Barnsley have now made their best start to a league season since the promotion campaign of 2018-2019 after winning three of their first five matches (they won three of the first four in 18/19)
This is however the first season Barnsley have lost their opening game of a season but then gone unbeaten in the next four since 2014-2015 when they followed an opening day defeat against Crawley with victories over Crewe and Gillingham and draws with Coventry and Yeovil.
This result also ended the Reds wretched home run, finally tasting league victory in front of the Oakwell faithful for the first time since February against Derby – a total of nine matches (D5 L4)
Barnsley’s last six home league victories have all finished 2-1 which includes two against Bristol Rovers with those two meetings against Rovers the only occasions in that run that Barnsley have gone 1-0 up been pegged back to 1-1 and then scored the winner.
Debutant Davis Keillor-Dunn opened the scoring after 11 minutes with a lovely finish for a stunning back-heel assist from captain Luca Connell, it is the earliest the Reds have scored in a home league game in 11 months since Devante Cole scored after seven minutes against Fleetwood on the 28th October 2023 – 19 home league games ago.
Keillor-Dunn’s goal is the earliest in a game by a debutant since Paul Hayes also netted after 11 minutes on the opening day of 2005-2006 against Swindon.
Adam Phillips grabbed the winner with a bullet header, his fourth goal in seven appearances this season and third in his last two.
Phillips has now scored in three successive league games on three occasions for Barnsley, also doing so v Port Vale, Cheltenham and Derby in 2022-2023 and against Charlton, Stevenage and Reading in 2023-2024. He has actually achieved the feat on four occasions for the Reds if you include all competitions, netting successively against Bolton in the FA Cup and then Shrewsbury and MK Dons in the league in 2022-2023.
Barnsley have now scored in each of their last 17 games in all competitions dating back to April.
Connell and Barry Cotter set up the goals which puts them both on two for the season so far, joint most with Kyran Lofthouse.
Barnsley have won three games in a row in all competitions for the first time since February/March when they defeated Fleetwood, Derby and Wycombe in the league, this was also the last time they won back to back league games.
The Reds are unbeaten in four league games for the first time since a run of seven between 3rd February and 5th March.
They have now scored at least twice in four successive league games for the first time since February (also 4)
Ruel Sotiriou grabbed Rovers goal, he has now scored in successive seasons at Oakwell for two different clubs having netted for Leyton Orient in February.
Three of Barnsley’s four bookings came in second half injury time, meaning they have now had six cards of some colour after the 90th minute in all competitions this season.
It is the first time they have had more than one injury time yellow card since Charlton away in April.
Barnsley have now had a substitute booked in each of their last four league matches.
Barnsley are now unbeaten in their last five meetings with Bristol Rovers (W3 D2)
They have lost only one of the last 11 meetings (W7 D3)
They have won both of the last two meetings 2-1 (both at Oakwell)
Indeed four of the last nine meetings have finished 2-1 to one team.
Barnsley have won each of the last six Oakwell meetings and have scored at least twice in five of those six wins.
The last four home wins have all come in League One, with the first two yielding clean sheets and the next two finishing 2-1.
Barnsley had eight shots on target, their most in a game since Reading at home on the 13th April (9)
Barnsley Team:
1. Gabriel Slonina
6. Mael de Gevigney
5. Donovan Pines
4. Marc Roberts
32. Josh Earl
18. Matthew Craig
2. Barry Cotter
8. Adam Phillips
48. Luca Connell
40. Davis Keillor-Dunn
9. Sam Cosgrove
Substitutes:
7. Corey O’Keeffe (for Pines 45)
10. Josh Benson (for Phillips 67)
15. Kyran Lofthouse (for Cotter 78)
19. Aiden Marsh (for Keillor-Dunn 89)
Unused Substitutes:
23. Ben Killip, 17. Georgie Gent, 44. Stephen Humphrys.
Bristol Rovers Team:
1. Josh Griffiths
6. Clinton Mola
4. Taylor Moore
5. James Wilson
11. Luke Thomas
8. Grant Ward
14. Jake Garrett
23. Luke McCormick
27. Bryant Bilongo
10. Ruel Sotiriou
9. Promise Omochere
Substitutions:
24.Gatlin O’Donkor (for Sotiriou 62)
3. Lino Sousa (for Bilongo 67)
37. Kofi Shaw (for Ward 77)
7. Scott Sinclair (for Thomas 78)
28. Shaq Forde (for McCormick 78)
Unused Substitutes:
17. Connor Taylor, 19. Isaac Hutchinson.
SkyBet League One Results:
SATURDAY 7TH SEPTEMBER 2024:
BARNSLEY (3rd) 2-1 Bristol Rovers (9th)
Keillor-Dunn 11
Sotiriou 37
Phillips 65
Charlton Athletic (5th) 1-1 Rotherham United (15th)
Kelly 58
Aneke 72
Wrexham (1st) 3-0 Shrewsbury Town (21st)
Palmer 15
Lee 42
Marriott 59
Barnsley lie in 3rd place in Sky Bet League One with 10 points from 5 games. We are 1 point inside the Play-Offs, Goal Difference off the Automatic Promotion Places, 3 points off First Place and 7 points above the Relegation Zone.
Up to 9/9/24
Next Up:
On The Road:
Sky Bet League One Matchday Six: Stevenage v Barnsley, Saturday 14th September 2024. Kick Off: 3pm
At Oakwell:
Sky Bet League One Matchday Eight: Barnsley v Stockport County, Saturday 28th September 2024. Kick Off: 7:45pm.