Mid-table sides like tomorrow’s visitors Fleetwood Town provide the toughest opponents at this time of the season, says Barnsley coach Dale Tonge.
The Reds are currently unbeaten in 24 league matches at Oakwell since March of last year, their longest run since the 1930s. But they have only won once in their last four home games, with Burton Albion, Sunderland and Coventry City holding them to draws.
Fleetwood are currently 11th in the table, ten points off the play-off places. Joey Barton’s side have the best defensive record outside the top five while the only side to concede fewer goals on their travels in League One this season than the Cod Army, with 18 let in in their 20 away matches, are Barnsley’s promotion rivals Sunderland.
Tonge said: “I think teams in mid-table with nothing to play for are the toughest teams to play. They have no expectations on them and they can play stress-free football and get a result out of nowhere against anyone in the league. Fleetwood are a team that love to play football. They have gone to a three at the back recently and got good results.
“They are a very positive team with good attacking players like Ched Evans and Paddy Madden who will be a big threat. It’s a great club even though it’s in an obscure part of the world that is not really known for its football. Joey is a big name in football but he’s proven his worth as a coach this season. We know what Joey was like as a player and his team have shown that steel. “They are very stubborn and they don’t give up many chances.”
When the sides met at Fleetwood’s Highbury Stadium in September, former Barnsley academy player Harrison Biggins put the hosts ahead with his first senior goal. Jacob Brown, who played with Biggins in the under 18s at Oakwell, equalised with his first senior goal. Kieffer Moore made it 2-1 to the Reds at half-time and Mamadou Thiam secured the 3-1 victory in injury-time.
Barton – the former Premier League and England midfielder – and Daniel Stendel argued on the sidelines while Reds coach Chris Stern was shown a yellow card for his part in a dispute. The two clubs first met in 2014 and have played each other seven times since, with Barnsley winning the last three.
Fleetwood have won their only two previous league games at Oakwell, by scores of 2-1 and 1-0 in 2015. They then drew 1-1 in the first leg of the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy Northern Area final before losing on penalties at Highbury, where Barnsley have since won twice in league games.
Tomorrow’s game will be Barnsley’s 50th of the season in all competitions while it is also likely to be Cameron McGeehan’s 50th for the club.
