Barnsley smashed the automatic promotion race wide open with yet another come-from-behind win against second placed Derby, which coupled with Bolton’s 4-1 defeat at Blackpool brought the Reds to within three points of the top two with a game in hand.
It is the second successive home game in which Barnsley have fallen 1-0 down before an Adam Phillips brace has seen them win 2-1 whilst each of their last three Oakwell victories have come after conceding the first goal and have all finished 2-1.
Prior to this season Barnsley had gone 97 league games without managing to win after conceding the first goal, but this was the FIFTH occasion it has happened in 2023-2024.
This result also continued Barnsley’s perfect scoring record in 2024 – they have scored in all 10 league games this calendar year and are one of only three League One clubs to have scored in every league game of 2024 (a total of 15 goals) along with Wigan (14 goals) and Leyton Orient (19 goals)
It is the first time Barnsley have scored in their first 10 league games of a calendar year since 2014 when they scored in their first 14 league matches.
Barnsley have now overall scored in 17 successive league games (W10 D6 L1), stretching back to a 3-0 defeat at Derby on the 11th November 2023, their longest scoring league streak since another run of 17 between Boxing Day 2012 and 1st April 2013 in the Championship. (W9 D2 L6)
Adam Phillips was at the double to win the game for the Reds, just like he was last time out at Oakwell making him the first Barnsley player to score successive Oakwell braces since Mike Sheron back in December 2001.
Phillips has now had seven direct goal involvements in the last five matches, scoring four and assisting three – the goal at Shrewsbury is the only goal in those five games he hasn’t been involved in.
He has also scored in both of his meetings with Derby at Oakwell, scoring in the exact same minute (33rd) as he did against the Rams last season which was a day later (25th February) than this year.
The winner was set up by a corner from Nicky Cadden, his fifth assist of the season drawing him level at the top of Barnsley’s assist table this season alongside Phillips, Herbie Kane and Corey O’Keeffe.
Barnsley’s last six games have either finished 1-1 or 2-1 – they have drawn 1-1 twice, won 2-1 twice and lost 2-1 once and incredibly nine of the last ten matches have finished with one of those two scorelines – drew 1-1, won 2-1, won 2-1, won 1-0, lost 2-1, drew 1-1, won 2-1, drew 1-1, won 2-1, won 2-1.
There were 18,322 in attendance, Oakwell’s biggest crowd since the 4-2 victory over Sheffield Wednesday in March 2023 (18,377)
Barnsley’s two biggest crowds in 2023-2024 had both been against Derby as 28,019 were in attendance at Pride Park for the reverse fixture in November.
Phillips winner was Barnsley’s 60th goal of the season – it is the first time they have reached this milestone after only 33 games since 1999-2000 when they hit the 60 goal mark after 31 games.
Only Peterborough (61) have netted more in League One this season.
This is only the second time this season Barnsley have managed to win successive home league games.
It is however the sixth time they have won back-back league games overall in 2023-2024.
This victory saw Barnsley reach 63 points after 33 games – the exact same amount as they had at this stage last season.
Liam Roberts picked up a yellow card, the first Reds keeper to do so since Roberts himself was booked on the opening day of the season against Port Vale.
Roberts yellow was one of two handed to Barnsley players in injury time (along with Devante Cole) Along with Sam Cosgrove’s yellow card after 86 minutes it means Barnsley have collected 26 yellow cards in the 80th minute or later in all competitions this season from a total of 155 (17%)
Josh Earl has now made five appearances for Barnsley and has been yellow carded in three of them.
This was only Derby’s second defeat in nine away games.
The league’s joint top scorer Devante Cole has now gone four games without a goal, his joint longest drought of the season with this the third time it has occurred.
This was only Barnsley’s second win in six meetings with the Rams (L4) and both have come in their last two Oakwell clashes.
Barnsley have won each of the last three home meetings and are unbeaten in the last five (W3 D2)
It is the third time they have won three successive home meetings with Derby.
