BARNSLEY are hoping for a second away win in four days when they visit mid-table Portsmouth today.

Pompey are 11th in League One, nine points behind the sixth-placed Reds who won 2-1 at Oxford United on Wednesday.

Portsmouth sacked Danny Cowley in the first week of 2023 following a nine-match winless run in the league which led to them dropping down to 15th.

They had only won one in 15 following a six-match run of victories in August and September.

He was replaced by John Mousinho, the former centre-back who left a player/coach role at Oxford United to become a manager for the first time.

He enjoyed 2-0 wins last week at home to Exeter City then at Fleetwood Town before they lost 2-1 at Peterborough United on Tuesday.

The win over Exeter was their first home victory in the league in eight attempts across more than four months since September 3.

Only the top four have lost fewer games than Pompey’s seven league defeats this season.

Duff said: “Everyone knows what you will get at Fratton Park.

“We will have to try to silence the crowd straight away because they are almost a 12th man.

“If we can show the resilience and quality from the Oxford game, we have half a chance.

“They have had a bounce from their new manager.

“They have good players and have definitely underachieved which is probably why they have changed their manager. I know the director of football (Richard Hughes) really well. John has a great opportunity at a brilliant football club.

“We won’t rest on our laurels and it’s not a case of ‘we’ve won one of the two, we will be alright no matter what happens.’ We’ll go there to win.”

Pompey brought in centre-back Di’Shon Bernard on loan from Manchester United and left winger Paddy Lane permanently from Fleetwood on deadline day.

Mousinho never beat Barnsley in four meetings as a player, losing three times with Burton Albion and drawing with Oxford in 2019.

Portsmouth midfielder Ryan Tunnicliffe played three games on loan to Barnsley from Manchester United in 2013.

This will be the 55th meeting of the two clubs, with Barnsley winning 18 and losing 22.

The only meetings in the last decade were draws in the 2018/19 League One season then a 4-2 loss for Barnsley at Fratton Park in the FA Cup in January 2020 when they were in a higher league.

The Reds won four of their first six games at Portsmouth but, since 1980, they have won just one of 21 matches there.

The victory was in 1999 when the Reds came from behind to win 3-1 thanks to goals by Craig Hignett and Bruce Dyer as well as an own goal.

A week after the game at Fratton Park, Barnsley are due to host Cambridge United before a midweek trip to Port Vale on Valentine’s Day then a Saturday journey to Duff’s former club Cheltenham Town on the 18th. They will round off the month at home to Derby County on Saturday February 25, the first of several games against fellow promotion-chasers – mainly in March.