All the information you could need ahead of tomorrow's Championship fixture..
Burton Albion v Barnsley
Barnsley will be eager to pick up back-to-back wins on the road for the first time since September when the Reds travel to Burton Albion.
The Club’s 2-0 success at Brentford a fortnight ago ended a run of six games without a win and after the dramatic equaliser against Bristol City at Oakwell, the Tykes sit 12th and just four points outside the play-off places.
Although Paul Heckingbottom’s men have picked up two more points at home this season compared to on the road, the Reds head to the Pirelli Stadium having tasted more success away from Oakwell, winning three of their last five on their travels.
Burton Albion come into the game sitting three points below Barnsley in 18th place, following an inconsistent run of late.
In their last six games, the Brewers have drawn two, won two and lost two, with their most recent defeat coming against Leeds United.
However, Nigel Clough’s side are three matches unbeaten at home following a 2-0 success against Birmingham City, which made it two on the bounce in front of their home faithful.
In total the Staffordshire-based outfit have won four of their seven league matches at the Pirelli Stadium and they will provide tough opposition for the Reds.
Previous Meetings
The clash between the Tykes and the Brewers will be just the fourth meeting between the two sides.
The first of those came in the 2014-15 campaign when Barnsley secured a 5-0 FA Cup triumph at Oakwell, with Sam Winnall netting a hat-trick against his former side.
Last season however saw the Clubs cross paths for the first time in the league following Burton’s promotion from League Two.
At Oakwell, Conor Hourihane’s second half penalty was enough to earn the Reds their second straight win against the Brewers but back in Staffordshire and the sides could not be separated; playing out a goalless draw in the first ever match to be played between them at the Pirelli Stadium.
Team News
The Reds welcome back midfield duo Conor Hourihane and Josh Scowen for the trip to Burton.
Both players return to the squad following suspensions but with Sam Morsy impressing in their absence, Paul Heckingbottom must decide whether to change his side to accommodate all three.
Elsewhere, Adam Hammill will be pushing for a start after coming off the bench to snatch a dramatic late equaliser at Oakwell against Bristol City.
Tom Bradshaw and Marc Roberts will be hoping to recover from the sickness bug which ruled them out of the Bristol City game, but Aidy White (gluteal) and Saidy Janko (thigh) are unlikely to return until after the international break.
Hosts Burton could name the same side for the third game running, despite losing last time out at Leeds.
That would see former Barnsley forward Chris O’Grady continue to partner fellow loanee Jamie Ward in attack, while Lucas Akins and Lloyd Dyer would provide the pace and creativity out wide.
If boss Nigel Clough does opt to make changes however, Stuart Beavon is fully fit once again after a bout of illness, while the likes of Tom Naylor and John Mousinho will be hoping to be involved.
Man in the Middle
The Tykes will look to continue their 100% record in the company of referee Peter Bankes this weekend. The official was the man in the middle for the Club’s 3-0 play-off semi-final success against Walsall in May, as well as their 2-0 win at home to Yeovil back in January 2015.
Burton meanwhile will be meeting with Bankes for the second time this season after the official was in charge of the Brewers’ away trip to Blackburn Rovers in August, which ended 2-2.
That was the Club’s second draw in his company, also losing once and winning once.
So far this season it has been an interesting campaign for Bankes, with the Liverpool-based official handing out 63 yellow cards and seven reds in just 14 games, including two dismissals in Brentford’s 1-1 draw against Sheffield Wednesday in August, as well as another two in last month’s Lancashire derby between Rochdale and Bury.
Their Star Man
In July, Burton Albion paid a club-record transfer fee to secure the signature of Australian international midfielder Jackson Irvine from Ross County.
The 23-year-old made 45 appearances for the Scottish Premier League side last season after joining them from Celtic, for whom he made just one senior appearance in his five years with the Club.
