Barnsley 2-2 Coventry City

Last updated : 31 March 2019 By Rob Miles

This was only the sixth time in the league this season that both Barnsley and their opponents have scored in the first half.

Despite conceding twice Barnsley still have the best defensive record in the EFL having only conceded 30 goals in 40 league games, at least two less goals than anybody else.

This result extended Barnsley's unbeaten league run to 20 games (W12 D8), their best run since January 1981 (also 20 matches and also W12 D8).

The Reds are now just ONE match away from equaling the club record of 21 league games without defeat set in 1934 when Barnsley won 16 and drew five of their final 21 matches in Division Three North going on to win the title.

Only Luton Town (27) are currently on a longer unbeaten run across the top four tiers.

Barnsley have gone unbeaten in their first 16 league games of a calendar year (W9 D7) for the first time since the aforementioned 1933-1934 season when after being defeated 4-2 by Wrexham on the 30th December 1933 they then did not lose again that season.

Barnsley are now unbeaten in their last 28 matches at Oakwell in all competitions (W16 D12), their longest run at home since going a staggering 36 matches without defeat at Oakwell between 4th February 1933 and 24th November 1934 (W25 D11).

They are still unbeaten at Oakwell in the league this season (20 matches - W12 D8) their best home start to a season since 1967-1968 when they went unbeaten at home for the entire season (23 matches - W17 D6)

Alex Mowatt gave Barnsley the lead after just nine minutes meaning he has now been involved in 27 scoring attacks for Barnsley this season. He has been directly involved in 18 goals (all comps) scoring six and assisting 12.

Barnsley now have 79 points, their most in a season since 1999-2000 when they finished with 82 in the second tier.

They need one more point to reach 80 for only the third time in their history - the promotion season of 1996-1997 (80) being the other occasion along with 1999-2000.

Barnsley have now drawn five of their last eight league outings and have now drawn 13 matches this season - only Sunderland (16) and Blackpool (15) have drawn more.

Alex Mowatt has scored two of the four earliest goals by the Reds at Oakwell this season, netting after eight minutes v Bristol Rovers and nine minutes v Coventry - bettered only by Brad Potts who scored just five minutes in against both Luton and Charlton.

Jordy Hiwula became the first opposition player to net against Barnsley since Joe Jacobson from the penalty spot in the 100th minute of the game at Oakwell back on the 16th February. He is the first to score against the Reds at Oakwell in open play since Ian Henderson on the 26th January.

It is the first time the Reds have conceded in the first half at Oakwell in 2019 - last doing so on the 15th December.

Hiwula's 35th minute strike is the EARLIEST Barnsley have conceded at home in League One this season.

This was the 18th time a Barnsley game was level at half-time in the league this season but only the second that wasn't 0-0 (also the 1-1 draw with Plymouth on the 2nd October)

Barnsley conceded more than once in a game in the league for only the sixth time this season and the first time in 11 outings.

Coventry are however only the second team to do this at Oakwell after Luton.

Those two goals ended a three game drought for the Sky Blues in league competition at Oakwell - having last netted there in 2011.

Barnsley scored in the opening 10 minutes of both halves (9, 48) for the first time since August 2017 v Nottingham Forest (3, 50)

This is the second time this season Woodrow has scored in the 48th minute, also doing so against Notts County in the FA Cup.

This was the first time in five Oakwell league meetings that Barnsley have not been able to defeat Coventry however overall in all competitions the Reds have won only four of the last 22 clashes.

This was Barnsley's 18th home point of 2019 only Cheltenham (19) have collected more in the EFL since the turn of the year.

 

Barnsley Team:

1. Adam Davies (C)

12. Dimitri Cavare

5. Ethan Pinnock

6. Liam Lindsay

28. Ben Williams 

27. Alex Mowatt

8. Cameron McGeehan 

33. Jacob Brown

26. Mamadou Thiam

7. Ryan Hedges

9. Cauley Woodrow

Substitutes:

21. Mike Bähre (for Hedges 76)

15. Jordan Green (for Brown 81)

29. Victor Adeboyejo (for Thiam 88)

Unused Substitutes:

13. Jack Walton, 18. Adam Jackson, 20. Callum Styles, 22. Jordan Willams.

 

Coventry Team

1. Lee Burge

17. Dujon Sterling

15. Dominic Hyam

4. Jordan Willis

3. Brandon Mason

23. Luke Thomas 

20. Tom Bayliss

6. Liam Kelly (C)

11. Jordy Hiwula

24. Bright Enobakhare

21. Amadou Bakayoko

Substitutions:

12. Junior Brown (for Mason 79)

44. Charlie Wakefield (for Thomas 86)

Unused Substitutes:

2. Jack Grimmer, 5. Tom Davies, 8. David Meyler, 26. Jordan Shipley, 33. Corey Addai.

Coventry manager Mark Robins said:

 “I am proud of them because without a doubt they are the best team we have played.

“In both games that we played, I think that they have been outstanding and I think they will go up.

“We have taken four points off them, but the games have been really tight and perhaps we could have won today.

“We also could have lost the game but for some good saves from Burge and some interventions.”

 

Match Reports:

Official Website

BBC

Sky Sports

 

League One results:

Saturday 30th March 2019:

 

Accrington Stanley 0-1 Fleetwood Town

                                        Souttar 50

BARNSLEY 2-2 Coventry City

Mowatt 9

                           Hiwula 35

Woodrow 48

                           Thomas 62

Blackpool 2-2 Plymouth Argyle

                         Ladapo 4

                         Edwards 73

Bola 84

Tilt 90+2

Bristol Rovers 1-2 Luton Town

                                Collins 17

                                Berry 39

Clarke-Harris 45+2

Charlton Athletic 1-0 Bradford City

Taylor 19

Doncaster Rovers 3-1 Walsall

Marquis pen 3

Wilks 4

                                      Gordon 14

Andrew 39

Gillingham 1-1 Rochdale

                          Henderson 37

Byrne 45+2

Oxford United 2-1 Wycombe Wanderers

                                El-Abd 21

Sinclair 30

Ruffels 90+4

Scunthorpe United 1-2 AFC Wimbledon

                                       Hanson 23

                                       Hanson 29

Novak 78

Southend United 0-2 Shrewsbury Town

                                    Okenabirhie 50

                                    Waterfall 69

 

Barnsley remain in 2nd place in Sky Bet League One with 79 points from 39 games. We are 21 points inside the Play-Offs, 5 points inside the Automatic Promotion Places, 7 points off First Place and 37 points above the Relegation Zone.

Up to 30/03/19

 

Next Up:

On The Road:

Sky Bet League One Matchday Forty One: Burton Albion v Barnsley, Saturday 6th April 2019. Kick-Off: 3pm

At Oakwell:

Sky Bet League One Matchday Forty Two: Barnsley v Fleetwood Town, Saturday 13th April 2019. Kick-Off: 3pm