Barnsley’s indifferent home form continued this season as they were forced to come from behind twice to rescue a point against lowly Fleetwood.
It is the first time the Reds have gone behind twice and not lost in a league match since August 2022 when they drew 2-2 at Ipswich.
Barnsley were behind after just three minutes, the earliest they have conceded for a year since going behind after a minute at home to Exeter on the 8th October 2022.
The Reds were level after just seven minutes courtesy of Devante Cole scoring the rebound from his own penalty – the first Red to miss from the spot since Adam Phillips at Forest Green in April who also scored the rebound. It is the first time at Oakwell for almost seven years to the day – Sam Winnall missed against Bristol City on the 29th October 2016 in another 2-2 draw.
It is the first time there has been two goals as early as seven minutes in a Barnsley game since 27th February 2021 against Millwall when Cauley Woodrow scored after two minutes and Mason Bennett equalised after six.
This was the fourth time in eight home league games this season that Barnsley have conceded more than once (they have kept clean sheets in three of the other four) and only Bolton (13) have conceded more home goals than Barnsley’s 12 in League One this season. The Reds only conceded more than once in six home league games in the whole of 2022-2023.
In contrast they have only conceded three goals in seven away games (the best away defensive record in the division) and no side have managed to net more than once against the Reds on their own patch this season.
Both Fleetwood goals were scored by Junior Quitirna, the first opponent to score a brace at Oakwell since Sheffield Wednesday’s Lee Gregory in March.
The Reds rescued a point due to a Corey O’Keeffe header after 88 minutes, Barnsley’s latest equaliser in a game since Liam Kitching rescued a 1-1 draw at Portsmouth after 89 minutes in February.
It is the third successive meeting between the two clubs in which Barnsley have netted a late goal as they grabbed 90 and 86 minute winners last season.
O’Keefe’s goal was the sixth netted by a Barnsley substitute so far this season.
Cole’s first equaliser saw the Reds hit the 30 goal mark for the league season, coming after 15 games is the quickest in a season since the 1950-1951 Second Division season when they had scored 33 goals after 15 games.
Barnsley are the current League One top scorers having netted 31 goals in 15 games (four more than the next most – Bolton)
It was Cole’s 11th goal of the season from 15 appearances and he is now two clear at the top of the League One scoring charts. Only Salford’s Matt Smith (12) has netted more league goals in the EFL so far this season.
This result saw Barnsley complete an unbeaten October (W3 D2) their first unbeaten month of 2023-2024 and first since February (W5 D1)
This was Barnsley’s first home league draw of the season in their eighth Oakwell match (W3 D1 L4) it is their longest wait for a home league draw from the start of a season since 1999-2000 when it did not arrive until their 11th match (W8 D1 L2)
It is their first Oakwell league draw for 28 matches – last having a stalemate in front of their own supporters on the 13th September 2022, 1-1 v Port Vale which was their only home league draw of 2022-2023.
This result ended Barnsley’s six match winning streak against Fleetwood. The two sides have met 11 times in all competitions with this the third draw.
Barnsley have scored at least twice in six of the last seven meetings.
Barnsley’s only two defeats against Fleetwood have come at Oakwell and were in the first two Oakwell meetings, since then Barnsley have won two and drawn two home meetings.
Barnsley had 25 shots, their most in a game since the 1st September 2018 when they also had 25 against Gillingham at Oakwell.
In contrast Fleetwood managed only seven, the lowest by a Barnsley opponent in the league since the play-offs last season when Bolton had seven in both ties.
Barnsley Team:
23. Ben Killip
2. Jordan Williams
6. Mael de Gevigney
26. Jamie McCart
17. Barry Cotter
3. Jon Russell
8. Herbie Kane
7. Nicky Cadden
45. John McAtee
44. Devante Cole
30. Adam Phillips
Substitutes:
22. Corey O’Keeffe (for Cotter 63)
10. Josh Benson (for Phillips 69)
36. Max Watters (for Russell 70)
29. Owen Dodgson (for Cadden 82)
12. Fabio Jalo (for McAtee 82)
Unused Substitutes:
50. Kieran Flavell, 41. Jack Shepherd.
Fleetwood Team:
13. Jay Lynch
26. Shaun Rooney
16. Ben Heneghan
5. Bosun Lawal
32. Josh Earl
4. Brendan Sarpong
15. Junior Qutirna
8. Josh Vela
11. Ryan Broom
20. Promise Omochere
14. Jack Marriott
Substitutions:
10. Danny Major (for Quitirna 51)
3. Adam Montgomery (for Sarpong 63)
9. Jayden Stockley (for Omochere 63)
7. Kabongo Tshimanga (for Marriott 63)
6. Scott Robertson (for Rooney 79)
Unused Substitutes:
30. Stephen McMullan, 44. Phoenix Patterson.
League One Results:
SATURDAY 28TH OCTOBER 2023:
BARNSLEY (5th) 2-2 Fleetwood Town (22nd)
Quitirna 3
Cole 7
Quitirna 34
O’Keeffe 88
Blackpool (7th) 2-4 Peterborough United (4th)
Poku 16
Burrows 47
Jones 58
Dougall 60
Casey 64
Mason-Clark 90+2
Bristol Rovers (13th) 2-1 Northampton Town (20th)
Martin 10
Evans pen 30
Monthe 57
Burton Albion (11th) 0-0 Leyton Orient (12th)
Cambridge United (14th) 1-0 Carlisle United (21st)
Thomas 73
Charlton Athletic (15th) 0-2 Bolton Wanderers (3rd)
Williams 16
Charles 21
Exeter City (17th) 1-1 Lincoln City (8th)
Smith 20
Trevitt 81
Oxford United (2nd) 2-2 Wycombe Wanderers (10th)
Rodrigues 25
Leahy pen 56
Leahy pen 81
Brannagan pen 90+6
Port Vale (16th) 1-2 Cheltenham Town (23rd)
Devine 32
Long 42
Long 66
Reading (24th) 2-3 Portsmouth (1st)
Wing 23
Savage 27
Anjorin 33
Bishop 45+9
Devlin 58
Stevenage (6th) 3-1 Derby County (9th)
Roberts 32
Mendez-Laing 38
MacDonald 45+2
Hemmings 84
Wigan Athletic (19th) 2-0 Shrewsbury Town (18th)
Humphrys 35
Lang 66
Barnsley lie in 5th place in Sky Bet League One with 27 points from 15 games. We are 4 points inside the Play-Offs, 2 points off the Automatic Promotion Places, 8 points off First Place and 13 points above the Relegation Zone.
Up to 29/10/23
Next Up:
At Oakwell:
FA Cup First Round: Barnsley v Horsham, Friday 3rd November 2023. Kick Off: 7:45pm
On The Road:
Sky Bet League One Matchday Sixteen: Derby County v Barnsley, Saturday 11th November 2023. Kick Off: 3pm