Barnsley have won their opening two league games of a season for the first time since 1996-1997.
It is the 13th time in the club’s history that they have won their opening two games – also in 1978-1979 (5), 1976-1977 (2), 1974-1975 (2), 1965-1966 (3), 1960-1961 (2), 1947-1948 (2), 1946-1947 (2), 1933-1934 (2), 1923-1924 (2), 1922-1923 (3) and 1921-1922 (5).
However this is only the fourth time they have sat top of a division with a two game 100% record – also in 1978, 1960 and 1946.
They have also kept clean sheets in both their opening two league games for the first time since 1976-1977.
This is the first time the Reds have won their first away game since 2014 and only the second time in 12 years.
It is Barnsley's biggest victory in their first away game of a season since 1978-1979 when they won 2-0 at Crewe.
Barnsley have opened the scoring in both of their first two league matches of the season for the first time since 2015-2016 (3-1 defeat at Chesterfield and 1-0 home win over Burton) - the Reds went on to be promoted that season.
In each of the last two seasons Barnsley have scored the first goal in both of their first two games they have won promotion – 2015-2016 and 2005-2006.
This is the 13th time Tom Bradshaw has scored Barnsley's first goal in a game, five of those have come in the first 10 minutes.
Barnsley scored the first goal away from home for the first time in seven outings on the road (last time at Hull in February)
Barnsley led at half time in successive games for the first time since February (at Birmingham and then Hull)
They have won back to back games for the first time since October/November 2017 (4-2 at Burton then 2-0 v Birmingham)
Victor Adeboyejo is the first Barnsley player to score in successive games since Oli McBurnie against Hull and then Cardiff in February/March.
It also means a substitute has scored in each of Barnsley's last 3 matches.
He is the first Barnsley player to score in both of the first two league games of a season since Brian Howard in 2007-2008 (who scored in the first three) however it is the second successive season that a Reds player has scored in the first two in all competitions as Ryan Hedges did so in 2017-2018 v Bristol City and Morecambe.
Barnsley have now won on three successive visits to Bradford in all competitions, their best ever run at the Bantams.
Two games in and Barnsley have scored the joint most (6) along with Doncaster and conceded the joint least (0) along with Wimbledon.
There were 18,986 in attendance at the Northern Commercials Stadium, excluding playoffs this is the highest League One crowd Barnsley have played in front of since the 23rd April 2016 when 23,307 were in attendance at Bramall Lane for a 0-0 draw with Sheffield United.
Daniel Stendel has now won both his first two games in charge, he is only the fourth permanent Barnsley manager to achieve this after Lee Johnson (first four), Simon Davey (first two) and Allan Clarke (first five)
Bradford did not manage a single shot on target, the first time Barnsley have completely shut out a team since Wolves came to Oakwell in January.
Barnsley themselves had seven attempts on target, their most on the road since Millwall 11 months ago (9)
Barnsley Team:
Adam Davies
Dimitri Cavare
Ethan Pinnock
Liam Lindsay
Dani Pinillos
Brad Potts
Kenny Dougall
Alex Mowatt
Mamadou Thiam
Kieffer Moore
Tom Bradshaw
Substitutes:
George Moncur (for Thiam 68)
Victor Adeboyejo (for Moore 68)
Lloyd Isgrove (for Potts 90)
Unused Substitutes:
Jack Walton, Cameron McGeehan, Adam Jackson, Jordan Williams.
Bradford Team:
Richard O'Donnell, Joe Riley, Adam Chicksen, Anthony O'Connor, Sean Scannell, Eoin Doyle, Jack Payne, Kelvin Mellor, Hope Akpan, Nat Knight-Percival, Josh Wright.
Substitutions:
Sherwin Seedorf (for Riley 45)
Tyrell Robinson (for Knight-Percival 71)
George Miller (for Scannell 78)
Unused Substitutes:
Ben Wilson, Ryan McGowan, Ellis Hudson, Kai Brunker.
Bradford manager Michael Collins said:
“I thought the first goal changed the dynamic. We started the game okay and then with their first foray into our half, they end up nicking a goal.
“On the back of that, I think we lost a little bit of composure. Maybe because of the occasion and wanting to impress, we rushed a bit to try and grab the equaliser and looked patchy in our play going forward.
“It’s not shown me anything to leave me thinking ‘wow, we’re miles away from Barnsley’. I don’t think we are.
“I just felt that when that goal went in, the occasion made the lads almost rush with their attacks and that played into Barnsley’s hands. They are a team happy to play on the counter-attack.
Match Reports:
Sky Bet League One results:
Saturday 11th August 2018:
(9th) AFC Wimbledon 0-0 Coventry City (18th)
(17th) Blackpool 1-2 Portsmouth (5th)
Clarke og 81 Curtis 9, 59
(13th) Bradford 0-2 Barnsley (1st)
Bradshaw 7, Adeboyejo 70
(21st) Bristol Rovers 1-2 Accrington Stanley (12th)
Payne 83 McConville 6, 89
(11th) Charlton Athletic 2-1 Shrewsbury Town (22nd)
Taylor 62 John-Lewis 83
Ahearne-Grant 90+1
(2nd) Doncaster Rovers 3-0 Wycombe Wanderers (20th)
Wilks 55
Wright 78
Marquis 80
(4th) Gillingham 3-1 Burton Albion (23rd)
Eaves 35, 77 Boyce 26
O'Neill 51
(19th) Luton Town 1-1 Sunderland (8th)
Pearson 68 Maja 45
(24th) Oxford United 0-2 Fleetwood Town (10th)
Evans 34, Madden pen 89
(16th) Plymouth Argyle 1-1 Southend United (15th)
Carey pen 20 Demetriou pen 38
(14th) Rochdale 1-4 Peterborough United (3rd)
Henderson pen 17 Cummings 25, O'Hara 34, 90+3, Godden 45+3
(6th) Scunthorpe United 1-1 Walsall (7th)
Novak 48 Ismail pen 64
Barnsley lie in 1st place in Sky Bet League One with 6 points from 2 games.
We are 2 points inside the Play-Offs, inside the Automatic Promotion Places on Goal Difference, In First place and 6 points above the Relegation Zone.
Up to 12/08/18
Next Up:
On The Road:
EFL Cup First Round: Blackpool v Barnsley, Tuesday 14th August 2018. Kick-Off: 7:45pm
At Oakwell:
Sky Bet League One Matchday Three: Barnsley v AFC Wimbledon, Saturday 18th August 2018. Kick-Off: 3pm