Barnsley unbeaten at home in a year after goalless draw with Sunderland

The Reds are now unbeaten in 23 league home games across an entire year, equalling a postwar club record, while they have not lost in their last 17 League One matches. 

In front of a crowd of 18,282 – the biggest at Oakwell this season – the home side had the better of the first half then the visitors created the best opportunities. 

Second-placed Barnsley are still four points clear of third-placed Sunderland, who have a game in hand, and six behind leaders Luton Town who won at Bradford City. 

Head coach Daniel Stendel kept the same team which won 2-0 at home to Accrington Stanley on Saturday.  The hosts, with a very strong wind blowing towards the Sunderland goal, were the better side in the first half but Mamadou Thiam missed two excellent chances. 

In the tenth minute, Thiam seized on an error by defender Luke O’Nien and, after an impressive first touch to control the bouncing ball, went clean through on goal but his effort was tipped over the bar by goalkeeper Jon McLaughlin. 

Sunderland’s first shot on goal came from Max Power whose low 25-yard effort was tipped around the right post by Adam Davies.  Thiam then came extremely close to the opening goal once again as Kenny Dougall found him in the Sunderland area he beat a defender before smashing a ten-yard shot onto the crossbar. 

Dimitri Cavare’s 25-yard shot almost caught McLaughlin out but the goalkeeper recovered to scramble the ball away with his legs just before half-time. 

Barnsley also began the second half well, with most of the possession and a lot of time spent in the Sunderland half, but it was the visitors who missed a glorious chance to lead against the run of play on the hour-mark when Power was put clean through on goal by Jack Baldwin but shot wide. 

Soon after, Lee Cattermole, the Sunderland captain, looked almost certain to tap in a Lynden Gooch left-wing cross five yards out but somehow put the ball wide. 

Barnsley thought they had the lead in the 69th minute when Cauley Woodrow headed in a left-wing Alex Mowatt cross from close range but the linesman’s flag went up for offside. 

A Grant Leadbitter corner was volleyed just wide by Sunderland centre-back James Dunne six yards out in the 79th minute which proved to be the final chance of the game.

Barnsley: Davies; Cavare, Pinnock, Lindsay, Pinillos; Green (J Williams 69mins), Mowatt, Dougall, Thiam; Bahre (Adeboyejo 80), Woodrow.  Subs: Walton, Jackson, Hedges, B Williams, Styles.  Yellow cards: Pinnock.

Sunderland: McLaughlin; O’Nien, Baldwin, Dunne, Matthews, ; Leadbitter, Cattermole, Power (Sterling 90+1); Gooch (Morgan 75mins), McGeady, Grigg Subs: Ruiter, McGeouch, Ozturk, Wyke, Hume. Yellow cards: Leadbitter, Power.