BARNSLEY will look for a third straight win in all competitions and to end their wait for a home league victory when they welcome Darrell Clarke’s old club Bristol Rovers from 3pm.
The Reds have not won in eight home league games since February, losing at home to Mansfield this season then drawing 2-2 with Northampton having been 2-0 up.
They then beat Sheffield United 1-0 in the EFL Cup, ending a ten-game winless run at Oakwell in all competitions.
Clarke said: “It’s important we get the home form going.
“We should have won against Northampton but didn’t.
“Time will tell if the Sheffield United game is a catalyst for us.
“We just want to give good performances for the fans who have been absolutely magnificent since I came in.”
Barnsley, who won 3-0 at Crawley on Saturday, have seven points from four games. Bristol Rovers have the same record.
Matt Taylor’s side have won twice at home in the league, 1-0 on the opening day against Northampton then 2-0 this week at home to Cambridge.
Their away games have seen them draw 0-0 at Rotherham and lose 2-0 at Stockport.
Only current leaders Stockport have conceded fewer goals than the Gas who have let in two, while scoring three.
“They have kept a lot of clean sheets.
“They have a good talented squad of players. Matt is getting a tune out of them out of them in the early part of the season.
“They have had a solid start.
“They invested heavily in the squad. They have a talented manager, a good group of players and ambition to be in the top six with their resources.
“It’s a different club to the one I left with a new training base, stadium upgrade and a budget which is a hell of a lot higher by the looks of it.
“They want to get to the Championship like 14 or 15 other clubs at this level.”
Clarke was manager of the Gas from 2013 to 2018, taking over just before their relegation into the National League then leading them to back-to-back promotions and mid-table finishes in League One.
He has since managed against them six times, losing two and winning three with Walsall, Port Vale and Cheltenham.
“I have come up against them with a few clubs now.
“But I still have a great connection with their fans from what we achieved when I was there.
“I had a great five years there.
“I love the Gasheads and had a great relationship with them.
“But nobody wants to win this game more than me.
“We’ve hit a little bit of rhythm and want to continue it.”
Rovers have midfielder Luke Thomas who left Barnsley last year.
The clubs have met 36 times, with Barnsley winning 13 and losing 12.
The only one of the last ten meetings since 1991 that the Reds have lost was in Bristol on the final day of the 2018/19 season when they were already promoted.
Rovers have been beaten in their last five games at Oakwell including a 2-1 defeat last season in which Corey O’Keeffe got the winner.
Clarke says Barnsley have moved on quickly from their 3-0 win at Crawley on Saturday.
He said: “Crawley is chip paper.
“We talked about it on Monday then parked it.
“The boys executed the gameplan superbly but I don’t always get my gameplan right.”
