, Tuesday 3rd March 2015. Kick-Off: 7:45pm.
Tickets:
Adult: £20-£24
Over 65’s: £15-£18
Age 17-21: £15-£18
Age 12-16: £10
Under 12: £5