BARNSLEY look to be heading for their first mid-table finish since 2017 but, with this club’s recent history, you just never know.

Those were different circumstances eight years ago as Paul Heckingbottom’s Reds were in the Championship and an outside chance of reaching the top flight had been kiboshed by January sales.

Since then, they have been relegated in 2018, promoted in 2019, survived in the last seconds in 2020, reached the Championship play-offs in 2021, went down again in 2022 and lost in the League One play-offs in both 2023 and 2024.

It has been a rollercoaster every year but this season they are now four points off the top six in tenth, with 13 games left.

The two away wins this week have breathed some life back into a promotion push which looked nearly dead last week after the gap grew to ten points because of a run of one point from six games.

There is still a lot of work to do to overhaul four sides and collect at least two points per game on average until the end of the season – with much tougher opponents to come than Rotherham and Northampton.

But, at the very least, they have shown some backbone this week and cooled down a lot of the heat directed from the fanbase towards Darrell Clarke, his players and the ownership group.

That must now be backed up with a rare home win on Saturday when they host Lincoln City.

If they can get their Oakwell form going, after a year of just four league wins there, then they may just have an outside chance of a top six finish.

In February, the Reds took seven points from five games.

They drew 0-0 at home to lowly Burton in a very dull match, lost at Stockport after a failed experiment with a diamond midfield, lost a lead in a home defeat to Huddersfield then showed guts to win a very low-quality game at Rotherham before surviving a late scare at Northampton

Like this last week’s two hosts, most of the teams they are due to face in March are – other than high-flying Charlton –below them in the table.

It should not be a particularly intimidating fixture list but the Reds need to find a long-term consistent run of good form which has evaded them so far this season.

LINCOLN CITY, HOME, TOMORROW

This game is almost exactly a year since the 5-1 home thrashing Barnsley suffered against the Imps which started their terrible slump at the end of last season.

It was the second match in their current run of 22 Oakwell points in as many league games.

Lincoln were on a remarkable winning run at that point which could have seen them overtake the Reds in sixth on the final day had they not missed a decisive penalty.

But they have not built on that and are now 13th, six points behind Barnsley.

After the 2-1 win at Sincil Bank in August – Clarke’s first league victory with the Reds – he was fuming with the performance which he called ‘nowhere near good enough.’

He has made similar comments throughout the following six months but will now look for a third straight win.

The atmosphere at Oakwell could turn nasty if the winless run there extends to four matches.

CHARLTON ATHLETIC, AWAY, TUESDAY

On January 4, fifth-placed Barnsley were six places and eight points clear of Charlton.

Last week, Charlton were seven ahead of the Reds, and now the gap is four.

The seventh-placed Addicks are one of the form teams in the division and have won their last five at home.

But Barnsley will look to continue their excellent away season.

It is a second successive long trip in midweek after their visit to Northampton – a gruelling schedule which will test a squad lacking in depth and quality.

Darrell Clarke has only won one of nine meetings with Charlton.

Barnsley have taken just six points from 11 games against the current top six.

The Reds also travel down to London later in the season to visit Leyton Orient while their chances of returning to the capital to play in a Wembley play-off final could be given a massive boost with a win at Charlton.

BLACKPOOL, HOME, MARCH 8

The second of two back-to-back Saturday home matches is against the Seasiders who are a strange team.

They are unbeaten in 11 league games but have only won three of them. They are unbeaten in the league at home since losing 2-1 at home to Barnsley in October, drawing eight in a row then beating Crawley on Saturday for a first home win since September.

No one has won fewer home games than their three but they have the fifth best away record.

That all leaves them a place behind the Reds in 11th.

When Barnsley won at Blackpool, thanks to an injury-time goal off Marc Roberts’ shoulder, manager Steve Bruce was not in attendance due to the tragic death of his young grandson.

The Seasiders will look for a third straight win in games at Oakwell.

MANSFIELD TOWN, AWAY, MARCH 15

This will be Barnsley’s first trip to Field Mill since 2003, not long after midfielder Darrell Clarke left his hometown club to join Hartlepool United.

The newly-promoted Stags came to Oakwell on the opening night of this season and scored twice in the first 18 minutes then held on for a 2-1 win.

They were ninth on January 4 but have collected a point from nine games which leaves them 16th and six points clear of the drop zone.

The sold-out away end will be expecting another victory on the road after making the short trip to Nottinghamshire.

Nigel Clough has the oldest squad in the division, with an average age of 30, and brought in former Barnsley academy graduate Jordan Rhodes, now 35, in the January window.

CAMBRIDGE UNITED, HOME, MARCH 22

One of the side effects of Joe Gauci’s injury is that this match is more likely to be played on this date.

Gauci was in the last Australia squad and Dexter Lembikisa is a regular pick for Jamaica, who may select Jon Russell again during the March international break after his good run in the Barnsley team.

The Reds would need three call-ups to postpone the match.

Last-placed Cambridge sacked ex-Red Garry Monk last week.

They replaced him with two of their former bosses as Neil Harris returned as head coach and Mark Bonner as director of football.

They beat high-flying Stockport on Saturday but will go into March eight points adrift in the relegation zone while their seven away points is the lowest total in the division.

The Us arrived at Oakwell on terrible form last Easter and won after being gifted a comical early own goal.

After this, the Reds host Exeter, Bolton, Peterborough and Shrewsbury.

WIGAN ATHLETIC, AWAY, MARCH 29

It seems a long time ago that Barnsley visited Wigan and won on penalties after a 1-1 draw in the EFL Cup in the first week of the season.

Eight of the Reds squad that day – including shoot-out hero Gaga Slonina on debut – have now left the club or been loaned out.

While Wigan have never lost a league game at Oakwell – where they won earlier this season – they have been beaten in four of their last six home meetings with the Reds.

The Latics were tipped by some to compete at the top end of the table this season but Shaun Maloney’s side are 14th, ten points behind the Reds. The joint lowest scorers in the division – who have the fifth best defensive record – moved seven points clear of the relegation zone by beating Huddersfield in midweek.

After this, Barnsley’s remaining away trips are to Birmingham, Leyton Orient and Reading – three teams in promotion contention.