Barnsley ended 2022 how they started it with a victory, however whereas their first match of the year saw them advance to the fourth round of the FA Cup, this victory saw them cement fourth place in League One.
This is the sixth successive season in which they have played Boxing day that they have remained undefeated on that day plus the game after (they didn’t play on Boxing Day in 2021 and 2015 nor did they play again that year after Boxing Day in 2014) The last time they played twice this festive week and lost was in 2013 when they lost both matches (W6 D6)
James Norwood opened the scoring for the second successive game, - the second time he has scored in back to back games in 2022-2023.
Norwood is the first Barnsley player to score in both festive fixtures for the Reds since Sam Winnall in 2016.
Just like at Accrington on Boxing Day following a Norwood opener, the Reds were pegged back by a penalty, the first time they have conceded goals from the spot in successive games since August 2019 against Carlisle in the League Cup and then Charlton in the league, it is the first time it has happened in successive league games since January 2017 against Fulham and Leeds.
Unlike on Boxing Day Barnsley managed to go again to grab a winner with Robbie Cundy’s second goal for the club after 86minutes being the latest Barnsley winner at Oakwell since Boxing Day 2020 when Michal Helik netted a last minute winner against Huddersfield.
Cundy’s goal was the sixth Barnsley have scored in the final ten minutes of a game this season (all comps) their most since scoring 14 in 2020-2021.
Luca Connell assisted Cundy’s winner with a corner, his fourth assist of the season – only Jordan Williams (5) has more for Barnsley in 2022-2023.
This was their fifth successive home win in all competitions, their best run since December 2018/February 2019 when they won six in a row in League One.
This was only the fourth Barnsley league game (from 22) to be goal-less at half time and only the third of those which did not finish 0-0.
This win saw Barnsley hit the 40 point mark after 22 matches, the quickest they have reached this total since the Premier League promotion season of 1996-1997 when they had 41 points after 22 games. It is one point more than they had at this stage in their last League One season (2018-2019) when they went on to finish as runners-up.
Fleetwood become the first team Barnsley have completed a league double of wins over in 2022-2023, following a 1-0 victory at Highbury back in October. Indeed it is their first league double over any side since 2020-2021 when they achieved five.
It is the second time they have beaten Fleetwood home and away in the same season having also done so in 2018-2019.
Five Barnsley players were booked in this match, the most in a league game since 15th September 2021 against Stoke (also 5)
This was the ninth league game Barnsley have won this season despite having less than 50% ball possession.
Fleetwood became the 11th team (all comps) to have one shot on target or less against Barnsley this season, managing just the one which was the penalty in which they scored from.
This was Barnsley’s 22nd win in 2022 (all comps) their most in a calendar year since 2016 (29)
Overall they drew eight matches, seven less than 2021 and the same as 2020, they lost 24 matches, their most since 2014 (also 24)
Barnsley started 2022 in 23rd place in the Championship and finish it 4th in League One.
Barnsley are now unbeaten in seven league matches (W6 D1), their best run since going 12 league games unbeaten between 27th January and 17th March 2021 (W9 D3)
They have lost only one of their last 10 outings in all competitions – a 2-1 EFL Trophy defeat to Port Vale, winning eight.
This was Barnsley’s first league match on a Thursday since a 1-0 defeat at Leeds on Thursday 16th July 2020.
By conceding a goal for the 18th time in League One this season, the Reds have lost their status as the meanest defence in the division, conceding one more goal than Derby.
Barnsley have now won each of their last five meetings with Fleetwood and have only lost two of the 10 clashes overall.
They have scored at least twice in four of the last five.
Barnsley Team:
40. Brad Collins
24. Robbie Cundy
6. Mads Andersen (c)
5. Liam Kitching
48. Luca Connell
2. Jordan Williams
30. Adam Phillips
8. Herbie Kane
7. Nicky Cadden
9. James Norwood
44. Devante Cole
Substitutes:
33. Matty Wolfe (for Phillips 65)
14. Josh Martin (for Cole 85)
29. Fabio Jalo (for Kane 85)
Unused Substitutes:
1. Jack Walton, 15. Jasper Moon, 18. Joe Ackroyd, 26. Ziyad Larkeche.
Fleetwood Team:
13. Jay Lynch
28. Carl Johnston
22. Toto Nsiala
32. Josh Earl
3. Danny Andrew
4. Brendan Sarpong-Wiredu
16. Lewis Warrington
8. Josh Vela (c)
10. Callum Morton
19. Gerard Garner
7. Carlos Mendes Gomes
Substitutions:
9. Admiral Muskwe (for Garner 67)
21. Cian Hayes (for Mendes Gomes 67)
11. Paddy Lane (for Morton 78)
20. Promise Omochere (for Warrington 88)
Unused Substitutes:
1. Jakub Stolarczyk, 14. Joe Garner, 24. Daniel Batty.
Fleetwood manager Scott Brown said:
“I think we deserved more, we created a couple of chances, but if you don’t put the ball in the final third enough it becomes a problem,"
"I think the referee got some key decisions wrong, we should have had a penalty in the first half as well.
“The lads will keep working, they give so much in every game. But there comes a point where we may need to change it up a little bit.”
Match Reports:
League One Results
Thursday 29th December 2022:
BARNSLEY (4th) 2-1 Fleetwood Town (17th)
Norwood 64
Muskwe pen 77
Cundy 86
Bristol Rovers (12th) 3-4 Exeter City (11th)
Nombe 13
Collins 45+2
Collins 57
Coburn 64
Sinclair pen 74
Dieng 85
Nombe 90+2
Forest Green Rovers (23rd) 1-2 Burton Albion (20th)
Brayford 45+2
Kamwa 89
Peart-Harris 90+3
Morecambe (24th) 2-0 Accrington Stanley (21st)
Shaw 34
Weir 43
Oxford United (13th) 3-1 Charlton Athletic (18th)
Bodin 20
Taylor 24
Leaburn 67
O’Donkor 82
Peterborough United (7th) 2-0 Milton Keynes Dons (22nd)
Ward 38
Jones 48
Plymouth Argyle (1st) 1-0 Wycombe Wanderers (8th)
Scarr 33
Portsmouth (10th) 2-2 Ipswich Town (2nd)
Pack 4
Burgess 11
Bishop 60
Chaplin 87
Sheffield Wednesday (3rd) 2-0 Port Vale (9th)
Smith pen 30
Smith 70
Shrewsbury Town (14th) 0-1 Cheltenham Town (16th)
N’Lundulu 38
Friday 30th December 2022:
Derby County (5th) 1-0 Cambridge United (19th)
Dobbin 57
Lincoln City (15th) 1-1 Bolton Wanderers (6th)
House 10
Toal 58
Barnsley lie in 4th place in Sky Bet League One with 40 points from 22 games. We are 5 points inside the Play-Offs, 9 points off the Automatic Promotion Places, 13 points off First Place and 18 points above the Relegation Zone.
Up to 31/12/22
Next Up:
At Oakwell:
Sky Bet League One Matchday Twenty Three: Barnsley v Bolton Wanderers, Monday 2nd January 2023. Kick Off: 3pm
On The Road:
FA Cup Third Round: Derby County v Barnsley, Sunday 8th January 2023 Kick Off: 12:30pm