The Reds travel to Deepdale.
Preston North End v Barnsley
Barnsley will be looking for their first away win of the season when they cross the Pennines to face Preston North End this weekend.
Despite winning three on the bounce at home – including a 4-0 success against Rotherham before the international break – the Reds have lost at both Ipswich and Huddersfield on their travels.
The Tykes home form however has seen them climb to third place in the Championship and with Paul Heckingbottom’s side keen to hang onto that lofty position, they will be eager to put in an improved display away from Oakwell.
Hosts Preston meanwhile, will be hoping to secure a first home League win of the season in what has been a miserable start to their second season back in the Championship.
Although the Lilywhites have picked up EFL Cup wins at Deepdale against Hartlepool and Oldham, Simon Grayson’s side have suffered defeats against both Fulham and Derby in front of their own faithful.
Results have not been much better on the road for the Lancashire side with losses at Reading and Ipswich, but Grayson’s men did earn an impressive 2-0 win at QPR last month which remains the club’s only victory so far this season; leaving them second bottom of the Championship.
Previous Meetings
Barnsley will be hoping to continue their good recent form in this fixture when they travel to Lancashire on Saturday afternoon.
Despite losing on their last visit to Deepdale on Boxing Day 2014, the Reds have won three of the last five meetings between the two sides including two away from home.
The most recent clash between the sides ended in a 1-1 draw in March 2015 after Jabo Ibehre netted a second-half equaliser for the Tykes at Oakwell.
That prevented North End from clinching their 23rd victory in this fixture but with the Reds trailing behind on 18 wins they will be eager to start reducing that gap on Saturday.
Team News
Five players will be looking to make their Barnsley debuts when the Reds travel to Preston this weekend.
Defenders Adam Jackson and Cole Kpekawa, midfielders Saidy Janko and Sam Morsy as well as forward Adam Armstrong will all be eager to be involved at some stage after arriving at Oakwell in what was a busy final few days of the transfer window for the Reds.
Elsewhere, Sam Winnall could start once again after returning from injury in the Club’s win against Rotherham two weeks ago, while Andy Yiadom will be hoping to keep his place at right-back.
Hosts Preston could also have some new faces in their side, with deadline day signings Mamick Vermijl, Alex Baptiste and Republic of Ireland international Aiden McGeady all pushing for starts.
If the trio are included in Simon Grayson’s XI, they are likely to start alongside star forward Jermaine Beckford who returns from a bout of concussion, while Ben Pringle should be fit enough to make his comeback from an ankle problem.
Stevie May and Calum Woods will not be involved however, with the duo both long term absentees with knee injuries.
Man in the Middle
Geoff Eltringham will take charge of Barnsley for the eighth time on Saturday. The Reds have endured a mix set of results in his company; winning twice, losing four and drawing once.
That sole stalemate came in the Club’s most recent meeting with the County Durham-based referee when he watched over their 1-1 draw at home to Chesterfield in April 2015.
Hosts Preston meanwhile have drawn two of their previous encounters with Eltringham, as well as winning five and losing three.
The Club’s last defeat in his company came back in 2014, with the Lilywhites winning their last two games under his guidance; 2-0 at home to Peterborough in March 2015 and then last season, the North East referee watched over North End as they edged past Reading 1-0 at Deepdale.
So far this season Eltringham has taken charge of six games, dishing out 14 yellow cards and one red, which was shown to Wigan defender Jake Buxton back in early August.
Their Star Man
Despite joining the Club on a permanent deal last summer, experienced forward Jermaine Beckford will feel like a new signing for the Lilywhites this term.
That is because the former Leeds and Everton striker missed the majority of last season due to a serious knee injury which required surgery.
That all came following a highly successful loan move for Beckford at Deepdale, as he netted 18 times in 31 games during the 2014-15 campaign including a hat-trick at Wembley in the League One play-off final against Swindon as North End clinched their returned to the second tier.
Following that temporary switch from Bolton, the 32-year-old penned a permanent two-year deal at the Club last June but just two appearances into the new campaign and he was ruled out for the foreseeable future.
After nearly seven months on the sidelines, the former Jamaica international returned to make nine appearances at the end of last season, scoring twice, once against the MK Dons and the other in a 2-1 away win at Reading.
