Barnsley will be looking to make it three wins on the bounce when they travel to Millwall on Tuesday night.
Following last week’s penalty shoot-out success against Scunthorpe, the Reds edged past Burton 1-0 on Saturday to earn their first league win of the campaign.
Despite tasting defeat on the opening day of the season at Chesterfield, victory against the Brewers saw Lee Johnson’s men climb up to 10thplace in League One.
Millwall, meanwhile, go into the game on the back of two defeats after suffering elimination from the League Cup against Barnet, before going down to a 4-0 home loss against Coventry at the weekend.
The Lions remain in 13thplace however following their opening day triumph against Shrewsbury and with former player Neil Harris taking the Club into his first full season as a manager, the South East London outfit will be eager to avoid yet another defeat as they target immediate promotion back to the second tier.
Previous Meetings
The Reds will be looking to pick up a fourth win in five games against Millwall when they travel to the Den on Tuesday night.
Despite not meeting last season, Barnsley secured back-to-back victories in the 2012-13 campaign before the two sides shared a win a piece in the following 2013-14 season.
In November 2013 Scott Wiseman’s second-half own goal earned the Lions a narrow home success, but the Reds got their revenge three months later when Jim O’Brien’s fourth-minute strike secured all three points for the Club.
That was Barnsley’s 20thsuccess in this fixture and with the Lions earning the same amount of victories in the 52 clashes between the Clubs, Tuesday night’s game provides the opportunity for either side to edge ahead.
Team News
Barnsley boss Lee Johnson may opt to hand a recall to Irishman Conor Hourihane after the midfielder’s goal scoring exploits on Saturday.
The former Plymouth playmaker stepped off the bench to convert a 67thminute penalty as the Reds secured a narrow 1-0 win against Burton.
Joe Rothwell may be the one to make way for the Republic of Ireland youth international, but with on-loan Arsenal midfielder Daniel Crowley also pushing for a recall, Johnson will have a selection dilemma on his hands.
That could be made even tougher by the return of Australian winger Ryan Williams, who was involved in the matchday squad for the first time this campaign against the Brewers.
Tuesday night’s hosts Millwall could be tempted to make several changes following the Club’s disappointing home defeat against Crawley at the weekend.
Shane Ferguson and Paris Cowan-Hall are just two of several players who will be looking for an opportunity to impress, but in attack Harris is likely to continue with a strike pair of Lee Gregory and Steve Morison as the duo try to build a strong understanding up top for the Lions.
Fellow forward Aiden O’Brien will definitely not be involved at the Den however with the young striker still out with an ankle injury; with both Joe Martin and Jimmy Abdou also on the sidelines due to ankle and hamstring problems respectively.
Man in the Middle
Dean Whitestone is an official that Barnsley and Millwall supporters will have been looking to avoid this season, with both Clubs suffering in his company in recent seasons. The Reds have won just two of the nine games in which the Northamptonshire-based referee has been in charge; drawing two and losing five. Two of those five defeats came last season as Whitestone oversaw the Club’s 2-1 loss at Port Vale in September, as well as Middlesbrough’s 2-0 FA Cup win at Oakwell in January. Despite Barnsley’s woe, the official – who will be assisted by linesmen Matthew Buonassisi and Daniel Leach at the Den - did send off Boro’s Adam Clayton, which was one of just four brandished by Whitestone last time out.
Just like the Reds, Tuesday night’s official is a familiar face to the Lions; having taken charge of Millwall on 11 occasions. With four of those clashes ending in defeat, Whitestone has failed to bring the South East London outfit much luck, including last season when the referee oversaw the Club’s 2-0 home defeat against Southampton in the League Cup. Despite those defeats, Tuesday’s man in the middle has overseen five Millwall draws and two wins; with the most recent of those successes coming back in 2012 when he watched over the Club’s 3-2 win at Southampton in the FA Cup.
Their Star Man
Earlier this month the Lions pulled off a major coup in the transfer market as they completed the signing of striker Steve Morison for a third time. The Wales international - who scored 40 goals in two seasons for the Club between 2009 and 2011 – penned a one-year deal at the Den after the Lions agreed an undisclosed fee with Leeds United. The 31-year-old spent two-and-a-half years at Elland Road following his move from Norwich in January 2013 but scored only five goals; having spent the entirety of the 2013-14 campaign back at the Den on loan.
After making his second debut for the Lions against Yeovil, Morison went on to bag eight goals in 42 appearances as he helped the Club survive relegation by four points. Following his return to Leeds last season, the powerful forward netted just twice but the former Northampton man did notch the winner in a 2-1 Yorkshire derby success against Sheffield Wednesday in April.
