The
ever age-less David McGoldrick continued his rich vein of form by bagging his
second hattrick of the season, taking his tally to 15 for the season overall,
ten of which have come in the last nine games.
He
now has 12 league goals in 2025-2026, one less than Davis Keillor-Dunn netted
before his departure to Wrexham in the winter transfer window.
Only
seven players (including DKD) have scored more League One goals this season.
Following
his treble against Manchester United’s youngsters in the EFL Trophy in October
(which were his last goals before this current purple patch) McGoldrick becomes
the first Barnsley player to net two hattricks in a season for 21 years since
Michael Chopra did so against Peterborough and Huddersfield in League One in
2004-2005.
It
is the first league hattrick by a Barnsley player since Devante Cole against
Port Vale on the opening day of the 2023-2024 season and first league treble on
the road since Kieffer Moore at Rochdale in August 2018.
At
38 years and 91 days old McGoldrick became the oldest player to net a hattrick
in England’s top four tiers since another ex Red did so 11 years ago when Jamie
Cureton bagged one for Dagenham and Redbridge against AFC Wimbledon in April
2015 at the ripe old age of 39 years and 221 days.
It
is McGoldrick’s first league treble since February 2023 for Derby against Morecambe
(a season where he actually bagged three for the Rams!) therefore he now has a
total of five in his career with this his first for a club away from home.
Of
the 10 different games McGoldrick has scored in this season, nine of them have
seen him score Barnsley’s first goal of the game with the only exception his
first goal for the club, against Burton in the second game of the season when
he netted their third and winner.
This
was the first time McGoldrick has scored multiple goals for a club away from
home for 13 months when he netted twice for Notts County in a 3-0 win at
Morecambe in January 2025.
It
gave the Reds only their fourth away league win of the season, first in nine
and only second in 14 since winning their first two away games of the season.
The
win also ended a run of three straight away league defeats which had been their
worst away run since February last year.
McGoldrick
had opened the scoring after ten minutes before the Reds were pegged back ten
minutes later from a direct freekick making it the earliest a Barnsley game has
been 1-1 since November 2024 at Cambridge (17 minutes)
With
McGoldrick going on to complete a treble it was only the fifth time this season
Barnsley have won a league game by at least two clear goals (from 12 victories
in total)
Four
of the five victories have been by a 3-1 scoreline (v Plymouth, Huddersfield,
Stevenage and Leyton Orient) whilst eight of their 12 wins have seen them score
at least three goals (four 3-1 wins, three 3-2 wins, one 5-0 win)
It
is Barnsley’s most 3-1 league wins in a season since 2022-2023 when they
managed five.
This
result also ended a nine game five year run without a league win in London. The
Reds had lost eight and drawn one of their previous trips to the capital since
beating QPR 3-1 in the Championship in March 2021 - the one draw also came at
Orient.
It
is their first third tier London victory since winning 4-1 at AFC Wimbledon in
January 2019.
McGoldrick’s
match-ball clinching goal was assisted by Reyes Cleary, his THIRTEENTH assist
of the season, surpassing Alex Mowatt’s tally in the promotion winning campaign
of 2018-2019 and the most by a Red since Cleary’s current head coach Conor
Hourihane who also claimed 13 in 2016-2017.
This
match saw the two worst defences in the division locking horns and whilst the
lack of clean sheets for Barnsley has set new records (only 2) this was only
the 12th time from 31 games they have conceded only one (to note
Barnsley now have the fourth worst defence with Doncaster and Blackpool having
now conceded more having both let in four goals this weekend)
It
is now 17 league games since Barnsley kept a shut-out, their longest run since
a streak of 18 games between 15th September 2019 and 26th
December 2019 in the Championship.
This fixture guarantees goals in recent seasons with 20 scored in
the last four meetings (an average of five per game)
One team has scored at least three times in each of those four
meetings.
Following a 3-2 victory at Oakwell in December the Reds have
completed a league double over the O’s for the first time since 1981-1982.
Barnsley completed the double over Orient this season by scoring
three times in both meetings whereas the O’s completed one over Barnsley last
season by scoring four times in both meetings.
This is the first time the Reds have won back to back meetings
with Orient since a run of three between 1981 and 2014.
There has been only one clean sheet in the last six meetings which
Orient kept in a 4-0 win in December 2024.
Barnsley’s last clean sheet came seven meetings ago courtesy of a
0-0 draw in March 2015.
There have been only two draws in the last 12 clashes stretching
back to 1969.
This was Barnsley’s first win in 10 trips to this part of London,
a run which has included seven defeats including a streak of six in a row
between 1928 and 1964.
