Barnsley are into the hat for the fourth (and fifth) rounds of the FA Cup for only the second time in eight seasons following an ultimately comfortable 2-0 victory over League Two Tranmere Rovers.
It is the first time the Reds have reached the fourth round in successive seasons in 22 years, since they reached back to back Quarter-Finals in 1997-1998 and 1998-1999.
Barnsley have now won each of their last three games played on a Sunday and are unbeaten in four since losing 3-1 at home to Brentford on Sunday 29th September 2019.
Barnsley have scored at least twice in each of their last three FA Cup ties and five of their last six, only failing to do so in a Third Round 1-0 defeat at Burnley in 2018-2019.
It is the first time they have scored at least twice in three successive FA Cup ties since the 1998-1999 season when they won 3-1, 3-1, 4-1.
Since the turn of the century Barnsley have featured in 19 third round ties with this only their fourth victory – of the other three they have gone on to reach a Semi-Final (2008), Quarter-Final (2013) and fourth round (2020)
Barnsley have won four of their last six FA Cup ties at Oakwell (including replays)
A Barnsley FA Cup tie was goal-less at half time for the first time in three since the Third Round tie at Burnley in January 2019 which they lost 1-0 to a last minute penalty.
This is the first time Barnsley have won a FA Cup tie which was goal-less at the break since the First Round in 2018-2019 when they went on to defeat Notts County 4-0.
Valerian Ismael made a half time change in this game, replacing Dominik Frieser with Luke Thomas, the first time he has made a change at the break since doing so in both of his first two games in charge.
Michal Helik broke the deadlock by heading in Herbie Kane’s cross, his fourth goal of the season to make him joint second top scorer alongside captain Alex Mowatt. All four of his goals have come at Oakwell, only top scorer Cauley Woodrow (6) has scored more home goals so far this season for the Reds. He equals fellow defender Aapo Halme’s tally of four goals from last season.
This was Kane’s first goal involvement for the club and his first since scoring for Hull against Middlesbrough in July.
Tranmere are statistically the least successful club to ever visit Oakwell and have now failed to win any of their TWENTY SEVEN trips with this their 16th defeat.
They have conceded at least twice in three of the last four visits and have only one clean sheet in 15 trips.
They are now managed by ex Reds boss Keith Hill who was in charge at Oakwell for 75 games between June 2011 and December 2012, winning 19 and losing 41.
This is the seventh time he has faced Barnsley since leaving and he has lost six of them including all four at Oakwell.
This was Barnsley’s first FA Cup clean sheet in five ties, since the aforementioned Notts County game with these the only two in the last eight ties.
Toby Sibbick came on as a 63rd minute replacement for Michael Sollbauer following loans at Hearts and Oostende. This was his first appearance for Barnsley since 11th December 2019.
Cauley Woodrow wrapped up victory with a 95th minute penalty, meaning he (and Barnsley) have successfully dispatched TEN successive spot-kicks with Woodrow the last to miss, against Manchester City’s Under 21s in December 2018.
All ten have been scored by Woodrow, he is the first Reds player to score 10 consecutive penalties since Beaumont Asquith who netted 11 in a row between 1938 and 1939.
The Reds have scored six goals from the spot this season – the most in a season since scoring seven in 2015-2016.
It is the first penalty goal they have scored in the FA Cup since way back in the Premier League season of 1997-1998 when Neil Redfearn scored an equaliser from 12 yards in the fourth round at Tottenham.
Woodrow has reached double figures in three successive seasons with the Reds, he has 10 goals from 23 games this season, two games more than the quickest time it took him – in 2018-2019 he reached the milestone after 21 appearances.
Remarkably there has been a 90+minute goal in each of Barnsley’s last five FA Cup ties, four of them scored by the Reds (Tranmere, Portsmouth, Crewe, Burnley, Southend)
Barnsley are unbeaten in their last four FA Cup ties when opening the scoring since losing 4-1 at Millwall in the Third Round in 2017-2018 – Brad Potts gave the Reds an 11th minute lead.
They haven’t lost an Oakwell FA Cup tie when opening the scoring since the Third Round of 2013-2014 when they lost 2-1 to Coventry after Jim O’Brien had given them the lead.
In all competitions The Reds are now unbeaten in their last 24 games in which they have opened the scoring, winning the last seven (W21 D3) last losing when breaking the deadlock at Cardiff in December 2019.
There were no bookings in a Barnsley game for the first time this season, and indeed for the first time since the final game before the first lockdown last March, against Cardiff. The Reds have played 36 games since with at least one card shown by the referee.
It is the second successive FA Cup tie without a booking as the fourth round defeat at Portsmouth last season was also card-less.
Barnsley have gone 17 games without a draw (all under Ismael) (W11 L6) - prior to this they had drawn four out of five.
It is their longest run without a stalemate in all competitions since a run of 19 between December 2014 and March 2015 (W11 L8)
This was Barnsley’s first clean sheet in 12 matches, they had conceded 16 goals between this and a 2-0 victory over Nottingham Forest on the 21st November.
Barnsley enjoyed the majority of ball possession (54%) for the first time in four matches with this their highest total in 16 matches since enjoying 60% against QPR in Ismael’s first match in charge.
There were 25 shots in the game, the most in a Barnsley game since Blackburn away in November (30)
20 of them were for Barnsley, their most since that Blackburn game (23)
There has now been eight shots on target in each of Barnsley’s last four matches.