Those goals prove that the one-time Leicester City man is keen to make up for lost time and after netting his first of the season in the Club’s 2-0 success at QPR last month, the Barnsley defence will be keen to ensure that Beckford does not have the opportunity to showcase his lethal finishing come Saturday afternoon.
Mutual Man
He may have started his career at hometown Club Bristol City but following 246 appearances for the Robins, Matt Hill joined Preston in January 2005 for a six-figure fee.
That move came following two unsuccessful attempts at clinching promotion to the Championship via the League One play-offs with the Robins and in his first half-season at Deepdale, Hill suffered play-off agony once again with a 1-0 defeat against West Ham in the final.
Hill remained a regular in the following 2005-06 season and went onto play 119 times in total for the Lilywhites over three-and-a-half seasons, as he helped them finish fourth, seventh and 15th following their play-off final appearance.
Despite being a key part of the team, Hill joined Championship rivals Wolves in September 2008, where he spent two years – including a loan spell at QPR – before joining the Tykes in October 2010 on a short-term loan deal as cover for the injured Jay McEveley.
After just two outings however and Hill picked up an injury of his own and returned to Molineux for treatment. Following two months on the sidelines, the full-back made his comeback in style; scoring his first Barnsley goal in the Club’s 2-2 draw at Nottingham Forest on New Year’s Day 2011.
The current Bradford Park Avenue man continued in the Tykes side and after cancelling his contract at Wolves by mutual consent he penned a deal at Oakwell until the end of the campaign in late January 2011.
He went onto make 24 appearances in total for the Reds and got on the scoresheet for a second time in his Barnsley career, this time netting just after half-time in the Club’s thrilling 3-3 draw at Elland Road.
That would prove to be his final goal for the Tykes and after helping the Club keep a clean sheet on his final appearance against Millwall, Hill joined Blackpool in July 2011 before spells with Sheffield United and Tranmere.
Form Guide
Preston’s last five at home: (DWLLW)
Preston North End 1-1 Leeds United (07/05/2016)
Preston North End 1-0 Hartlepool United (EFL Cup; 09/08/2016)
Preston North End 1-2 Fulham (13/08/2016)
Preston North End 0-1 Derby County (16/08/2016)
Preston North End 2-0 Oldham Athletic (EFL Cup; 23/08/2016)
Barnsley’s last five away from home: (DWWLL)
Sheffield United 0-0 Barnsley (23/04/2016)
Wigan Athletic 1-4 Barnsley (08/05/2016)
Walsall 1-3 Barnsley (19/05/2016)
Ipswich Town 4-2 Barnsley (06/08/2016)
Huddersfield Town 2-1 Barnsley (20/08/2016)
Going to the match?
Preston North End plays at Deepdale, its address is as follows: Preston North End, Deepdale, Sir Tom Finney Way, Preston, PR1 6RU.
How to get there
By Car:
Leave M6 at Junction 31 and follow signs Left for Preston. Go up a steep hill and follow the road down to a mini roundabout. At the roundabout with the Hesketh Arms turn right into Blackpool Road. Go straight on over three sets of lights and just before a fourth set, the ground appears set slightly back on the left. Parking is mainly in the streets surrounding the ground.
By Train:
Preston Railway Station is around a mile and a half from the ground and takes around twenty-five minutes to walk.
Leave the Preston railway station via the main entrance, and head right at the top of the drive. This is the main High Street. Continue along the High Street, passing all the regular big name shops. The High Street (or Church Street/Fishergate as it's known) is about a mile long, and you will pass a church and a bike shop as you come to its end. Simply carry on walking along this street, and when you reach the ring road, you head straight over the large traffic lights, heading towards Preston Prison. Turn left at the Prison into Church Street, then left into Deepdale Road. Continue straight along Deepdale Road and after about a mile you will reach the ground.
Ticket Information
Adult - £24
Senior Over 65 - £16
Young Adult (17-21) - £16
Juvenile (8-16 years) - £8
Juvenile Under 8 - £2 (when purchased alongside a full paying adult)
Tickets will remain on sale from the Box Office/Reds Superstore until 4pm Friday 9th September, subject to availability.
