Barnsley’s strong start to the season is threatening to be completely nullified as they slipped to a third defeat of the League One season and their second in a row, both without scoring.
All three league defeats have come without Barnsley finding the back of the net themselves and indeed they have now not lost any of the last seven league matches in which they have managed to score themselves.
It is the first season their opening three league defeats have been accompanied with scoring blanks since the Championship relegation season of 2021-2022 whilst it is the first time at this level since 1979-1980 when their first four were.
This is the first time the Reds have gone successive league games without scoring since March when they lost 1-0 to Charlton and 3-0 to Blackpool (ironically Blackpool are also included in this current run)
If you add in the 6-0 League Cup thrashing by Brighton in midweek they have gone three games in a row without scoring in all competitions for the first time in over two years, last occurring in January 2023 when they lost 3-0 to Bolton and Derby then 2-0 to Charlton.
It is the first time Barnsley have lost three games in a row in all competitions since March when they lost 1-0 to Charlton, 3-0 to Blackpool and 2-1 to Mansfield.
This defeat ended Barnsley’s unbeaten home record in the league after five games, the first season it has taken this long to lose a home league game since the 2018-2019 season when they remained undefeated in all 23.
The Reds have lost successive home games in all competitions for the first time in 2025, last occurring in December 2024 v Birmingham (1-2) and Leyton Orient (0-4)
It is only the third time since the start of last season – they also lost their first two home games of 2024-2025 against Mansfield (1-2) and Manchester United U21s (2-3)
Two of Barnsley’s three defeats have come against promoted League Two sides (AFC Wimbledon and Port Vale) they lost to three of the four promoted teams last season (Stockport, Wrexham, Mansfield)
Barnsley have experienced two successive league games which were 0-0 at half time for the first time December 2024 (v Wrexham and Birmingham) and just like 10 months ago they went on to lose both.
Barnsley have now won only three of their last 15 league games which have been goalless at the break (W3 D4 L8)
Barnsley have kept only one clean sheet in their opening 12 games of a season (all comps) their worst start defensively since 2017-2018 when it took until the 18th game to achieve a second.
Port Vale are the opponent Barnsley have faced most in their history with this Port Vale’s 48th victory moving them within two of the Reds total.
It ended Barnsley’s five match winning streak against the Valiants in all competitions whilst it is their first league victory in six clashes, with the last one occurring 10 years ago.
This was the first time in 13 meetings in all comps that Barnsley have failed to score, last doing so in a 5-0 hammering at Vale Park in April 2005 and is the first time in seven Oakwell meetings since a 0-0 draw in March 2004.
Since a 2-1 Port Vale win in November 2004, the Valiants have lost one and drawn one before winning an Oakwell meeting:
· 6/11/04 Barnsley 1-2 Port Vale - W
· 14/2/06 Barnsley 1-1 Port Vale – D
· 31/1/15 Barnsley 2-1 Port Vale - L
· 14/11/15 Barnsley 1-2 Port Vale – W
· 13/9/22 Barnsley 1-1 Port Vale – D
· 5/8/23 Barnsley 7-0 Port Vale – L
· 27/9/25 Barnsley 0-2 Port Vale – W
Despite defeat Barnsley had 68.3% possession, their most in a match this season and most since the final home game of 2024-2025 (68.7% against Shrewsbury – another match they lost)
Both teams had the exact same number of shots for the third time in a Barnsley match this season and all three have occurred in Barnsley’s league defeats.
Barnsley failed to manage a shot on target in a league game for the first time in 2025-2026 and first time since almost exactly two years to the day (last occurring against Blackpool on the 30th September 2023)
There were only 17 fouls in the game, the lowest this season and lowest since the 8th March v Blackpool (16)
Barnsley Team:
1. Murphy Cooper
27. Tennai Watson
5. Jack Shepherd
32. Josh Earl
14. Nathanel Ogbeta
7. Caylan Vickers
30. Jonathan Bland
8. Adam Phillips
48. Luca Connell
10. David McGoldrick
40. Davis Keillor-Dunn
Substitutes:
23. Neil Farrugia (for Vickers 66)
19. Reyes Cleary (for Keillor-Dunn 67)
3. Jon Russell (for Bland 78)
Unused Substitutes:
51. Kieran Flavell, 6. Mael de Gevigney, 18. Jake Rooney, 45. Vimal Yoganathan.
Port Vale Team:
46. Joe Gauci
25. Cameron Humphreys
22. Jesse Debrah
5. Connor Hall
6. Jordan Lawrence-Gabriel
8. Ben Garrity
7. George Byers
26. Jordan Shipley
3. Jaheim Headley
44. Devante Cole
10. Dajaune Brown
Substitutions:
18. Ryan Croasdale (for Shipley 71)
33. George Hall (for Brown 71)
4. Ben Heneghan (for Lawrence-Gabriel 84)
11. Ronan Curtis (for Cole 90+2)
Unused Substitutes:
1. Marko Marosi, 36. Mo Faal, 17. Ruari Paton.
Sky Bet League One Results
Saturday 27th September 2025:
AFC Wimbledon (6th) 2-1 Wycombe Wanderers (20th)
Bugiel 11
Seddon 32
Henderson 60
Leyton Orient (17th) 2-3 Stevenage (2nd)
Connolly 24
White 26
Freestone 54
Piergianni 61
Ballard 68
Barnsley (8th) 0-2 Port Vale (16th)
Lawrence-Gabriel 65
Croasdale 89
Bradford City (1st) 1-0 Blackpool (22nd)
Neufville 51
Burton Albion (24th) 0-4 Plymouth Argyle (15th)
Tolaj 31
Oseni 45
Tolaj 55
Pepple 81
Exeter City (18th) 0-1 Huddersfield Town (5th)
Castledine 28
Luton Town (10th) 1-0 Doncaster Rovers (9th)
Naismith 40
Mansfield Town (12th) 2-1 Rotherham United (21st)
Hugill pen 7
Roberts 62
Dwyer 90
Northampton Town (13th) 2-0 Bolton Wanderers (11th)
McGeehan 70
Hoskins 73
Peterborough United (23rd) 0-3 Lincoln City (3rd)
Reach 14
Darikwa 60
Obikwu 86
Stockport County (7th) 1-1 Reading (19th)
Wootton 22
Marriott 72
Wigan Athletic (14th) 0-2 Cardiff City (4th)
Ng 17
Salech pen 90+6
Barnsley lie in 8th place in Sky Bet League One with 16 points from 9 games. We are 2 points off the Play-Offs, 6 points off the Automatic Promotion Places, 7 points off First Place and 9 points above the Relegation Zone.
Up to 28/9/25
Next Up:
On The Road:
EFL Trophy: Notts County v Barnsley, Tuesday 30th September 2025. Kick-Off: 7pm
At Oakwell:
EFL Trophy: Barnsley v Manchester United Under 21s, Tuesday 21st October 2025. Kick-Off: 7pm