That goal was not enough to earn himself a regular place at Elland Road however and after Millwall agreed a fee for his services once again this summer, Morison has not looked back; scoring two in his first two games back at the Club. On the opening day of the campaign, the London-born striker tapped in an equaliser before winning the penalty which was duly dispatched by Lee Gregory to secure a 2-1 success for the Lions against Shrewsbury. Three days later and Millwall’s star man was in the thick of the action again; missing a second-half spot kick of his own but then redeeming himself with a clever back-header which levelled the scores against League Two side Barnet. The Lions went on to lose the League Cup tie after extra time, but in Morison, Tuesday night’s hosts have a striker who has both the experience and the quality to score the goals which could see them challenge for promotion this time out.
Mutual Man
In July 2004 Barnsley completed the signing of Republic of Ireland international Stephen McPhail on a free transfer from relegated Premier League side Leeds United. The versatile midfielder had spent seven years at Elland Road after progressing through the Club’s academy which included loan spells at both Millwall and Nottingham Forest, with the Irishman joining the Lions in March 2002. Things did not turn out well for McPhail at the Den however with the 35-year-old sent off on his debut in a 2-1 home loss against Sheffield Wednesday, before returning to feature in defeats against both Sheffield United and Gillingham.
Following two seasons back at Elland Road - which included another loan switch this time to Nottingham Forest - McPhail ended his spell with the Whites and agreed a deal with the Reds. After making his debut in a 1-1 draw at the MK Dons, the clever midfielder netted his first goal for the Club in a 4-3 home loss against Luton. That strike was one of two scored by the ex-Millwall man in 38 appearances during his first season at Oakwell, with his second coming in a 4-1 home success against Torquay. The Club achieved a 13thplace finish in that season but things would get drastically better for both McPhail and Barnsley in the next campaign, as the one-time FA Cup finalist made 41 appearances and scored two goals as the Reds clinched promotion to the Championship after beating Swansea City on penalties in the League One play-off final.
Despite that success, McPhail departed South Yorkshire in the summer of 2006; agreeing a deal with Championship rivals Cardiff City following the expiration of his Barnsley contract. Seven years in South Wales was followed up by a brief spell back in Yorkshire with Sheffield Wednesday but after making only 14 appearances for the Owls, he returned to his native Ireland in February 2014; joining League of Ireland outfit Shamrock Rovers.
Form Guide
Millwall results so far this season (WL):
Shrewsbury Town 1-2 Millwall
Millwall 1-2 Barnet
Millwall 0-4 Coventry City
Barnsley results so far this season (LW):
Chesterfield 3-1 Barnsley
Scunhorpe 1-1 Barnsley (Barnsley won on penalties)
Barnsley 1-0 Burton Albion
Going to the match?
Millwall plays at the Den, its address is as follows:
Millwall Football Club
The Den
Zampa Road
London
SE16 3LN
How to get there
By road
Follow City signs from A1/M1, then signs for Shoreditch and Whitechapel. Follow Ring Road signs for Dover, cross over Tower Bridge and after one mile take first exit at the roundabout onto A2. From Elephant & Castle take A2 (New Kent Road) into Old Kent Road and turn left after four miles at The Gem Bar into Ilderton Road to Zampa Road SE16 3LN.
From the North:
Take A20 and A21 following signs to London. At New Cross follow signs for Surrey Quays into Kender Street, turn left into Old Kent Road then right at the turning signposted "car pound" into Ilderton Road. Zampa Road (SE16 3LN) is the seventh turning on the right.
From the South:
Take A2 to New Cross (then as south).
From the East:
From M4 and M3 follow South Circular (A205) then follow signs for Clapham, City (A3), then Camberwell to New Cross and then as from the South.
From the West:
By Rail
South Bermondsey (approx 5mins walk). New Cross or New Cross Gate (approx 15 mins walk).
By Underground
East London Line to Surrey Quays or New Cross Gate (approx 15 mins walk). Jubilee Line to Canada Water (approx 20 mins walk).
By Bus
21, 53, 172, to Old Kent Road, P12 to Ilderton Road, 1 & 381 to Rotherhithe New Road, 47, 188, 225 to Surrey Quays.
Parking
The club has no car parking facilities for supporters and it is recommended that away supporters travel to the ground by official coach or by rail to South Bermondsey. A walkway link is available to the stadium on matchdays for away supporters only.
Ticket Information
Ticket Prices:
Adults: £23
Over: 60 £14
Under 16: £10
Under 12: £5
The official Club Coaches will leave Oakwell at 1pm prompt on the day of the game, and tickets are priced at £27 per seat.