Barnsley got their season back on track as they extended their unbeaten away start to 2023-2024.
Indeed despite losing four of their last five league games at Oakwell going back to last season the Reds have not lost any of their last six League One away matches – last suffering defeat at Burton on the 7th April. They have lost only two of the last 14 (W6 D6)
Barnsley drew their opening two away Championship matches in 2021-2022, this is the first time they have accrued as many as four points from their first two matches on the road since 2018-2019 when they had the full six in League One.
Wigan went down to ten men after just 21 minutes, the first opponent red card in a Barnsley match since Shrewsbury’s Ryan Bowman on the 10th April – it is the first time in an away match since Stoke’s Tommy Smith on the 15th September 2021.
It is though the third successive meeting in which either a Barnsley or Wigan player has been dismissed and the sixth red card in the last 12 meetings.
It is the first time a player has been dismissed in the first half of a Barnsley match since Barnsley’s Max Watters after 37 minutes against Cambridge on the 11th February and first time from an opponent in a league game since QPR’s Rob Dickie after 26 minutes on the 27th October 2020.
Devante Cole opened the scoring just five minutes after the Reds gained a man advantage, the 10th time he has netted the first goal of a League One match since the start of last season. They have now gone on to win 16 of the last 17 matches (all comps) in which Cole has scored.
This is the first time Cole has netted in successive matches since April against Shrewsbury and Forest Green – these are the only two occasions he has done it since Barnsley returned to League One.
Cole is also now joint top scorer in League One in 2023-2024, level on five goals with Derby’s Martyn Waghorn and Wigan’s Charlie Wyke.
Barry Cotter set up the goal with a great cross, he now has three assists for the season to make him Barnsley’s current assist leader in 2023-2024.
Barnsley sealed the victory with an injury time strike from debutant John McAtee, the third time the Reds have netted a 90+ goal this season (all comps) – Dallas v Port Vale 90+6, Marsh v Tranmere 90+8 and McAtee v Wigan 90+2.
It is their first 90+ away goal since James Norwood sealed a 3-0 win at Cambridge on the 17th September 2022 after 90+1.
Barnsley are the current League One top scorers having netted 12 goals in five games (two more than the next most) however the seven they have conceded is the second highest amongst current top half sides, only Port Vale (who Barnsley put seven past) have conceded more in the top half with nine.
Amongst EFL sides only Swindon (15), Wrexham (14) and Norwich (13) have scored more than Barnsley.
This is the first time Barnsley have scored in their opening six games of a season in all competitions since 2016-2017 when they netted in their opening nine.
Barnsley are now unbeaten in three meetings with Wigan and have lost only one of the last six.
They have kept clean sheets in each of the last three and four of the last five.
This was Barnsley’s second win in their last four visits to the DW (D1 L1)
Barnsley had nine shots on target, their most since the 4-4 draw at MK Dons on the 29th April (also 9)
They restricted Wigan to just one, the lowest by an opponent since Bolton in the first leg of last season’s play-offs (also 1)
Barnsley Team:
1. Liam Roberts
2. Jordan Williams
4. Kacper Lopata
41. Jack Shepherd
17. Barry Cotter
8. Herbie Kane
3. Jon Russell
7. Nicky Cadden
30. Adam Phillips
44. Devante Cole
36. Max Watters
Substitutes:
45. John McAtee (for Watters 65)
22. Corey O’Keeffe (for Cotter 73)
20. Callum Styles (for Phillips 83)
19. Aiden Marsh (for Cole 83)
Unused Substitutes:
23. Ben Killip, 6. Mael de Gevigney, 16. Andrew Dallas.
Wigan Team:
1. Sam Tickle
7. Sean Clare
6. Charlie Hughes
2. Kelland Watts
3. Tom Pearce
11. Stephen Humphrys
8. Matt Smith
19. Callum Lang
26. Babajide Adeeko
20. Callum McManaman
9. Charlie Wyke
Substitutions:
4. Liam Morrison (for McManaman 27)
14. Jordan Jones (for Clare 62)
28. Josh Magennis (for Adeeko 77)
Unused Substitutes:
12. Ben Amos, 21. Scott Smith, 24. James Balagizi, 22. Chris Sze.
Match Reports:
Sky Bet League One Results:
SATURDAY 26TH AUGUST 2023:
Bristol Rovers (17th) 1-2 Wycombe Wanderers (14th)
Low 19
McCleary 74
Vale 83
Burton Albion (23rd) 1-1 Bolton Wanderers (3rd)
Helm 46
Charles 58
Cheltenham Town (24th) 0-1 Northampton Town (13th)
Hoskins 88
Exeter City (2nd) 2-1 Reading (16th)
Aimson 34
Knibbs 45+3
Cole 90+3
Fleetwood Town (23rd) 0-1 Shrewsbury Town (11th)
Udoh 41
Leyton Orient (18th) 2-0 Cambridge United (9th)
Forde 29
Archibald 57
Lincoln City (4th) 3-0 Blackpool (15th)
Mandroiu pen 7
Erhahon 40
Bishop pen 73
Oxford United (1st) 2-1 Charlton Athletic (19th)
Goodrham 10
May 63
Goodrham 85
Peterborough United (10th) 2-4 Derby County (8th)
Clarke-Harris 23
Waghorn 29
Cashin 37
Waghorn 40
Waghorn 45
Poku 90
Port Vale (6th) 1-0 Carlisle United (21st)
Wilson pen 50
Stevenage (5th) 0-0 Portsmouth (7th)
Wigan Athletic (20th) 0-2 BARNSLEY (12th)
Cole 26
McAtee 90+2
Barnsley lie in 12th place in Sky Bet League One with 7 points from 5 games. We are 3 points off the Play-Offs, 3 points off the Automatic Promotion Places, 5 points off First Place and 5 points above the Relegation Zone.
Up to 28/8/23
Next Up:
On The Road:
Sky Bet League One Matchday Six: Cheltenham Town v Barnsley, Saturday 2nd September 2023. Kick Off: 3pm
At Oakwell:
Football League Trophy: Barnsley v Grimsby Town, Tuesday 5th September 2023. Kick Off: 7:30pm