Irvine made his Brewers debut in a 3-2 EFL Cup win at home to Bury, but despite losing his first ever league game in England, against Bristol City, things would soon improve on that front.
The versatile midfielder, who can also play in defence, hit four goals in his next six games including strikes in draws against Blackburn and Fulham, as well as in victories against Sheffield Wednesday and most significantly Derby County.
In the first competitive match to be played between the near neighbours, Irvine headed in a Lucas Akins cross to secure the bragging rights for the Brewers.
Since that goal scoring spree, the former Kilmarnock loanee has added one more to his collection; firing home through a crowd of players to set Burton on their way to a 2-0 win against Cardiff last month.
At 6ft 2in, the powerful midfield man always has the physical presence to flourish in English football, but after already beating his previous goal scoring high of three for a season, the Australian has the potential to be a real hit in the English game over the coming months and seasons.
Mutual Man
Darren Moore may have been 34 when he signed for the Tykes in July 2008 but with almost 500 career appearances to his name in both the Football League and Premier League, he arrived at Oakwell carrying bags of experience.
After making his debut in a 2-1 defeat against QPR, the Birmingham-born centre-half made 39 appearances for the Reds in the 2008-09 season, scoring once, which came in a 3-1 success at Charlton.
The powerful defender was once again a regular in the Barnsley defence for the following campaign, clocking up another 37 games for the Club which included his second goal for the Reds against Swansea.
Ending that season at the age of 36, a highly impressive 70 of Moore’s 76 appearances for the Club had been starts, but in May 2010 his contract was not renewed and just days later he penned a deal with Burton Albion, despite interest from higher up the divisions.
It did not take long for the former Bradford and West Brom man to be named captain at the Pirelli Stadium and in what was just Burton’s second ever season in the Football League, Moore helped his new side clinch a 19th place finish, appearing 37 times in total.
That would prove to be his most successful season with the Club however because after just five appearances in the 2011-12 campaign, the ex-Jamaica international was released in February 2012.
After a short spell with non-league side Wellington Amateurs, the former Red turned his attention to the dugout, where he currently holds the position of professional development phase coach at a club very close to his heart, West Bromwich Albion.
Form Guide
Burton’s last five at home: (WLDWW)
Burton Albion 1-0 Derby County
Burton Albion 0-1 Brighton
Burton Albion 1-1 QPR
Burton Albion 2-0 Cardiff City
Burton Albion 2-0 Birmingham City
Barnsley’s last five away from home: (WWLLW)
Preston North End 1-2 Barnsley
Wolves 0-4 Barnsley
Brighton 2-0 Barnsley
Leeds United 2-1 Barnsley
Brentford 0-2 Barnsley
Going to the match?
Burton Albion play at the Pirelli Stadium, its address is as follows:
The Pirelli Stadium
Princess Way
Burton upon Trent
DE13 0AR
How to get there
By Car:
From the M1 (Junction 24) via the A50
Exit the M1 at Junction 24 and follow the signs for the A50 (Stoke and Uttoxeter). Keep on this road, heading west until you reach the Toyota Island and the junction with the A38. Head south on the A38 (Burton and Birmingham) until you reach the first Burton turn off. Take this exit (A5121) and proceed along Derby Road, passing McDonald's and the Pirelli factory on your right and a BP Garage and Cash & Carry on your left until you reach a roundabout. Turn right at this roundabout into Princess Way and the entrance to the ground is 300 yards on your right.
From A38 North (Derby) and M1 North (Junction 28)
Exit the A38 at the first turning for Burton (North). Take this exit (A5121) and proceed along Derby Road, passing McDonald's and the Pirelli factory on your right and a BP Garage and Cash & Carry on your left until you reach a roundabout. Turn right at this roundabout into Princess Way and the entrance to the ground is 300 yards on your right.
