Barnsley battled to a second successive 2-2 away draw however this was more warmly received than the same scoreline at Wycombe two weeks ago when the Reds led 2-0 until the 88th minute.
Here in this Yorkshire derby Barnsley ended Bradford’s six game home league winning run which included all five home games they have played in League One since their return to this level following a six year absence.
Indeed this is only the second time in 12 matches (all comps) in which Bradford have not won on their own patch – the other occasion being a 1-1 League Two draw with Notts County back on the 18th April.
This result does however extend Barnsley’s winless run to four league games, their worst run since a run of seven between 4th March and 5th April.
This was the third time in five matches in which Barnsley have conceded the first goal after nine minutes, however the previous two occasions were in cup competitions (against Brighton and Notts County), with this the earliest they have conceded in a league game since the second game of the season against Burton (four minutes) and the earliest in an away league game since the 16th November 2024 at Cambridge (four minutes)
Following a goal of the season contender from Reyes Cleary to haul the Reds level they fell behind again in first half injury time – the third time in four league outings they have conceded in one half’s added time.
It is however the first time they have conceded in first half stoppage time in 12 months – last occurring in an EFL Trophy tie against Doncaster on the 29th October 2024, whilst it is the first time in a league match since the play-off semi-finals against Bolton on the 7th May 2024 and first time in a non-play-off league game since Blackpool away on the 20th April 2024.
The goal was scored by ex Red Stephen Humphrys who scored nine goals in 41 games for the club last season, five of which came once Conor Hourihane had took over at head coach. He is the second ex player to net against Barnsley this season following John McAtee for Bolton in August.
This is the first time Barnsley have had back to back league stalemates when they had successive 1-1 draws against Cambridge and Wigan whilst it’s the first time they have drawn 2-2 two games in a row for five years, last occurring v Bristol City and Stoke in the Championship in October 2020.
It is Barnsley’s third 2-2 draw of the season (all comps) now only one behind the total of last season.
This is the first time in a year since Barnsley have gone 1-0 down, pulled it back to 1-1, fallen 2-1 behind and come back again – last occurring in a 2-2 draw with Wycombe on the 1st October 2024.
So far in 2025-2026 there has been 14 first half goals and 20 second half goals in the 11 league games played so far with this the first time there has been three first half goals in a Barnsley league game since the 31st August 2024 against Crawley – 53 league games ago.
Patrick Kelly got off the mark for Barnsley with the second equaliser which was set up by Mael de Gevigney, the Frenchman’s first direct goal involvement since the 5th March 2024 against Bolton (also an assist)
There were 22,228 supporters in the ground, the highest League one crowd Barnsley have played in front of since the 5th April when 25,018 watched them get thumped 6-2 by Birmingham.
This was the sixth league game in 2025-2026 in which Barnsley have scored more than once in but remarkably the first time in such a scenario where Davis Keillor-Dunn hasn’t netted at least one of the goals.
It ends a quite astonishing record of 16 successive league games in which DKD has scored if Barnsley have netted more than once – last failing to occur back on the 8th November 2024 when Jon Russell and Stephen Humphrys scored in a 2-0 win against Rotherham.
Eleven games in and Barnsley are six point adrift of the top six, the furthest behind they have been at this stage of a League One season since 2015-2016 when they sat 13th and was also six points back – they did however go on to win the play-offs that season.
Barnsley have kept only one clean sheet in their opening 15 games of a season (all comps) their worst start defensively since 2017-2018 when it took until the 18th game to achieve a second.
This stalemate ended Barnsley’s three match winning league run against the Bantams.
It is the first draw between these two sides at this stadium since November 2005 (seven meetings ago)
Barnsley have failed to win in successive visits to Bradford for the first time since defeats in 2001 and 2004
There were 34 shots in the game, the most in a Barnsley game in 2025-2026 and most since the 8th March v Blackpool (also 34)
Eleven of those were on target, the most in a Barnsley league game in 2025-2026 and most since the final game of last season at Reading (13)
Barnsley Team:
1. Murphy Cooper
27. Tennai Watson
5. Jack Shepherd
32. Josh Earl
14. Nathanel Ogebta
8. Adam Phillips
30. Jonathan Bland
7. Caylan Vickers
48. Luca Connell
19. Reyes Cleary
40. Davis Keillor-Dunn
Substitutes:
6. Mael de Gevigney (for Watson 45)
22. Patrick Kelly (for Vickers 45)
45. Vimal Yoganathan (for Bland 82)
10. David McGoldrick (for Phillips 87)
Unused Substitutes:
51. Kieren Flavell, 4. Marc Roberts, 23. Neil Farrugia.
Bradford Team:
1. Sam Walker
5. Neill Byrne
4. Joe Wright
14. Tom McIntyre
7. Josh Neufville
6. Max Power
16. Alex Pattison
3. Ibou Touray
10. Antoni Sarcevic
11. Stephen Humphrys
8. Calum Kavanagh
Substitutions:
21. Jenson Metcalfe (for Pattison 28)
24. Will Swan (for Kavanagh 76)
9. Andy Cook (for Humphrys 76)
17. Tyreik Wright (for McIntyre 86)
Unused Substitutes:
25. Joe Hilton, 2. Brad Halliday, 20. Tommy Leigh.
Sky Bet League One Results
Thursday 16th October 2025:
Huddersfield Town (8th) 1-2 Bolton Wanderers (7th)
Castledine 7
Dalby 90+3
Cozier-Duberry 90+5
Saturday 18th October 2025:
Burton Albion (21st) 0-1 Peterborough United (23rd)
Collins 65
Lincoln City (6th) 1-0 Stevenage (2nd)
Street 69
Blackpool (24th) 1-1 Wycombe Wanderers (17th)
Fletcher 45
Grimmer 90+12
Bradford City (3rd) 2-2 BARNSLEY (10th)
Sarcevic 9
Cleary 24
Humphrys 45+4
Kelly 64
Cardiff City (1st) 2-1 Reading (22nd)
Wing 38
Kellyman 49
Salech 65
Doncaster Rovers (12th) 1-2 Northampton Town (11th)
Close 36
Wheatley 47
Hoskins pen 67
Luton Town (14th) 0-2 Mansfield Town (9th)
Oates 40
Roberts pen 59
Plymouth Argyle (20th) 1-2 AFC Wimbledon (4th)
Tolaj 6
Bugiel 44
Browne 52
Rotherham United (16th) 1-0 Leyton Orient (15th)
Nombe 56
Stockport County (5th) 1-0 Exeter City (19th)
Lowe 24
Wigan Athletic (13th) 1-0 Port Vale (18th)
Asamoah 56
Barnsley lie in 10th place in Sky Bet League One with 18 points from 11 games. We are 6 points off the Play-Offs, 7 points off the Automatic Promotion Places, 8 points off First Place and 6 points above the Relegation Zone.
Up to 19/10/25
Next Up:
At Oakwell:
EFL Trophy: Barnsley v Manchester United Under 21s, Tuesday 21st October 2025. Kick-Off: 7pm
On The Road:
Sky Bet League One Matchday Thirteen: Doncaster Rovers v Barnsley, Saturday 8th November 2025. Kick-Off: 3pm
