Barnsley secured victory from an opening day away game for the first time in 29 years following an impressive 3-1 victory at relegated Plymouth.
It is the first time they have started a season on the road and won since the famous 1996-1997 campaign when they won 2-1 at West Brom and 45 games later were promoted to the Premier League.
Since then they have started 12 campaigns away from Oakwell before yesterday and lost on eight occasions, drawing four.
One of those defeats was also at Home Park two seasons ago when the roles were reversed and the Reds were a relegated second tier outfit, the Pilgrims would win 1-0 and go on to lift the League One title in May.
Indeed since that balmy afternoon at the Hawthorns this was only the eighth opening day victory home or away from 29 such encounters (W8 D5 L16)
Remarkably this is Barnsley’s biggest ever opening day away league win in their history – they have never before won away on the road in the first game of a season by as many as two goals.
Barnsley have won two of their last three season openers (overall) as many as they had won in their previous ten.
The Reds hit the front after just 13 minutes, their earliest goal of a campaign for six years since Luke Thomas also scored after 13 minutes of a 1-0 Championship win over Fulham.
It is their earliest goal on the road in an opener since 2015-2016 when Conor Wilkinson scored after just four minutes at Chesterfield, however the Reds went on to lose 3-1.
The goal yesterday came via an own goal, it is the second time in three seasons the Reds have benefitted from one on the opening day as Port Vale’s Dan Jones also put through his own net in 2023-2024 in the Reds 7-0 win.
One blot of the copybook was the rather harsh sending off of returning centre back Jack Shepherd, making his first appearance for Barnsley since January 2024 following a season long loan with Bradford, helping them win promotion from League Two. He was shown a second yellow card after 63 minutes; it is his second sending off for Barnsley having also being dismissed in a 5-1 EFL Trophy defeat at Bradford in November 2023.
Since the turn of the century Barnsley have had EIGHT players sent off on the opening day of a season - Jack Shepherd v Plymouth 2025-2026, Dale Jennings v Crawley 2014-2015 and v Wigan 2013-2014, Ben Alnwick v Rochdale (cup) 2012-2013, Marciano Bruma v QPR 2008-2009, Robbie Williams v Swindon 2005-2006, Mitch Ward v Bradford 2001-2002, Carl Regan v Norwich 2000-2001.
This was only the third time in eight matches in which Barnsley have had a man sent off that they have gone on to win (all comps) – losing the other five.
Marc Roberts had to go off injured two minutes before half time, the first time in eight matches the Reds have been forced into a first half change (Josh Benson coming off after 19 minutes against Cambridge on the 22nd March was the last), it is however the second time in three seasons they have made a first half change on the opening day after Corey O’Keeffe came off after 33 minutes against Port Vale in 2023-2024.
Jon Russell and Jonathan Bland came off the bench and were subsequently booked, only the second time this calendar year that two substitutes have been yellow carded after Luca Connell and Stephen Humphrys against Crawley on the 4th January.
If you include the final game of 2024-2025 Barnsley have won back to back league games for the first time since a run of three between 22nd February and 1st March.
Murphy Cooper made his debut in the Barnsley goal, he is the first Reds stopper to wear the traditional Number 1 shirt between the sticks since Gabriel Slonina against Charlton back on the 22nd October 2024.
Out of the 54 games played in all competitions in 2024-2025 the Number 1 shirt only appeared on 14 occasions.
Barnsley have now scored at least three times in each of their past three away matches (3 v Plymouth, 4 v Reading and 3 v Leyton Orient) for the first time since another run of three between 2nd March and 1st April 2024 (4 v Wycombe, 3 v Carlisle and 3 v Burton)
Barnsley have failed to keep a clean sheet in any of their last 15 league games, their longest run without a shut-out since a run of 18 between 15th September 2019 and Boxing Day 2019 in the Championship.
All three Barnsley goals arrived without a direct assist from a team-mate, the first time three goals have been scored in this way since a 4-2 win at Wycombe on the 2nd March 2024.