They have though lost only of their four visits in the 21st
Century (W1 D2)
In
both league meetings with Leyton Orient this season Barnsley have opened the
scoring after 10 minutes and been pegged back by a set-piece (it was a penalty
in the Oakwell meeting) with the Reds going on to win by scoring three goals.
In
last season’s meeting in London Barnsley had opened the scoring after 11
minutes and went on to score three times but on this occasion unfortunately
conceded four.
Leyton Orient become the second club Barnsley have done a league
double over in 2025-2026 after Peterborough United.
Despite winning 3-1 Barnsley only had 35.3% ball possession, their
lowest in 17 league matches when they had only 31.3%... against Luton…. Who they
defeated 5-0!
Barnsley have had exactly 10 shots on goal in each of their last
two matches and three of their last five.
There were only six corners, the lowest in a Barnsley game for 20
matches (all comps) since the aforementioned Luton match (also 6)
Only one of the six went to Barnsley, the second time in three
away games they have won only one corner (also at Bolton)
Barnsley conceded 16 freekicks their most in 24 league outings
since the home game with Reading on the 13th September (19)
Barnsley Team:
1. Owen Goodman
7. Corey O’Keeffe
6. Mael de Gevigney
15. Eoghan O’Connell
27. Tennai Watson
8. Adam Phillips
30. Jonathan Bland
22. Patrick Kelly
48. Luca Connell
19. Reyes Cleary
10. David McGoldrick
Substitutes:
45. Vimal Yoganathan (for Kelly
58)
18. Scott Banks (for Cleary 66)
5. Jack Shepherd (for Phillips
78)
9. Tom Bradshaw (for McGoldrick
78)
Unused
Substitutes:
51.
Kieren Flavell, 17. Georgie Gent, 20. Charlie Lennon.
Leyton Orient Team:
12.
Will Dennis
16.
Kaelan Casey
6.
Will Forrester
5.
Daniel Happe
14.
Michael Craig
24.
Dyan Levitt
28.
Sean Clare
3.
James Morris
19.
Favour Fawunmi
7.
Ollie O’Neill
32.
Dom Ballard
Substitutions:
44. Theo Archibald (for Happe 58)
22. Azeem Abdulai (for Clare 58)
(Y)
25. Charlie Wellens (for O’Neill
67)
17. Josh Koroma (for Fawunmi 67)
2. Tom James (for Levitt 81)
Unused
Substitutes:
33. Killian Cahill. 20. Sonny
Perkins
League One Results
Leyton Orient (21st) 1-3 BARNSLEY (13th)
McGoldrick
10
Levitt 20
McGoldrick
53
McGoldrick
62
Northampton Town (22nd) 1-1 Peterborough United (11th)
Eaves 44
Morgan
52
Doncaster Rovers (18th) 0-4 Cardiff City (1st)
Robertson
26
Lawlor
46
Ashford
56
Robinson
90+5
Exeter City (15th) 1-5 Bolton Wanderers (3rd)
Dalby 21
Kenny 60
Wareham 67
Gale 72
Cissoko
77
Johnston
90+4
Lincoln City (2nd) 4-0 Blackpool (20th)
McGrandles 38
Street 78
Jefferies 85
One 89
Mansfield Town (16th) 2-2 AFC Wimbledon (14th)
Russell 7
Tilley
14
Russell 29
Stevens
pen 58
Port Vale (24th) 1-1 Luton Town (10th)
Wells 5
Waine 29
Reading (7th) 2-1 Bradford City (4th)
Pennington 68
Lane 90
Ritchie 90+7
Rotherham United (23rd) 1-0 Plymouth Argyle (12th)
Rafferty 7
Stevenage (8th) 2-1 Stockport County (5th)
Sidibeh 29
Piergianni 25
Phillips 57
Wigan Athletic (19th) 1-0 Huddersfield Town (6th)
Weir 61
Wycombe Wanderers (9th) 3-0 Burton Albion (17th)
Boyd-Munce 15
Harris 81
Lowe 82
Barnsley lie in 13th
place in Sky Bet League One with 44 points from 31 games. We are 8 points off the
Play-Offs, 27 points off the Automatic Promotion Places, 28 points off First
Place and 8 points above the Relegation Zone.
Up to 28/2/26
Next Up:
At
Oakwell:
Sky Bet League One Matchday Thirty Two: Barnsley v Wycombe Wanderers, Tuesday 3rd March 2026. Kick-Off: 7:45pm
On
The Road:
Sky Bet League One Matchday Thirty Five: Mansfield Town v Barnsley, Saturday 14th March 2026. Kick-Off: 3pm