From A38 South (Lichfield, Birmingham)
Take the second exit for Burton (North). Take this exit (A5121) and proceed along Derby Road, passing McDonald's and the Pirelli factory on your right and a BP Garage and Cash & Carry on your left until you reach a roundabout. Turn right at this roundabout into Princess Way and the entrance to the ground is 300 yards on your right.
From M1 South (Jct 22) -A511
From the M1, exit at Junction 22 (signposted Coalville, Ashby, Burton) and stay on the A511 You stay on this road for approximately 17 miles, by-passing Coalville and going through Ashby-De-La-Zouch, then Woodville and Midway (This area is littered with speed cameras - so beware!) When you enter Burton, get into the right hand lane at the bottom of Ashby Road (A511) going straight over the traffic lights and across the Trent Bridge. Staying in the right hand lane, go straight on through both sets of lights at the end of the Bridge, into Horninglow Street, straight on again at the next lights (next to the newly built Magistrates Courts), then turn right at the traffic lights underneath the Brewery fly-over, into Hawkins Lane. Go through the industrial estate, straight across the mini-roundabout and over the Railway Bridge, once over the Railway Bridge, you will come to a roundabout. Go straight across the roundabout into Princess Way and the entrance to the ground is 300 yards on your right.
From M42 Jct. 11 (West Mids) & M5 (South West) -A444
Leave the M42 at its last exit Junction 11 (Just past Tamworth) and go onto the A444 signposted Burton. Stay on the A444 all the way to Burton, going through Overseal and Castle Gresley on the way. On entering Burton, go past the Black Horse and Copper Hearth pubs, straight across the mini-roundabout and you will come to a roundabout with St Peters Bridge in front of you. Turn right at the roundabout into Stapenhill Road (A444), which runs parallel to the River Trent, and then turn left at the traffic lights onto the Trent Bridge. Get into the right-hand lane, go straight on through both sets of lights at the end of the Bridge, into Horninglow Street, straight on again at the next lights (next to the newly built Magistrates Courts), then turn right at the traffic lights underneath the Brewery fly-over, into Hawkins Lane. Go through the industrial estate, straight across the mini-roundabout and over the Railway Bridge, once over the Railway Bridge, you will come to a roundabout. Go straight across the roundabout into Princess Way and the entrance to the ground is 300 yards on your right.
From M6 North Jct. 15 (A50 Uttoxeter, Stoke-On-Trent) -A511
Leave the Motorway at Junction 15, (Stoke-On-Trent South) and follow the signs for Uttoxeter (A50). Stay on this road ignoring the first sign for Burton and continuing along the A50 until you reach the Toyota Island. Come off the A50 here and follow signs for A38 (south). Travel on this road until you reach the first exit for Burton on Trent. Take this exit (A5121) and proceed along Derby Road, passing McDonald's and the Pirelli factory on your right and a BP Garage and Cash & Carry on your left until you reach a roundabout. Turn right at this roundabout into Princess Way and the entrance to the ground is 300 yards on your right.
Parking:
Car parking is available at the Pirelli Stadium for 400 vehicles. Overflow car parking is located at the nearby Rykneld Trading Estate (first exit at the roundabout before turning right into Princess Way). The Pirelli Stadium is located opposite the old Eton Park Ground.
By Train:
Burton Railway Station is situated half a mile West of the Town Centre, past the Breweries on Station Street, on Borough Road. Trains run regularly to and from Derby and Nottingham to the North, and Birmingham to the South. It's a good twenty-five minute walk to the Pirelli Stadium from the Station. Out of the station turn left, then next right into Derby Street. Keep going on this road about 1½ miles, straight across the first roundabout by the Derby Turn, then immediately left at the next roundabout into Princess Way and the entrance to the ground is 300 yards on your right.
By Bus from the Railway Station:
The Trent Barton V1 and V2 bus service runs every half an hour from directly outside the railway station to the Pirelli Stadium.
Ticket Information
Tickets have SOLD OUT for this fixture, but the match will be live and uninterrupted only on Barnsley Player HD.