Barnsley have won three of their last four meetings with Plymouth (L1) scoring three times in each of those victories.
Five of their last seven wins against the Pilgrims have seen them net at least three times.
This was the first time in four meetings that both teams have netted and it has occurred only twice in the last six.
The Reds have won back to back meetings against Plymouth for the sixth time in history.
Barnsley have won three of their last five visits to Plymouth, as many as they had won in the previous 12.
Barnsley committed 18 fouls, more than in any game in the last two seasons and indeed most since also committing 18 against Ipswich in April 2023.
Barnsley Team:
1. Murphy Cooper
6. Mael de Gevigney
4. Marc Roberts
5. Jack Shepherd
32. Josh Earl
48. Luca Connell
7. Caylan Vickers
8. Adam Phillips
45. Vimal Yoganathan
40. Davis Keillor-Dunn
10. David McGoldrick
Substitutes:
30. Jonathan Bland (for Roberts 43)
3. Jon Russell (for Yoganathan 70)
29. Connor Barratt (for Vickers 68)
22. Patrick Kelly (for McGoldrick 68)
Unused Substitutes:
51. Kieran Flavell, 33. Robson Woodcock, 19. Reyes Cleary.
Plymouth Team:
21 Luca Ashby-Hammond
22. Brendan Galloway
44. Victor Palsson
6. Kornel Szucs
29. Matthew Sorinola
10. Xavier Amaechi
4. Brendan Wiredu
19. Malachi Boateng
11. Bali Mumba
17. Caleb Watts
23. Bradley Ibrahim
Substitutions:
7. Jamie Paterson (for Wiredu 45)
8. Joe Edwards (for Galloway 73)
25. Freddie Issaka (for Sorinola 84)
18. Owen Oseni (for Boateng 84)
Unused Substitutes:
13. Jak Baker, 14. Ayman Benarous, 39. Tegan Finn.
Sky Bet League One Results
Friday 1st August 2025:
Luton Town (12th) 1-0 AFC Wimbledon (18th)
Johnson og 85
Saturday 2nd August 2025:
Cardiff City (9th) 2-1 Peterborough United (15th)
Ihionvien pen 33
Colwill 48
Kpakio 60
Blackpool (13th) 2-3 Stevenage (6th)
Honeyman 6
Reid 17
Reid pen 45+10
Kemp 50
Ennis 79
Bradford City (7th) 2-1 Wycombe Wanderers (17th)
Sarcevic 6
Pointon 13
Udoh 68
Burton Albion (8th) 2-1 Mansfield Town (14th)
Webster 22
Webster 50
Cargill 76
Doncaster Rovers (11th) 1-0 Exeter City (19th)
Molyneux pen 88
Huddersfield Town (1st) 3-0 Leyton Orient (24th)
Low 7
May pen 55
Roosken 90+5
Lincoln City (4th) 2-0 Reading (23rd)
Burns og 20
Hackett 67
Plymouth Argyle (21st) 1-3 BARNSLEY (2nd)
Wiredu og 13
Phillips 30
Watts 50
Keillor-Dunn 86
Rotherham United (10th) 2-1 Port Vale (16th)
Nombe 13
Nombe 29
Hall 60
Wigan Athletic (3rd) 3-1 Northampton Town (20th)
Murray 29
Weir 43
Murray 46
Forbes 70
Sunday 3rd August 2025
Stockport County (5th) 2-0 Bolton Wanderers (22nd)
Mothersille 45+2
Wootton 89
Barnsley lie in 2nd place in Sky Bet League One with 3 points from 1 games. We are Goal Difference inside the Play-Offs, Goal Difference inside the Automatic Promotion Places, Goal Difference off First Place and 3 points above the Relegation Zone.
Up to 3/8/25
Next Up:
At Oakwell:
Sky Bet League One Matchday Four: Barnsley v Burton Albion, Saturday 9th August 2025. Kick-Off: 3pm
On The Road:
Sky Bet League One Matchday Four: Peterborough United v Barnsley, Tuesday 19th August 2025. Kick-Off: 7:45pm
