Barnsley 2-0 Brentford

Last updated : 30 April 2018 By Rob Miles

Incredibly survival is back in Barnsley's hands following this victory. Three points at Oakwell coupled with Bolton's defeat at Burton moved the Reds out of the relegation zone on goal difference from the Brewers.

As long as Barnsley at least equal Burton and Bolton's results in the final game of the season they will embark on a 76th season in the second tier in 2018-2019.

FIVE clubs could join Sunderland in League One next season and four- Bolton, Burton, Barnsley and Birmingham begin with the letter B, Reading is the only exception.

Victory against Brentford also ensured Barnsley managed to avoid setting a new club record for lowest home wins recorded in a 46 game season. The final total of five is the lowest since 2013-2014 when they also managed only five home wins, and were relegated.

Two of Barnsley's five home wins have come in the last three Oakwell outings, prior to this they had gone a club record 12 home matches without victory.

Barnsley end their home campaign unbeaten in four, their best home run of the season.

Barnsley are unbeaten in four final home games of a season now (W2 D2)

Barnsley opened the scoring for the 17th time in the Championship this season but this was only the ninth time they have gone on to win.

They also led at half time for the 12th time and have won only five.

Barnsley have scored more than once in each of their past four home matches, prior to this they had only scored more than once home or away on two occasions in 25.

Jack Walton made his home debut in goal and was rewarded with a clean sheet, ending a run of 11 matches without. It is the club's first home clean sheet since the 13th January (0-0 with Wolves) and the first home clean sheet accompanied by a win since the 4th November (2-0 v Birmingham)

Kieffer Moore and Oli McBurnie scored the all important goals, between them they have scored 13 of Barnsley's last 17 goals (McBurnie 9, Moore 4)

McBurnie has now scored in eight of the last nine games in which Barnsley have picked up points, with the only exception being the 2-2 draw with Bristol City.

Remarkably despite only making his Reds debut on the 3rd February he is the club's second top scorer, and is only three behind Tom Bradshaw who has 12 goals.

Barnsley defeated Brentford for only the second time in 10 meetings, both of which have come in the last two years.

This was the first home win over Brentford in five (D4 L1)

This was the fourth time that Barnsley's penultimate game of the season has been against Brentford and they remain unbeaten (1935, 3-3, 1964 1-1 and 2003 1-0)

Barnsley are unbeaten in their last three penultimate games of a season now with this win following a draw with Burton last season and Colchester the season before.

There were 13,137 in attendance at the game, the highest attendance for the final Oakwell league game of a season since 2014 when 15,744 saw another 2-0 win (against Hull) that set up an unforgettable last day draw at Huddersfield which secured Championship survival.

Prior to this game Brentford were unbeaten in eight, winning four and this defeat mathematically ended their hopes of making the playoffs.

This was also the first time in nine outings that the Bees have failed to score.

Adam Hammill's corner set up McBurnie's goal finally seeing the winger credited with an assist, thus ending an unenviable record of creating more chances for team-mates without registering a single league assist than any other player in the Championship this season.

Barnsley now have 41 points, only once before have they been relegated with this many points, back in 2002 they exited the second tier despite accruing 48.

Jose Morais did not make a change until the 87th minute of the game, the latest Barnsley have made their first substitution this season, and indeed since the 23rd April 2016 when Ivan Toney (89th minute) was the only substitution made in a 0-0 draw at Sheffield United.

Barnsley have conceded 64% possession in both meetings with Brentford this season, only Middlesbrough at Oakwell in October (67%) have enjoyed more possession against the Reds this season.

Brentford became the third team that Barnsley have kept clean sheets against in both league meetings this season, joining Sunderland and Birmingham.

There were only five corners in this game (3 for Barnsley from which they scored a goal, and 2 for Brentford) the joint lowest in a Barnsley game this season (also at Bristol City, at home to Preston and at home to Burton)

No Barnsley player was booked for the first time in seven matches.

Barnsley Team:
Jack Walton
Andy Yiadom
Ethan Pinnock
Liam Lindsay
Zeki Fryers
Connor Mahoney
Brad Potts
Gary Gardner
Adam Hammill
Kieffer Moore
Oli McBurnie
Substitutes:
Mamadou Thiam (for Mahoney 87)
George Moncur (for Hammill 90+2
Dimitri Cavare (for McBurnie 90+4)
Unused Substitutes:
Adam Davies, Matty Pearson, Stevie Mallan, Tom Bradshaw.

Brentford Team:
Daniel Bentley, Henrik Dalsgaard, John Egan, Chris Mepham, Yoann Barbet, Ryan Woods, Florian Jozefzoon, Lewis MacLeod, Romaine Sawyers, Sergi Canos, Ollie Watkins.
Substitutions:
Nico Yennaris (for MacLeod 59)
Neal Maupay (for Canos 59)
Kamohelo Mokotjo (for Sawyers 73)
Unused Substitutes:
Luke Daniels, Andreas Bjelland, Josh McEachran, Alan Judge.

Brentford manager Dean Smith said:

“I know there’s one game left but what we have been trying to achieve has gone in 45 minutes. I thought we were good in the first 45 minutes; we were in total control and created opportunities but the final ball let us down.

"However, we conceded a spawny goal which deflected off Chris Mepham’s shin and into the top corner. You had to turn round and laugh because we were in total control. I wanted the players to go out and be a little bit tidier on the ball but they got a corner, we didn’t do our jobs, and they scored.

"From then on, we lost our discipline and were sloppy on the ball. I didn’t see that second-half coming and they thoroughly deserved the win.”

Match Reports:
Official Website
BBC
Sky Sports

Sky Bet Championship results:

Friday 27th April 2018:
Fulham 2-1 Sunderland
Piazon 45   Asoro 28
Mitrovic 76

Saturday 28th April 2018:
Aston Villa 1-1 Derby County
Grabban 84     Jerome 14
BARNSLEY 2-0 Brentford
Moore 11
McBurnie 51
Burton Albion 2-0 Bolton Wanderers
Akpan 28
Akins 36
Hull City 0-2 Cardiff City
                     Morrison 32,80
Norwich City 2-1 Leeds United
Hoolahan 45      Phillips 39
Murphy 69

Nottingham Forest 0-0 Bristol City


Queens Park Rangers 3-1 Birmingham City
Osayi-Samuel 29              Adams 27
Chair 70
Smith 90+2
Reading 0-4 Ipswich Town
                     Waghorn 71, Spence 79, Sears 90+1, Connolly 90+3
Sheffield United 0-1 Preston North End
                                Browne 57


Wolverhampton Wanderers 0-0 Sheffield Wednesday

Middlesbrough 2-0 Millwall
Assombalonga 11
Howson 66

Barnsley lie in 21st place in the Sky Bet Championship with 41 points from 45 games.

We are 31 points outside the Play-Offs, 48 points off the Automatic Promotion Places, 58 points off First place and Goal Difference outside the Relegation Zone.
Up to 29/04/18

Next Up:

On The Road:
Sky Bet Championship Matchday Thirty Forty Six: Derby County v Barnsley, Sunday 6th May 2018. Kick-Off: 12:30pm