This is in stark contrast to their away form at Derby where they have lost each of the last four visits and nine of the last 10 whilst Derby are the only team so far to beat Barnsley on their own patch this season.
There was only a total of 19 shots in the game, only against Burton in September (16) has there been less in a Barnsley league game this season.
Barnsley’s total of seven is their lowest in any game in any competition in 2023-2024.
This was the eighth time this season both Barnsley and their opponents have had the same amount of shots on target as each other.
Barnsley Team:
1. Liam Roberts
6. Mael de Gevigney
5. Donovan Pines
43. Josh Earl
2. Jordan Williams
30. Adam Phillips
8. Herbie Kane
7. Nicky Cadden
48. Luca Connell
44. Devante Cole
45. John McAtee
Substitutes:
9. Sam Cosgrove (for McAtee 57)
17. Barry Cotter (for Phillips 87)
11. Conor Grant (for Cole 90+5)
22. Corey O’Keeffe (for Cadden 90+6)
Unused Substitutes:
23. Ben Killip, 26. Jamie McCart, 19. Aiden Marsh.
Derby Team:
1. Joe Wildsmith
5. Sonny Bradley
35. Curtis Nelson
6. Eiran Cashin
32. Ebou Adams
4. Conor Hourihane
2. Kane Wilson
20. Callum Elder
8. Max Bird
17. Louie Sibley
11. Nathaniel Mendez-Laing
Substitutions:
7. Tom Barkhuizen (for Hourihane 61)
25. Dwight Gayle (for Sibley 61)
24. Ryan Nyambe (for Elder 76)
12. Korey Smith (for Adams 89)
Unused Substitutes:
13. Scott Loach, 16. Liam Thompson, 22. Tyrese Fornah.
SkyBet League One Results:
FRIDAY 23RD FEBRUARY 2024:
Wigan Athletic (13th) 1-1 Cheltenham Town (21st)
Taylor 9
Bonds og 52
SATURDAY 24TH FEBRUARY 2024:
Cambridge United (17th) 0-1 Peterborough United (5th)
Mason-Clark 55
BARNSLEY (4th) 2-1 Derby County (2nd)
Bradley 18
Phillips 33
Phillips 66
Blackpool (8th) 4-1 Bolton Wanderers (3rd)
Thomason 9
Beesley 16
Ekpiteta 27
Beesley pen 68
Lawrence-Gabriel 84
Bristol Rovers (12th) 2-1 Carlisle United (24th)
Vela 16
Martin 34
Sinclair 51
Burton Albion (18th) 0-2 Northampton Town (11th)
Leonard 22
Pinnock 36
Charlton Athletic (20th) 0-0 Portsmouth (1st)
Exeter City (14th) 1-1 Fleetwood Town (23rd)
Harper 24
Omochere 74
Oxford United (6th) 1-2 Leyton Orient (9th)
Goodrham 20
O’Neill 51
Moncur 77
Port Vale (22nd) 0-2 Lincoln City (10th)
Taylor 2
Hackett-Fairchild pen 90+3
Reading (16th) 2-3 Shrewsbury Town (19th)
Shipley 3
Bayliss 5
Smith 9
Ehibatiomhan 36
Bloxham 45+5
Stevenage (7th) 1-0 Wycombe Wanderers (15th)
Piergianni 23
Barnsley lie in 4th place in Sky Bet League One with 63 points from 33 games. We are 7 points inside the Play-Offs, 3 points off the Automatic Promotion Places, 10 points off First Place and 30 points above the Relegation Zone.
Up to 25/2/24
Next Up:
On The Road:
Sky Bet League One Matchday Thirty Four: Wycombe Wanderers v Barnsley, Saturday 2nd March 2024. Kick Off: 3pm
At Oakwell:
Sky Bet League One Matchday Thirty Five: Barnsley v Bolton Wanderers, Tuesday 5th March 2024. Kick Off: 7:45pm