The Game
Barnsley v Argyle. Oakwell. Monday, 6 April. 3pm. Sky Bet League One.
The Opposition
Barnsley are 13th in League One, with 51 points from 38 games. They have won 13, drawn 12 and lost 13.
Barnsley began their season at Home Park, beating Argyle, going on to win five and draw one in their first seven. The conclusion to September and October were miserable, though, as the Tykes got just two points from five games.
The pattern repeated: Barnsley got ten points from a possible 15 before losing three in a row to close out the calendar year. Since then, it has been consistently inconsistent for the South Yorkshire side. The next nine games yielded three wins, three draws and three losses.
Of late, Barnsley have turned into draw specialists. They have lost only one of their last five – but they have drawn the other four.
The Gaffer
As a player, Conor Hourihane played throughout England’s top four tiers, with spells at Sunderland, Ipswich Town, Argyle, Barnsley, Aston Villa, Swansea City, Sheffield United, and Derby County.
In his time at Home Park, Hourihane featured 142 times across three seasons for the Greens, scoring 16 goals and becoming a fan favourite among supporters. The Irishman was capped 36 times by his country, scoring one goal, against Georgia, in 2019.
Hourihane returned to Barnsley ahead of last season as a player/coach, but retired in December to focus on assisting manager Darrell Clarke. After Clarke’s dismissal in March of this year, the 35-year-old had a probationary period as interim head coach, before landing the full-time gig at Oakwell two months later.
The Squad
The David McGoldrick story continues to be a remarkable one. The tall forward is now 38 years old, but still has 15 goals this season, from 28 league starts and six sub appearances. Having played much of his career in the Championship with teams like Southampton, Ipswich Town and Sheffield United, McGoldrick dropped to League Two to play for his first ever club, Notts County, but retained his ability, and moved to Barnsley last summer, where he has again flourished. In all competitions, he has 13 goals in his last 16 games.
Few have played more than Luca Connell for Barnsley this season. A fixture at the heart of Barnsley’s midfield, Irish midfielder Connell, 24, has started 34 of the Tykes’ 38 league games. Connell started at Bolton Wanderers, and moved to Celtic, but other than loans to Queens Park, never got a game in Scotland. His move to Barnsley 2022 is what kick-started his career.
Jack Shepherd is a regular in Barnsley’s defence, although he played at left-back when Barnsley drew with Burton Albion on Friday, rather than his usual spot in the centre of the back four. Now 24, it is only a couple of years since Shepherd was playing for Pontefract Collieries in the Northern Premier League, but he signed pro at Barnsley and, after a couple of loans out, at Cheltenham Town and Bradford City, has now become a stable for the Tykes.
Previous Meeting
Earlier this season, the sides met in the opening game, with Barnsley winning 3-1.
A Strip for the Trip
Argyle will be wearing their black away kit for this game.
Argyle TV
Argyle TV’s coverage will begin with the Pre-Match Show, which starts at 2pm, with Rob McNichol joined by Katie Middleton. They will then hand over to the stadium for live commentary from Charlie Price and former Argyle midfielder David Norris.
Match passes to watch this game on Argyle TV are available overseas. CLICK HERE for more information.