Barnsley Team:
40. Brad Collins
26. Michael Sollbauer
30. Michal Helik
6. Mads Andersen
7. Callum Brittain
27. Alex Mowatt
8. Herbie Kane
4. Callum Styles
28. Dominik Frieser
9. Cauley Woodrow
11. Conor Chaplin
Substitutes:
16. Luke Thomas (for Frieser 45)
29. Victor Adeboyejo (for Chaplin 63)
20. Toby Sibbick (for Sollbauer 63)
21. Romal Palmer (for Mowatt 72)
2. Jordan Williams (for Brittain 79)
Unused Substitutes:
1. Jack Walton, 19. Patrick Schmidt, 22. Clarke Oduor, 34. Jasper Moon.
Tranmere Team:
1. Scott Davies
2. Lee O'Connor
21. George Ray
6. Manny Monthe
3. Liam Ridehalgh
22. Paul Lewis
8. Jay Spearing
17. Otis Khan
14. Kayne Woolery
9. James Vaughan
10. Morgan Ferrier
Substitutions:
11. Corey Blackett-Taylor (for Ferrier 67)
27. Jake Burton (for Ridehalgh 76)
7. Kieran Morris (for Khan 81)
Unused Substitutes:
5. Mark Ellis, 13. Joe Murphy, 24. Kyle Hayde, 25. George Nugent, 28. Ollie Banks.
Tranmere manager Keith Hill said:
"I thought the players showed magnificent bravery against a Barnsley side who went strong.
"We went with a depleted squad because of Covid-19 but our mindset was always to play the game and I thought the players responded superbly well.
"The effort was outstanding and it leaves me with a positive sense for the remaining league games."
FA Cup Third Round results
FRIDAY 8TH JANUARY 2021
Aston Villa 1-4 Liverpool
Mane 4
Barry 41
Wijnaldum 60
Mane 63
Salah 65
Wolverhampton Wanderers 1-0 Crystal Palace
Traore 35
SATURDAY 9TH JANUARY 2021
Boreham Wood 0-2 Millwall
Zohore 31
Hutchinson 74
Everton 2-1 Rotherham United (AET)
Tosun 9
Olosunde 56
Doucoure 93
Luton Town 1-0 Reading
Moncur 30
Norwich City 2-0 Coventry City
McLean 6
Hugill 7
Nottingham Forest 1-0 Cardiff City
Taylor 3
Chorley 2-0 Derby County
Hall 10
Calveley 84
Blackburn Rovers 0-1 Doncaster Rovers
Richards 42
Blackpool 2-2 West Bromwich Albion (Blackpool win 3-2 on penalties)
Yates 40
Ajayi 52
Madine 66
Pereira pen 80
AFC Bournemouth 4-1 Oldham Athletic
Brooks 43
Bahamboula pen 45+1
Riquelme 49
Bristol Rovers 2-3 Sheffield United
Day og 6
Kilgour 21
Burke 59
Ehmer 62
Bogle 63
Burnley 1-1 Milton Keynes Dons (Burnley win 4-3 on penalties)
Jerome 29
Vydra 90+4
Exeter City 0-2 Sheffield Wednesday
Reach 27
Paterson 90
Queens Park Rangers 0-2 Fulham (AET)
De Cordova-Reid 104
Kebano 105+3
Stevenage 0-2 Swansea City
Routledge 7
Gyokeres 50
Stoke City 0-4 Leicester City
Justin 34
Albrighton 59
Perez 79
Barnes 81
Wycombe Wanderers 4-1 Preston North End
Onyedinma 3
Jacobson pen 9
Knight 25
Riis Jakobsen pen 43
Samuel 82
Arsenal 2-0 Newcastle United (AET)
Smith-Rowe 109
Aubameyang 117
Brentford 2-1 Middlesbrough
Dervisoglu 35
Folarin 48
Ghoddos 64
Huddersfield Town 2-3 Plymouth Argyle
Crichlow 4
Hardie 24
Rowe 32
Camara 42
Edwards 70
Manchester United 1-0 Watford
McTominay 5
SUNDAY 10TH JANUARY 2021
BARNSLEY 2-0 Tranmere Rovers
Helik 59
Woodrow pen 90+5
Bristol City 2-1 Portsmouth
Diedhiou 19
Johnson 45+1
Martin 83
Chelsea 4-0 Morecambe
Mount 18
Werner 44
Hudson-Odoi 49
Havertz 85
Cheltenham Town 2-1 Mansfield Town
McLaughlin 3
May 73
Boyle 110
Crawley Town 3-0 Leeds United
Tsaroulla 50
Nadesan 53
Tunnicliffe 70
Manchester City 3-0 Birmingham City
Bernardo Silva 8
Bernardo Silva 15
Foden 33
Marine 0-5 Tottenham Hotspur
Alves Morais 24
Alves Morais 30
Lucas Moura 32
Alves Morais 37
Devine 60
Newport County 1-1 Brighton & Hove Albion (Brighton win 4-3 on penalties)
March 90
Webster og 90+6
MONDAY 11TH JANUARY 2021
Stockport County 0-1 West Ham United
Dawson 83
Next Up:
At Oakwell:
Sky Bet Championship Matchday Twenty Four: Barnsley v Swansea City, Saturday 16th January 2021. Kick-Off: 7:45pm
On The Road:
Sky Bet Championship Matchday Twenty Five: Watford v Barnsley, Tuesday 19th January 2021. Kick-Off: 7:45pm