Barnsley will take the relegation fight to the final day on Wednesday after a last gasp goal saw them defeat Nottingham Forest in the final Oakwell game of 2019-2020.
Realistically seven teams will fight to avoid three spots (Wigan with their 12 point deduction, Middlesbrough, Birmingham, Charlton, Luton, Barnsley and Hull), although with their inferior goal-difference the Tigers are virtually down.
For the Reds to avoid the drop the simplest equation is to win the last ever game at Griffin Park (where Brentford are not only looking to give their 116 year old stadium a fitting send off but also know three points could secure automatic promotion and send them to the top flight for the first time in 73 years) whilst also hoping Charlton lose at new champions Leeds and Luton are defeated at home by mid-table Blackburn. Incidentally the Bees also have the joint best home record in the Championship picking up 47 points from 22 games, winning 14 of them and losing only three.
For the second successive Championship campaign Barnsley won their final home game to take survival to the final day, however Reds fans will be hoping 2020 has a better ending than 2018 when they capitulated at Derby 4-1.
Barnsley currently have five more points than they won in that 2017-2018 campaign.
Barnsley are unbeaten in their last six final home games, winning each of the last three (W4 D2)
The Reds are yet to concede a home goal since football resumed, winning two and drawing two of their four Oakwell matches (1-0, 0-0, 0-0, 1-0) it is the first time they have gone four successive home games without conceding a goal since November/December 2000 (1-0, 1-0, 0-0, 1-0)
Patrick Schmidt scored the all important goal after 93 minutes, one minute earlier than his winner at Millwall back in December. It means two of his three goals for the club have been injury time winners (his other a consolation in a 4-2 home defeat to Stoke in November)
All three of Schmidt’s goals have come after being introduced to the game in the final 10 minutes (82 minutes v Stoke after coming on that same minute, and injury time winners v Millwall and Nottingham Forest after entering the pitch on 84 and 82 respectively)
It was the seventh goal scored by a substitute this season.
Speaking of substitutes Cauley Woodrow had to make do with an appearance from the bench, the first time he has been used as a substitute rather than a starter since the 21st January against Preston and one of only four occasions since he joined the club (77 appearances in total)
This was the tenth 1-0 game Barnsley have been involved in this season, with six coming in the last 14 matches. It is the most single goal score-lines in a Barnsley season since 2014-2015 when there were also 10 1-0s (W6 L4)
19 of Barnsley’s 45 games have featured only one team netting (W7), including 11 of the last 14. The most in a season since 2014-2015 (also 19 – W11)
This was the 16th Barnsley league match to be goal-less at half time this season and only the third Barnsley have gone on to win (also v Middlesbrough and Blackburn)
This was Barnsley’s 11th Championship clean sheet of the season, their most in a second tier campaign since keeping 14 in 2016-2017.
Barnsley went through a match without a booking for the eighth time this season (all comps)
Nottingham Forest managed only one shot on target – since football resumed the Reds have restricted their opponents at Oakwell to a combined seven shots on target – Millwall 1, Blackburn 5, Wigan 0, Forest 1)
Forest only won one corner, the lowest by a Barnsley opponent since Preston in January (also 1)
Barnsley have won three of the last five meetings between the clubs and four of the last seven.
They have also won three of the last four at Oakwell with the one blip a 5-2 defeat in 2016.
Barnsley Team:
13. Jack Walton
14. Kilian Ludewig
18. Michael Sollbauer
6. Mads Andersen
2. Jordan Williams
17. Marcel Ritzmaier
16. Luke Thomas
27. Alex Mowatt
20. Callum Styles
11. Conor Chaplin
7. Jacob Brown
Substitutes:
9. Cauley Woodrow (for Ludewig 45)
33. Matty Wolfe (for Thomas 67)
19. Patrick Schmidt (for Ritzmaier 82)
24. Aapo Halme (for Williams 87)
Unused Substitutes:
37. Aiden Marsh, 3. Ben Williams, 40. Brad Collins, 22. Clarke Oduor, 10. Mike Bahre.
Nottingham Forest Team:
12. Jordan Smith
2. Yuri Ribeiro
4. Joe Worrall
4. Tobias Figueiredo
20. Michael Dawson
16. Carl Jenkinson
28. Tiago Silva
21. Samba Sow
8. Ben Watson
9. Nuno Da Costa
7. Lewis Grabban
Substitutions:
22. Ryan Yates (for Silva 55)
19. Sammy Ameobi (for Da Costa 55)
29. Yohan Benalouane (for Jenkinson 85)
48. Alex Mighten (for Figueiredo 90+4)
Unused Substitutes:
43. George Shelvey, 23. Joe Lolley, 13. John Bostock, 27. Tendayi Darikwa, 34. Tyler Walker.
Nottingham Forest manager Sabri Lamouchi said:
"The desire of Barnsley players was important and they deserved to win because they want this win more than us. They run more, they fight more, they win the duels and in football, if you don't win the duels and if you don't run, it's difficult.
"The desire today was in the Barnsley side and not in the Forest side.
"The spirit in the dressing room was absolutely terrible but my job is to talk with them honestly. The manager needs to take the responsibility and this is my responsibility.
"If we want to play in the play-offs, it is in our hands. One point against Stoke and we will play in the play-offs. We need to recover, have a good rest and on Wednesday play a clever game."
Sky Bet Championship results
FRIDAY 17TH JULY 2020
Huddersfield Town 2-1 West Bromwich Albion
Willock 4
O’Shea 42
Smith-Rowe 86
SATURDAY 18TH JULY 2020
Charlton Athletic (21st) 2-2 Wigan Athletic (13th)
Lowe 9
Doughty 11
Dowell 40
Bonne 90+2
Stoke City (17th) 1-0 Brentford (3rd)
Gregory 38
Blackburn Rovers (10th) 4-3 Reading (15th)
Brereton 3
Armstrong 6
Swift 15
Rothwell 56
Baldock 64
Meite 68
Gallagher 87
Fulham (4th) 5-3 Sheffield Wednesday (16th)
Kebano 11
Mitrovic 26
Mitrovic pen 41
Nuhiu 49
Kebano 73
Murphy 78
Nuhiu 89
De-Cordova Reid 90+1
Hull City (24th) 0-1 Luton Town (22nd)
LuaLua 85
Middlesbrough (19th) 1-3 Cardiff City (6th)
Morrison 4
Murphy 47
Murphy 81
Assombalonga 85
Preston North End (8th) 2-0 Birmingham City (20th)
Bauer 43
Potts 87
Queens Park Rangers (14th) 4-3 Millwall (9th)
Masterson 43
Smith 49
Manning 52
Eze 62
Hutchinson 67
Kane 73
Molumby 90+5
Swansea City (7th) 1-0 Bristol City (11th)
Roberts 45+2
SUNDAY 19TH JULY 2020
Derby County (12th) 1-3 Leeds United (1st)
Martin 54
Hernandez 56
Shackleton 75
Clarke og 84
BARNSLEY (23rd) 1-0 Nottingham Forest (5th)
Schmidt 90+3
Barnsley lie in 23rd place in the Sky Bet Championship with 46 points from 45 games. We are 24 points outside the Play-Offs, 36 points outside the Automatic Promotion Places, 44 points outside First Place and 2 points inside the Relegation Zone.
Up to 20/7/20
Next Up:
On The Road:
Sky Bet Championship Matchday Forty Six: Brentford v Barnsley, Wednesday 22nd July 2020. Kick-Off: 7:30pm