BARNSLEY FOOTBALL CLUB

Barnsley will be eager to bounce back from last weekend’s defeat at home to Reading when they travel to Brighton on Saturday.

The 2-1 loss ended the Reds’ three-match winning run, while it was also the Club’s first home defeat of their Championship campaign.

Despite that however, Paul Heckingbottom’s men still sit fourth in the table and they arrive at the AMEX Stadium having won their last two on the road against Preston and Wolves.

Just like the Reds, hosts Brighton go into the game on the back of a 2-1 home loss against Reading.

The Seagulls suffered a League Cup exit against Jaap Stam’s side on Tuesday night, which ended the Club’s two-game winning run.

Those victories came following two straight defeats for Chris Hughton’s men but despite that inconsistent form they have won three of their four League games at home so far this term and sit only outside the play-off places on goal difference.

The Reds will be looking to make it four unbeaten against the Seagulls when they come up against Chris Hughton’s side on Saturday afternoon.

Following the Club’s 2-1 home win against the East Sussex outfit in March 2013, they followed that success with another 2-1 win, but this time at the AMEX Stadium, before the two sides played out a goalless draw in the most recent meeting between them back in April 2014.

Those wins lifted the Tykes onto a total of 17 victories in this fixture and while there has been 10 draws, Brighton have won 14 of the 41 clashes.

Their most recent success came in August 2012 when they secured a 5-1 home win which made it five on the bounce against the Reds in front of their own faithful, but Barnsley’s win at the AMEX on their last visit brought an end to that impressive run.

Barnsley will not be able to name an unchanged line-up for the third game in a row this weekend due to Aidy White being injured, but he could be the only change.

That would see on-loan Newcastle forward Adam Armstrong continue to partner Sam Winnall in attack.

Elsewhere, Saidy Janko will be pushing for more minutes after coming on as a substitute once again last week, while James Bree is closing in on a return from injury.

Hosts Brighton meanwhile look set to make wholesale changes to the side which lost 2-1 against Reading in the EFL Cup in midweek.

The likes of Tomer Hemed, Anthony Knockaert, Beram Kayal and Lewis Dunk amongst others are all set to return against the Tykes.

Liam Rosenior (ankle), Kazenga LuaLua (knee) and Richie Towell (knee) will not be involved however as they remain sidelined due to injury.

Tim Robinson will take charge of a Barnsley game for just the second time this weekend. The West Sussex-based official watched on as the Reds secured a 1-0 win at Swindon in January this year.

That however is his only previous involvement with the Club and having never taken charge of a Brighton match before, Robinson will be somewhat of an unfamiliar face at the AMEX on Saturday.

The official – who recently became a full-time referee – is no stranger to the Football League however and has already overseen nine games so far this season; handing out 42 yellow cards as well as two reds.

Brighton may have strength in depth throughout their squad but it’s hard to look past forward Tomer Hemed for their star man. The Israeli international arrived at the AMEX Stadium in June 2015 from Spanish side Almeria on a three-year deal for an undisclosed fee.

Hemed – who also previously played for the likes of Maccabi Haifa and Mallorca – took just three games to score his first goal for the Seagulls and it was an important one, as his stoppage time penalty secured all three points for his new side at Fulham.

That strike was the first of many for the 29-year-old as he went on to bag 17 times in his debut season in England, as well as providing six assists.

His finest performance in a Brighton shirt so far came against the side where he scored his first, Fulham, as he hit a hat-trick for the Seagulls as they ran rampant in a 5-0 triumph against the Cottagers.

The Kiryat Tiv’on-born forward has continued to be amongst the goals so far this term, bagging four times already including two in his last two outings. The Israeli also has one assist so far in what looks to be another promising campaign for the Brighton no.10.

In August 2013, Barnsley brought Northern Ireland international Paddy McCourt back to England; having spent the early days of his career at Rochdale.

Moves to Shamrock Rovers and Derry City came the winger’s way after his time at Spotland before a big move to Celtic in June 2008, where he spent five seasons before joining the Reds.

The tricky wide man made his Barnsley debut in a disappointing 5-1 home loss against Watford but things would improve, including a stunning first goal for the Club in a 3-2 home success against Middlesbrough. 

That was one of just two goals that McCourt scored for the Tykes, but his second did come against Saturday’s opponents Brighton, as he struck in a 2-1 away win for the Reds.

In total, the Irishman made 23 appearances for Barnsley, 15 of which were starts, but following just a season at Oakwell he moved on for pastures new in August 2014, as he penned a deal with this weekend’s hosts Brighton.

Although the Derry-born winger made 13 appearances in the first half of the 2014-15 campaign, his chances became limited into the New Year and he spent the remainder of the season on loan at Notts County.

McCourt netted once for the Magpies but upon his return to the AMEX stadium, his contract was not renewed and he joined Luton Town ahead of last season. The 32-year-old spent just one campaign at Kenilworth Road however and in July he completed a switch to Glenavon, back in his native Northern Ireland.

Brighton 3-0 Nottingham Forest (12/08/2016)

Brighton 3-0 Rotherham United (16/08/2016)

Brighton 0-2 Brentford (10/09/2016)

Brighton 1-0 Huddersfield Town (13/09/2016)

Brighton 1-2 Reading (EFL Cup; 20/09/2016)

Walsall 1-3 Barnsley (19/05/2016)

Ipswich Town 4-2 Barnsley (06/08/2016)

Huddersfield Town 2-1 Barnsley (20/08/2016)

Preston North End 1-2 Barnsley (10/09/2016)

Wolves 0-4 Barnsley (13/09/2016)

Brighton plays at the AMEX Stadium and its address is as follows: American Express Community Stadium, Village Way, Brighton, BN1 9BL.

By Car:

To stadium is located at Falmer on the outskirts of Brighton, very close to the University of Sussex.

At the end of the M23, continue onto the A23, heading towards Brighton. At the roundabout which is the junction with the A27, take the A27 towards Lewes. After around four miles you will see the stadium on your right hand side. Leave at the A27 and take the slip road sign posted Falmer (B2123). At the top of the slip road turn right crossing back over the A27 and the entrance to the stadium is down on the right.

Parking:

The Club are encouraging fans to use the Park & Ride services located at three different locations; Mill Road (BN1 8ZF), Brighton Racecourse (BN2 9XZ) and Mithras House at Brighton University (BN2 4AT). 

The Park & Ride is open from 12 noon on Saturdays (with last departure at 2.30pm) and 5.30pm for evening kick offs. The last buses return from the stadium 90 minutes after the end of the game. Please note that vehicles must be removed no later than two hours after the game has ended. 

By Train:

The nearest railway station is Falmer, which is situated right by the stadium.

Brighton Central Railway Station is over four miles away from the stadium. So either get a train, taxi or bus up to the stadium. Brighton & Hove Bus No 25 can be caught from Cardinal Square stop G (Route and timetable on the Brighton & Hove Bus Company website, which shows bus stops) operates a regular service (every 12 minutes) up to the stadium from Central Brighton, as do Bus Numbers 28 & 29. Journey time is around 20 minutes. On return the No 25 leaves from the stadium via a stop through the coach park, near to the away fans entrance.

Ticket Prices

Adult: £30.00

Senior Over 65: £22

Young Adult (18–21): £22.00

Juvenile Under 18: £15.00

Juvenile Under 10: £8.00