Barnsley have secured back to back league victories for the fifth time this season to move into the Championship top ten.
It is the most back to back league wins they have secured in a single Championship season since 2016-2017 when they also had five.
This was the 13th Barnsley match to be goal-less this season at half time (all comps), and they have gone on to win three of the last five.
Brad Collins has now made six successive starts for Barnsley, his best run since starting the final seven matches before the first lockdown last season.
However the goal he conceded from Adam Armstrong in the 94th minute of the game is the first 90+minute goal Barnsley have conceded in 2020-2021 and indeed the first league goal they have conceded after the 80th minute (the last Championship side to do this) The only other player to score against Barnsley later than the 80th minute this season was Chelsea’s Olivier Giroud -83- in the 6-0 League Cup defeat.
It’s the first league goal conceded by Barnsley later than the 80th minute since Tom Ince grabbed Stoke’s fourth after 87minutes in a 4-0 defeat in July 2020 and is the first injury time goal conceded since QPR’s Ilias Chair scored a third in a 5-3 Barnsley win in December 2019.
Following Alex Mowatt scoring Barnsley’s second on the 90minute mark, it is the first time there has been two 90+ goals in a Barnsley game since January 2018 when Fulham scored two injury time goals at Oakwell to win 3-1.
Ironically though the reverse fixture between Barnsley and Blackburn also saw a 90th minute consolation, scored by the Reds Romal Palmer.
Armstrong’s goal is the sixth scored against Barnsley by an ex Red this season following goals by Kieffer Moore, Michael Smith, Armstrong again, Jack Hunt and Ivan Toney.
Armstrong has now scored four goals v Barnsley – two for Blackburn and two for Coventry.
Carlton Morris broke the deadlock, the first Barnsley substitute to score since Victor Adeboyejo against Preston in December.
Morris has scored in successive games for the first time since September/October 2017 for Shrewsbury and the first time in successive league games since August 2015 for Hamilton in the Scottish Premiership.
This result saw Barnsley break the 40 point mark (after 29 games), the earliest they have passed it at this level since 2016-2017 (27 games)
Morris and Mowatt both scored and assisted each other – the first time two players have both scored and assisted in the same game since November 2019 (Mowatt and Mike Bahre)
Barnsley’s last 15 league matches have seen them either score two goals or none at all. (2-1, 2-0, 0-0, 2-2, 0-1, 0-2, 0-1, 2-1, 2-1, 0-2, 2-1, 2-1, 2-1, 0-4, 2-1)
Indeed 24 of their 29 Championship games this season has seen Barnsley either score two goals or none at all.
Barnsley are now unbeaten in their last 28 games (all comps) when opening the scoring (W24 D4) last losing when breaking the deadlock at Cardiff in December 2019.
Barnsley have now won three successive home games against Blackburn (scoring twice in each one), the first time they have won three successive Oakwell meetings.
Barnsley Team:
40. Brad Collins
20. Toby Sibbick
30. Michal Helik
6. Mads Andersen
7. Callum Brittain
21. Romal Palmer
27. Alex Mowatt
4. Callum Styles
29. Victor Adeboyejo
11. Conor Chaplin
9. Cauley Woodrow
Substitutes:
2. Jordan Williams (for Styles 45)
10. Daryl Dike (for Woodrow 55)
14. Carlton Morris (for Adeboyejo 55)
28. Dominik Frieser (for Chaplin 55)
8. Herbie Kane (for Palmer 64)
Unused Substitutes:
1 Jack Walton, 22. Clarke Oduor, 26. Michael Sollbauer, 34. Jasper Moon.
Blackburn Team:
1 Thomas Kaminski
22. Taylor Harwood-Bellis
26. Darragh Lenihan
30. Jarrad Branthwaite
15. Barry Douglas
27. Lewis Travis
6. Stewart Downing
31. Elliott Bennett
23. Bradley Dack
9. Sam Gallagher
7. Adam Armstrong
Substitutions:
16. Harvey Elliott (for Dack 76)
29. Corry Evans (for Downing 76)
39. Tyrhys Dolan (for Bennett 76)
8. Joe Rothwell (for Travis 84)
20. Ben Brereton (for Gallagher 87)
Unused Substitutes:
13. Aynsley Pears, 17. Amari Bell, 18. Jacob Davenport, 21. John Buckley.
Blackburn manager Tony Mowbray said:
"For the vast majority of the game I felt we did well, but it's a long way from where we want to play football.
"Barnsley are good at pressing the ball and the statistics back that up. It wasn't a night where we could play out from the back.
"We fell down with the basics in the second half. We didn't win headers and win challenges enough. We set the agenda at the start of the season and we're falling short at this moment."
Sky Bet Championship results
TUESDAY 16TH FEBRUARY 2021
Preston North End (13th) 0-1 Watford (4th)
Joao Pedro pen 51
Stoke City (9th) 1-0 Sheffield Wednesday (22nd)
Fletcher 83
Bristol City (14th) 0-2 Reading (5th)
Lucas Joao 42
Morrison 45
Middlesbrough (8th) 2-1 Huddersfield Town (19th)
Mbenza 9
Watmore 31
Fletcher pen 45
Wycombe Wanderers (24th) 1-2 Derby County (17th)
Ikpeazu og 16
Ikpeazu pen 48
Wisdom 90+4
Luton Town (15th) 0-2 Cardiff City (7th)
Wilson 53
Vaulks 57
WEDNESDAY 17TH FEBRUARY 2021
BARNSLEY (10th) 2-1 Blackburn (12th)
Morris 72
Mowatt 90
Armstrong 90+4
Coventry City (20th) 0-2 Norwich City (1st)
Pukki 28
Buendia 45+1
Millwall (11th) 2-0 Birmingham City (23rd)
Wallace 2
Thompson 75
Queens Park Rangers (16th) 2-1 Brentford (2nd)
Toney 30
Field 72
Austin 76
Barnsley lie in 10th place in the Sky Bet Championship with 42 points from 29 games. We are 7 points off the Play-Offs, 15 points off the Automatic Promotion Places, 19 points off First Place and 14 points above the Relegation Zone.
Up to 18/2/21
Next Up:
On The Road:
Sky Bet Championship Matchday Thirty: Bristol City v Barnsley, Saturday 20th February 2021. Kick-Off: 3pm
At Oakwell:
Sky Bet Championship Matchday Thirty One: Barnsley v Stoke City, Wednesday 24th February 2021. Kick-Off: 7pm