Barnsley bounced back from a third home defeat in five to extend their unbeaten away record in the first league meeting between Northampton and Barnsley for 20 years.
It extended the Reds unbeaten away start to four games (W3 D1), their longest unbeaten start to a campaign on the road since 2014-2015 (4 games W1 D3)
Only Barnsley and Portsmouth remain unbeaten on the road in League One in 2023-2024
The Reds are now unbeaten in their last eight League One away matches – last suffering defeat at Burton on the 7th April. They have lost only two of the last 16 (W8 D6)
It is their longest unbeaten away run since a run of nine between December 2018 and March 2019 in League One.
They have won three successive away league games for the first time since September last year when they defeated Sheffield Wednesday 2-0, Cambridge 3-0 and Fleetwood 1-0.
Barnsley were up and running after only four minutes with Callum Styles second goal in as many games – the earliest the Reds have scored in a game since the 1st April when Devante Cole scored after four minutes in a 5-0 home win over Morecambe. It is the earliest away goal since the 14th February when Luca Connell scored in the first minute in a 3-1 win at Port Vale.
Styles has scored in successive games for the first time in his career, his first goals for the club since netting in his final appearance before moving on loan to Millwall in August 2022.
Whilst it may have been a surprise who gave Barnsley the lead it certainly isn’t as to who wrapped it up after 88minutes (the sixth goal Barnsley have scored in the final five minutes of games this season in all comps) with League One’s leading scorer Devante Cole grabbing his ninth goal in nine league games in 2023-2024 with the 28 year old now having scored in five of his last six appearances.
Barnsley have now won 18 of the last 19 matches (all comps) in which Cole has scored and he is now three goals clear of the next highest scorer in League One this season (Charlie Wyke has six)
This was Barnsley’s fifth league win of the season (the quickest they have reached this mark since also doing so after nine games in 2018-2019) but the first one of 2023-2024 that has not been accompanied with a clean sheet. Northampton’s consolation came in the eighth minute of injury time so Barnsley have won their first five games of a season without conceding a goal inside the 90 minutes for the first time since 2005-2006 when their first six League One wins were all accompanied by shutouts.
It is the first injury time goal Barnsley have conceded since the extra time added time strike at Wembley that saw Sheffield Wednesday beat Barnsley to promotion, it is the first time in a regular season game since Shrewsbury’s Killian Phillips netted after 91 minutes at Oakwell on the 10th April.
Cole’s strike saw Barnsley reach the 20 goal mark, the quickest they have reached this total since the 1999-2000 campaign when they had scored 23 goals after nine games – they went on to score a total of 88 in that second tier campaign, the most in the Football League that season.
This was the sixth time out of the first nine league games that Barnsley have netted more than once – they have now gone on to win five of them with the 3-2 defeat to Portsmouth the exception.
Barnsley have scored at least two goals in six successive games (all comps) for the first time since a run of seven between 12th January and 16th February 2019.
Barnsley are the current League One top scorers having netted 20 goals in nine games (five more than the next most – Portsmouth and Oxford)
Amongst EFL sides only Swindon (24) and Crewe (21) have scored more than Barnsley.
The Reds also have League One’s joint best goal difference (9) along with Portsmouth. Only Swindon (11) enjoy a better one in the EFL.
This is the first time Barnsley have scored in their opening 11 games of a season in all competitions this century, last doing so at the start of 1999-2000 when they netted in the first 13.
After going three successive games (all comps) without receiving a yellow card the Reds picked up four in this game, only against Port Vale on the opening day have they picked up more this season (6)
This was Barnsley’s first league meeting with Northampton for 20 years and first visit to Sixfields for 21 years and this victory ended a run of four successive defeats against the Cobblers stretching back to 2002.
Three of the last four meetings have finished 2-1 with Northampton winning two of those.
This was Barnsley’s 14th visit to Northampton and only the second time they have won, the other being a 1-0 success in April 1979 - the Cobblers have won 10 of the 14 meetings.
This is only the third time in those 14 meetings that the Reds have netted more than once – also scoring twice in a 4-2 defeat in April 1963 and a 2-2 draw in October 1972.
Northampton won 10 corners, the most by a Barnsley opponent since Wycombe won 12 on the 18th March.
Barnsley Team:
1. Liam Roberts
26. Jamie McCart
2. Jordan Williams
4. Kacper Lopata
22. Corey O’Keeffe
30. Adam Phillips
8. Herbie Kane
20. Callum Styles
29. Owen Dodgson
44. Devante Cole
9. Sam Cosgrove
Substitutes:
36. Max Watters (for Cosgrove 63)
3. Jon Russell (for Phillips 64)
17. Barry Cotter (for O’Keeffe 69)
45. John McAtee (for Cole 89)
7. Nicky Cadden (for Dodgson 90)
Unused Substitutes:
23. Ben Killip, 41. Jack Shepherd.
Northampton Team:
1. Lee Burge
22. Akinwale Odimayo
6. Sam Sherring
5. Jon Guthrie
33. Patrick Brough
19. Kieron Bowie
17. Shaun McWilliams
11. Mitch Pinnock
21. Marc Leonard
7. Sam Hoskins
16. Tyreece Simpson
Substitutions:
8. Ben Fox (for Simpson 68)
9. Louis Appere (for McWilliams 76)
12. Manny Monthe (for Odimayo 83)
Unused Substitutes:
26. Max Thompson, 24. Ryan Haynes, 20. Harvey Lintott. 27. Peter Abimola.
Match Reports:
League One Results:
SATURDAY 23RD SEPTEMBER 2023:
Blackpool (14th) 4-1 Reading (22nd)
Rhodes pen 20
Kouassi 27
Rhodes 31
Rhodes 51
Husband og 78
Bolton Wanderers (7th) 1-1 Peterborough United (8th)
Clarke-Harris 42
Adeboyejo 43
Bristol Rovers (12th) 4-1 Wigan Athletic (21st)
Thomas 13
Wyke 21
Hunt 26
Collins 53
Marquis 68
Burton Albion (20th) 1-1 Fleetwood Town (23rd)
Powell 17
Quitirna 19
Cambridge United (10th) 1-1 Port Vale (4th)
Garrity 20
Okenabirhie 66
Carlisle United (19th) 0-2 Derby County (9th)
Collins 18
Collins pen 84
Charlton Athletic (16th) 3-1 Wycombe Wanderers (11th)
Leaburn 27
Potts 54
Tedic 82
Blackett-Taylor 90+4
Cheltenham Town (24th) 0-3 Stevenage (3rd)
Roberts 7
List 69
List 73
Leyton Orient (15th) 1-0 Shrewsbury Town (17th)
Sotiriou 20
Northampton Town (18th) 1-2 BARNSLEY (5th)
Styles 4
Cole 88
Appere 90+8
Oxford United (2nd) 3-0 Exeter City (6th)
Rodrigues 8
Brannagan pen 83
Brannagan pen 90+4
Portsmouth (1st) 2-1 Lincoln City (13th)
Adelakun 5
Lane 8
Poole 45+3
Barnsley lie in 5th place in Sky Bet League One with 16 points from 9 games. We are 2 points inside the Play-Offs, 2 points off the Automatic Promotion Places, 3 points off First Place and 11 points above the Relegation Zone.
Up to 24/9/23
Next Up:
At Oakwell:
Papa Johns Trophy: Barnsley v Manchester City Under 21s, Tuesday 26th September 2023. Kick Off: 7:30pm
On The Road:
Sky Bet League One Matchday Eleven: Cambridge United v Barnsley, Tuesday 3rd October 2023. Kick Off: 7:45pm