A preview of Barnsley's home game with Stockport County from 7.45pm on Saturday.
POSSIBLE LINE-UPS
Barnsley: (3-5-2): Slonina; de Gevigney, Pines, Earl; Cotter, Phillips, Craig, Connell, O’Keeffe; Keillor-Dunn, Cosgrove.
Stockport: (3-4-3): Addai; Connolly, Horsfall, Pye; Diamond, Camps, Bate, Touray; Collar, Wootton, Barry
TEAM NEWS
Barnsley: Out: Matty Wolfe (knee), Doubts: Fabio Jalo (shoulder), Donovan Pines, Max Watters. Stockport: Out: Macauley Southam-Hales, Kyle Knoyle, Ryan Rydel, Jay Mingi.
OPPOSITION VIEW
Sam Byrne, Stockport Express
It’s a strange season in terms of expectations. The manager is a serial winner and the club are really ambitious in shooting for the Championship, but generally there’s an acceptance that there’ll be a period of adjustment back in League One. That was evidenced perfectly by the 4-1 thrashing at the hands of Leyton Orient last Saturday, after a previously unbeaten start.
If not a specific target, there’s definitely a desire and a feeling around the club that a tilt at the play-offs is attainable.
There’s real quality across the group Dave Challinor has put together, and the easing of an early-season injury crisis means there are a lot more options from the bench within games for Stockport to pose a threat in any game.
KEY PLAYER
Louie Barry
THE FORWARD has been seen as a rising star since moving from West Bromwich Albion to Barcelona as a 16-year-old.
He returned to England a year later with Aston Villa who have loaned him out six times, most successfully to Stockport.
The 21-year-old helped County out of League Two last season and has four goals already this campaign, with only Mansfield’s Lee Gregory netting more so far.
Barry, an impressive dribbler, plays on the left of a front next to striker Kyle Wootton who has three goals and two assists.
It could be the battle of the Barrys if he comes up against Barnsley right wing-back Cotter.
Stockport’s back-up striker so far has been last season’s top-scorer Isaac Olaofe who was at Oakwell on deadline day in the summer of 2022 but the paperwork for a move from Millwall was not completed in time.
PREVIOUS MEETINGS
Reds 3, County 3 – December 28, 2004
Stockport’s last visit to Oakwell saw them draw after being 3-0 down. Tony Vaughan opened the scoring then, after Chris Shuker doubled the lead with a fine long-range strike just before the break, Vaughan made it three on 47 minutes. Warren Feeney and Stuart Barlow took advantage of errors by Antony Kay and Ross Turnbull then future England striker Rickie Lambert levelled. The previous Oakwell meeting also ended 3-3 the year before.
Reds 1, County 0 – March 8, 2003
Both clubs had been relegated to the third tier the previous year. Bruce Dyer netted in the tenth minute against a team mamaged by Carlton Palmer and containing Stockport’s current boss Dave Challinor.
Reds 0, County 2 – March 31, 2001
Stockport’s only win at Oakwell since 1978. Barnsley had reached realistic safety with 50 points then lost to a side still in relegation danger. Kevin Miller spilled in Shefqi Kuqi’s early shot then was deceived by a spinning effort from Aaron Wilbraham.
Reds 4, County 4 – February 24, 1979
Stockport came back from 4-1 with ten minutes left to draw. Braces from Tommy Graham and Derek Bell put the hosts 4-1 up after 65 minutes. But Les Bradd netted a hat-trick with goals in the 80th, 85th and 88th minutes.
