QPR PREVIEW

26 October 2020

Back-to-back home fixtures for the Reds this week, kicking off this Tuesday night when Queens Park Rangers visit Oakwell.

It's a Grove Street double-header as we close out the month of October in the Sky Bet Championship, with Barnsley still searching for their first victory of this new campaign.

The weekend's 1-1 draw at Millwall saw the Reds pegged back for the third successive game, having led all three of Adam Murray's games in caretaker charge.

Those three consecutive draws, all against in-form opposition helped to stop the rot a little, but to make an okay month a very good one, two wins in the next six days are more than welcome.

Not only are we back on home soil, we are back with a brand new Head Coach.

Announced as the new boss last Friday evening, Valérien Ismaël had a watching brief at The Den on Saturday, having flown in from Germany that morning, but he'll be in the Oakwell home dugout on Tuesday night to take charge of his side for the first time.

He will have had a closer look at the players at his disposal over the last couple of days, and will be hoping that the injuries picked up by Jordan Williams and Cauley Woodrow in the warm-up at Millwall don't see them out of the picture for too long.

Young midfielder Callum Styles has missed the last three fixtures but he's back in training which is an early boost for the Reds and Ismaël. It will be interesting to see the new gaffer's first team selection as a new era dawns at Oakwell.

Subscribers to iFollow Barnsley can watch Valérien's first press conference by clicking on the linked video below.

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VALÉRIEN ISMAËL PRE-QPR

Our new Head Coach's first press conference at Oakwell

Tuesday night's visitors, like the Reds, have drawn four of their matches thus far, but unlike Barnsley, they've also managed a victory. That came against Nottingham Forest on the opening day of the season.

Mark Warburton's side made a clutch of exciting signings in forward areas over the summer but the R's haven't scored in any of their last three fixtures and they come to Oakwell having failed to win here in their last three trips, including last season's 5-3 goal-fest in which Conor Chaplin took home the match-ball.

Rangers seem to have cured the issues of last season where conceding goals was hurting their attempts to sneak into the playoff picture. The weekend clean sheet against Birmingham City was their fourth of the campaign.

In wide-men Bright Osayi-Samuel and Albert Adomah, the London club will be a threat on the flanks, but as shown when the two sides met in June, the tigerish qualities of the Reds' midfielders could be pivotal in this latest clash.

Join us LIVE on iFollow Barnsley from just before 7pm for full, uninterrupted coverage.

Match Reports

REDS EASE TO VICTORY OVER QPR

27 October 2020

Barnsley ran out 3-0 winners against Queens Park Rangers to get new Head Coach Valérien Ismaël’s tenure off to the perfect start.

A Cauley Woodrow penalty was added to either side of the interval by Conor Chaplin and an own goal from Joann Barbet as the Reds threatened to run riot in the closing stages at Oakwell.

Both sides shared the ball during the early stages, with neither able to create any clear-cut openings. A series of crosses from the wide areas were well dealt with, as both defences stood firm against any early inroads.

Rangers could have opened the scoring in the 15th minute, but Ilias Chair’s corner was headed narrowly over the bar by Lyndon Dykes.

Barnsley grew into the contest, with a raking cross field pass from Callum Styles leading to a snapshot from Chaplin inside the box, but his effort was snuffed out by the QPR defence.

Shortly after, the game changed through a moment of quality. A defence-splitting through ball released Woodrow, who was dragged down in the box with the goal at his mercy. Rob Dickie was shown a red card, and the Reds’ number nine slammed the resulting spot kick home.

Things got even better for the hosts when another through ball found Dominik Frieser on the left of the area, whose cut back was swept home by an onrushing Chaplin.

HALF-TIME: Barnsley 2-0 QPR

With the numerical advantage, Barnsley looked to turn the screw as the second half began. A perfect cross from the left flank found Chaplin unmarked in the centre, but the striker was unable to add his second goal of the evening.

Despite being a man down, QPR twice came close to halving the deficit. A looped header from a corner landed on the top of the Barnsley net, and a long-range effort narrowly cleared Jack Walton’s bar.

An unfortunate own goal gave Barnsley their third of the night, as Woodrow’s heavy touch was diverted past his own keeper by QPR skipper Barbet.

Reds’ captain Alex Mowatt almost added a fourth, with his low shot from the edge of the area well kept out. Chances kept flowing for Barnsley, as second half substitute Patrick Schmidt could only fire straight at the keeper following a swift counter-attack.

In the dying minutes, Barnsley passed up further chances to add gloss to the score line, with Schmidt, Elliot Simoes and Chaplin being denied by an inspired Seny Dieng in the visiting goal.

FULL-TIME: Barnsley 3-0 QPR

Walton, Sollbauer, Helik, Andersen, Brittain, Styles, Mowatt (c), Odour (James), Frieser (Simoes), Woodrow (Schmidt), Chaplin.

Unused: Collins, Miller, Halme, Kane.