Barnsley have done it! For the first time in 21 years they will fight for a place in the Premier League in the second tier play-offs.
Following season finishes of 16th, 23rd, League One, League One, League One, League One, 20th, 18th, 20th, 18th, 17th, 21st, 21st, 23rd, League One, League One, 14th, 22nd, League One and 21st the Reds will finish in the top six following Reading’s draw at Swansea and Barnsley’s 1-0 win over Rotherham.
Barnsley picked up their 23rd Championship victory of the season (from 44 games), moving them within one of their highest total at this level in their history (24 in 1999-2000).
Barnsley took the lead in controversial fashion after just two minutes, the earliest they have scored in a game since Cauley Woodrow netted after two minutes against Millwall 12 games ago.
It is only the sixth league goal Barnsley have scored in the opening ten minutes of a game this season, with three coming between the second and third minutes.
The goal saw Rotherham goalkeeper Viktor Johansson have to go off following a clash with Morris, the first goalkeeper change in a Barnsley game since the 25th August 2018 when Scunthorpe keeper Rory Watson was subbed after 75 minutes in a League One game.
This was Barnsley's FIFTH Yorkshire derby victory of the season - Sheffield Wednesday, Huddersfield x2, Rotherham x2, their most in a season since 2000-2001 (Rotherham x2, Sheffield Wednesday, Huddersfield, Sheffield United)
They have done two Yorkshire doubles in 2020-2021 (v Huddersfield and Rotherham) the most in a season since 2008-2009 (v Doncaster and Sheffield Wednesday)
The Reds have secured a league double over Rotherham in each of the last two seasons they have met (2016-2017 and 2020-2021)
Each of Barnsley's last three league victories have been accompanied with clean sheets, their best such run since four wins were accompanied with shutouts in October/November 2020 v QPR, Watford, Derby and Nottingham Forest.
The Reds have kept back to back clean sheets for the first time since the 6th and 10th March v Birmingham and Derby.
It is the first time they have had back to back 1-0 wins since February 2020 v Middlesbrough and Hull.
Barnsley have the third most wins in the Championship currently this season, only the top two (Norwich 28, Watford 26) who have both secured promotion have won more.
Morris’ goal was the 50th league goal scored under Valérien Ismaël, and the 20th to come in the first half.
Barnsley are now unbeaten in their last 39 games (all comps) when opening the scoring (W35 D4) last losing when breaking the deadlock at Cardiff in December 2019.
It’s the 27th win of the season (23 league wins, 4 cup wins), their most in a second tier season since 1999-2000 (also 27)
This was Barnsley’s 14th Championship clean sheet of the season, the most in a second tier campaign since 2016-2017 (also 14)
Barnsley picked up their 12th home league success – their highest total in the second tier since 1999-2000 (15)
Barnsley have now won each of their last four meetings with Rotherham and are unbeaten in the last 10 (all comps) W8 D2.
Indeed they have lost one of the last 15 (W12 D2 L1)
They are unbeaten in the last 14 meetings at Oakwell (all comps) W8 D6.
This was Barnsley’s fifth Championship double of the season.
Barnsley only had 44% ball possession, their lowest in 11 games since QPR away.
Rotherham had 14 shots, the most by a Barnsley opponent in 16 games since Brentford away (also 14)
Seven of those were on target, the most by a Barnsley opponent in 37 games since Cardiff away (9)
The Millers won nine corners, the most by a Barnsley opponent in 34 games since Brentford at home (12)
There were a total of 30 fouls in the game, the most in 16 games since Brentford away (33)
Barnsley Team:
40. Brad Collins
26. Michael Sollbauer
30. Michal Helik
6. Mads Andersen
7. Callum Brittain
24. Aapo Halme
27. Alex Mowatt
4. Callum Styles
14. Carlton Morris
9. Cauley Woodrow
10. Daryl Dike
Substitutes:
2. Jordan Williams (for Styles 45)
20. Toby Sibbick (for Sollbauer 51)
29. Victor Adeboyejo (for Morris 90+1
Unused Substitutes:
1. Jack Walton, 11. Conor Chaplin, 21. Romal Palmer, 22. Clarke Oduor, 34. Jasper Moon, 46. Cameron Thompson.
Rotherham Team:
1 Viktor Johansson
20. Michael Ihiekwe
6. Richard Wood
21. Angus MacDonald
30. Ryan Giles
16. Jamie Lindsay
4. Shaun MacDonald
5. Lewis Wing
11. Chiedozie Ogbene
10. Freddie Ladapo
24. Michael Smith
Substitutions:
27. Jamal Blackman (for Johansson 7)
9. George Hirst (for Ladapo 58)
19. Wes Harding (for Wood 78)
8. Ben Wiles (for MacDonald 78)
28. Florian Jozefzoon (for Lindsay 78)
Unused Substitutes:
3. Joe Mattock, 17. Kieran Sadlier, 18. Trevor Clarke, 26. Dan Barlaser.
Rotherham manager Paul Warne said:
"There can't be many games where we've had more attempts on goal, more clear-cut chances, than today.
"It's not very often the opposition manager tells me that my team should have won, either.
"I'm hugely disappointed, obviously I can't knock the lads' effort, we had enough chances to score."
Sky Bet Championship results
SATURDAY 24TH APRIL 2021
AFC Bournemouth (4th) 0-1 Brentford (3rd)
Mbeumo 77
BARNSLEY (6th) 1-0 Rotherham United (22nd)
Morris 2
Blackburn Rovers (15th) 5-2 Huddersfield Town (20th)
Armstrong 8
Brereton 22
Nyambe og 45
Armstrong 54
Gallagher 57
Armstrong 60
Koroma 82
Cardiff City (8th) 2-1 Wycombe Wanderers (24th)
Moore 22
Jacobson pen 43
Moore 71
Coventry City (19th) 0-1 Preston North End (14th)
Browne pen 67
Derby County (21st) 1-2 Birmingham City (16th)
Kazim-Richards 36
Jutkiewicz 62
Jutkiewicz 84
Middlesbrough (9th) 3-1 Sheffield Wednesday (23rd)
Bolasie 20
Windass pen 39
Coburn 73
Watmore 81
Nottingham Forest (17th) 1-1 Stoke City (13th)
Matondo 27
Grabban 50
Queens Park Rangers (10th) 1-3 Norwich City (1st)
Quintilla 32
Aarons 57
Dykes 71
Buendia 82
Watford (2nd) 1-0 Millwall (12th)
Sarr pen 11
SUNDAY 25TH APRIL 2021
Reading (7th) 2-2 Swansea City (5th)
Meite 33
Lowe 67
Ayew 83
Esteves 90+3
Bristol City (18th) 2-3 Luton Town (11th)
Wells 31
Nagy 38
Collins 59
Adebayo 68
Cornick 74
Barnsley lie in 6th place in the Sky Bet Championship with 77 points from 44 games. We are 8 points inside the Play-Offs, 11 points off the Automatic Promotion Places, 16 points off First Place and 38 points above the Relegation Zone.
Up to 25/4/21
Next Up:
On The Road:
Sky Bet Championship Matchday Forty Five: Preston North End v Barnsley, Saturday 1st May 2021. Kick-Off: 3pm
At Oakwell:
Sky Bet Championship Matchday Forty Six: Barnsley v Norwich City, Saturday 8th May 2021. Kick-Off: 12:30pm