The class of 2020-2021 become record breakers again as they secure a sixth successive away league victory for the first time in the club’s history.
A 2-1 win at Luton coupled with a 2-0 win at Brentford, 1-0 win at Bristol City, 3-1 win at QPR, 3-2 win at Bournemouth and 3-1 win at Wycombe sees them beat a record set in 1939.
This was their tenth away league success – breaking another club record in the second tier which had been set in 1999-2000 and equalled in 2016-2017.
Only league leaders Norwich (13) have won more away Championship matches this season than Barnsley whilst only Brentford (31) and Norwich (30) have scored more than the Reds 27 away league goals.
The Reds are unbeaten in seven away league games (W6 D1) their best run since a run of nine in the 2018-2019 League One promotion season (W5 D4) but for the first time in the second tier since a run of eight between January and April 1997 (W3 D5)
This victory moved Barnsley 19 points clear of 14th place with 18 points left to play for which guarantees that Barnsley will finish in their highest position in the football pyramid for 21 years since they finished fourth in the second tier in 1999-2000. That is the only time they have finished in the top half of the second tier since winning promotion to the Premier League in 1996-1997 with their highest placing since being 14th in 2016-2017.
Daryl Dike’s missed penalty denied Barnsley the chance of breaking another club record, that of scoring three goals in four successive away games however they have scored more than once in four successive league games on the road for the first time since November 2015 – January 2016 (2-1 win at Oldham, 3-2 defeat at Peterborough, 3-2 win at Colchester and 3-0 win at Shrewsbury)
Dike’s penalty miss ended a run of 13 successful league penalties for Barnsley with this the first failure from 12 yards in a league game since Oli McBurnie missed at Birmingham in February 2018.
Dike did manage to net a brace again though, his second for the club and the first Barnsley player to score two braces in a season since Cauley Woodrow who also scored two last season (v West Brom and Fulham)
Barnsley are unbeaten in their last 24 league matches in which they have led at half time – winning each of the last five since losing at Bristol Rovers on the final day of 2018-2019.
They are now unbeaten in their last 36 games (all comps) when opening the scoring (W32 D4) last losing when breaking the deadlock at Cardiff in December 2019.
James Collins handed Luton a lifeline with a goal after 83minutes, only the third league goal conceded by Barnsley later than the 80th minute this season (also Adam Armstrong for Blackburn and Uche Ikpeazu for Wycombe)
Collins has scored in both league meetings against Barnsley this season and now has five goals against Barnsley for Luton.
This was Barnsley’s 20th league win of the season, the first time they have reached this milestone at this level since 1999-2000 (24), it is only the fifth time in the last 31 seasons at any level (20 in 1994-1995, 22 in 1996-1997, 24 in 1999-2000, 22 in 2015-2016 and 26 in 2018-2019)
It’s the 24th win of the season (20 league wins, 4 cup wins), their most in a second tier season since 1999-2000 (27)
Despite failing to win any of their first seven league matches of 2020-2021 only the division’s current top two have won more than Barnsley’s 20 so far this season.
This was Barnsley’s first win in five meetings with Luton.
However they are now unbeaten in seven visits to Kenilworth Road (W5 D2)
Barnsley had seven shots on target, their joint most in an away league game this season (also at Stoke)
There were only 16 fouls committed in the game, the joint lowest in a Barnsley game this season.
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
10. Daryl Dike
29. Victor Adeboyejo
9. Cauley Woodrow
Substitutes:
14. Carlton Morris (for Adeboyejo 57)
24. Aapo Halme (for Palmer 57)
28. Dominik Frieser (for Woodrow 77)
Unused Substitutes:
1. Jack Walton, 2. Jordan Williams, 11. Conor Chaplin, 22. Clarke Oduor, 26. Michael Sollbauer, 34. Jasper Moon.
Luton Team:
12. Simon Sluga
2. Martin Cranie
6. Matty Pearson
16. Glen Rea
18. Jordan Clark
17. Pelly Ruddock Mpanzu
4. Ryan Tunnicliffe
22. Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall
24. Kal Naismith
27. Sam Nombe
29. Elijah Adebayo
Substitutions:
5. Sonny Bradley (for Rea 45)
7. Harry Cornick (for Nombe 45)
25. Kazenga LuaLua (for Cranie 70)
19. James Collins (for Adebayo 70)
8. Luke Berry (for Tunnicliffe 78)
Unused Substitutes:
26. James Bree, 14. George Moncur, 21. Harry Isted, 28. Joe Morrell.
Luton manager Nathan Jones said:
"I came in last year for the last nine games and, bearing in mind with nine games to spare this year we're on 50 points, you think you're in a relatively comfortable position.
"When I came in last year it was categorically different and they had a real desire to defend and to work hard and put their bodies on the line. We've had two games since we've reached 50 points where we haven't done that and we've been powderpuff in both games.
"I want us to evolve and become a better team, and we were using these last nine games to do that and see if we can do certain things.
"But I'm going back to basics now, I'm going to make sure we finish the season with points because I don't want to lose games by trying people and seeing if people are good enough.
"From now until the end of the season I'm going to see who wants to be here who wants to play for this football club, who can play for this football club and who can take us forward and I'll be ruthless with the ones who can't."
Sky Bet Championship results
MONDAY 5TH APRIL 2021
Middlesbrough (10th) 1-1 Watford (2nd)
Sarr 32
Bolasie 78
Blackburn Rovers (17th) 0-2 AFC Bournemouth (7th)
Billing 29
Danjuma 75
Coventry City (20th) 3-1 Bristol City (14th)
Ostigard 9
Godden pen 63
Wells 79
Gyokeres 87
Luton Town (13th) 1-2 BARNSLEY (5th)
Dike 27
Dike 59
Collins 83
Nottingham Forest (15th) 3-1 Queens Park Rangers (12th)
Mighten 44
Grabban 63
Garner 69
Dykes 90+3
Reading (6th) 3-1 Derby County (18th)
Olise 45+2
Puscas 57
Lawrence 79
Joao 84
Rotherham United (22nd) 0-3 Wycombe Wanderers (24th)
Muskwe 2
McCarthy 24
Wheeler 83
Stoke City (11th) 1-2 Millwall (9th)
Wallace 35
Brown 41
Bennett 71
Swansea City (4th) 0-1 Preston North End (16th)
Grimes og 90+1
Sheffield Wednesday (23rd) 5-0 Cardiff City (8th)
Borner 4
Paterson 20
Reach 23
Rhodes 65
Reach 69
TUESDAY 6TH APRIL 2021
Brentford (3rd) 0-0 Birmingham City (21st)
Norwich City (1st) 7-0 Huddersfield Town (19th)
Pukki 8
Pukki 20
Buendia 24
Cantwell 29
Dowell 42
Pukki pen 61
Hugill 78
Barnsley lie in 5th place in the Sky Bet Championship with 68 points from 40 games. We are 3 points inside the Play-Offs, 11 points off the Automatic Promotion Places, 19 points off First Place and 33 points above the Relegation Zone.
Up to 7/4/21
Next Up:
At Oakwell:
Sky Bet Championship Matchday Forty One: Barnsley v Middlesbrough, Saturday 10th April 2021. Kick-Off: 3pm
On The Road:
Sky Bet Championship Matchday Forty Two: Coventry City v Barnsley, Sunday 18th April 2021. Kick-Off: 3pm