Read all the key information ahead of the match against Ipswich at Oakwell this weekend.
Barnsley v Ipswich
Barnsley will be looking to make home advantage count when they host Ipswich at Oakwell.
Despite that loss however, Paul Heckingbottom’s men remain in 11th place and a win would see them move nine points clear of visitors Ipswich.
Mick McCarthy’s side arrive at Oakwell on the back of five consecutive draws including Tuesday night’s stalemate at home to Wolves.
That point extended Ipswich’s unbeaten run to seven games, with the Tractor Boys not tasting defeat away from home since mid-January; drawing three and winning one of their last four away matches.
It leaves them six points behind the Reds in 16th place but sitting just nine points above the relegation zone, McCarthy’s side will be eager to start turning some of their draws into wins.
Previous Meetings
Barnsley will be looking for their first win against Ipswich in just over six years.
Since the Club’s 3-1 triumph at Portman Road back in November 2010 there have been five draws and three Ipswich wins in this fixture.
The most recent of those triumphs came on the opening day of this season when Grant Ward struck a second-half hat-trick to earn the Tractor Boys a 4-2 success.
Barnsley’s last home win in this fixture came back in October 2009, with Jon Macken netting a last minute winner after Liam Rosenior had cancelled out Iain Hume’s opener.
That is one of 13 victories which the Reds have secured against Saturday’s visitors, with Ipswich winning 22 and the other nine meetings ending as draws; two of which have come in the last two meetings between the sides at Oakwell.
Team News
Paul Heckingbottom could make several changes to his side as the Reds target a return to winning ways.
Adam Hammill and Gethin Jones will be pushing for recalls, while Tom Bradshaw will be hoping his goal against QPR on Tuesday night was enough to earn himself a starting berth.
Elsewhere, Saidy Janko is closing in on a return from a hamstring injury but this game may come too soon for the on-loan Celtic winger.
Visitors Ipswich will have to check on the fitness of midfielder Emyr Huws who missed the Club’s 0-0 draw against Wolves in midweek due to a hamstring problem.
Luke Hyam (ankle), Steven Taylor (hamstring), Teddy Bishop (groin) and Dominic Samuel (broken toe) all remain sidelined however, but Crystal Palace loanee Jonny Williams may be in contention after stepping up his recovery from shoulder surgery in recent weeks.
Man in the Middle
Stephen Martin will take charge of his first Barnsley game since December 2015.
The Staffordshire-based official was the man in the middle when the Reds won 3-2 at Colchester, with goals from Conor Hourihane, Adam Hammill and Ivan Toney.
That victory was the Club’s third in Martin’s company after further wins against Reading and Oldham, while the Reds have suffered just one defeat under his charge which came in August 2013 at Blackpool.
Visitors Ipswich meanwhile, have won two, drawn one and lost four of their previous seven meetings with the Saturday’s referee.
Three of those games have come this season, with Martin watching over Ipswich defeats at Brentford and Leeds, as well as their 1-1 draw at Preston in late January.
They are three of 30 matches which he has taken charge of this term; handing out 72 yellow cards and three reds.
Their Star Man
He may have only made one start for parent Club Leicester City so far but Tom Lawrence has been a revelation for the Tractor Boys this season.
Following loan spells with Rotherham, Blackburn and Cardiff in recent times, the former Manchester United youngster joined Ipswich on a similar deal in August.
It took the 23-year-old 10 games to net his first goal for the Club but since the turn of the year, Lawrence’s performances have gone from strength to strength.
The Wales international has hit eight goals in his last 12 appearances including braces against Lincoln, Blackburn and Reading, while he has also provided six assists for Mick McCarthy’s side.
That form, as well as his direct-running, skill and technique saw the likes of Leeds, Newcastle and Sunderland register their interest in his services in January.
Having held onto their star man however, Ipswich will be hoping Lawrence can win the Club more points in the final few months of the season, as they look to finish as high as possible this time out.
Mutual Man
After being without a Club for the first half of this season, Reece Wabara joined Bolton Wanderers last month on a deal until the end of the campaign.
The former Manchester City trainee started last season with Barnsley, after penning a short-term deal with the Reds following his release by Doncaster.
He made his debut in a 3-2 win at Millwall, which was the first of 26 appearances he would make for the Club including 25 starts.
Able to play as a wing-back or in a flat back four, Wabara became a vital part of the Barnsley squad; even scoring a long range screamer in a 4-1 win against Swindon at Oakwell.
Despite those strong performances, the pacey defender left the Club at the end of his six-month deal and in January 2016 he joined fellow League One side Wigan, where he featured 19 times as Latics sealed their promotion back to the second tier as champions.
Wabara would play no part in the Championship however following his release, with Bolton becoming the eighth Club of his career last month.
It was actually visitors Ipswich who gave the dynamic defender his first senior start in football, after he moved to Portman Road in September 2011 on loan from Manchester City.
The Bromsgrove-born full-back made six appearances in total for the Tractor Boys; one of which came against Barnsley, as Ipswich ran out 5-3 winners at Oakwell.
Following that spell in Suffolk, Wabara enjoyed further loan switches to Oldham, Blackpool and Doncaster, before a permanent transfer to Donny; from whom the 25-year-old joined the Reds.
Form Guide
Barnsley’s last five at home:(WLDLD)
Barnsley 3-2 Leeds (21/01/2017)
Barnsley 1-3 Wolves (31/1/2017)
Barnsley 0-0 Preston (4/2/2017)
Barnsley 0-2 Brighton (18/2/2017)
Barnsley 1-1 Huddersfield (25/2/2017)
Ipswich’s last five on the road:(LDWDD)
Huddersfield 2-0 Ipswich (21/1/2017)
Preston 1-1 Ipswich (28/1/2017)
Aston Villa 0-1 Ipswich (11/2/2017)
Brighton 1-1 Ipswich (14/2/2017)
Norwich 1-1 Ipswich (26/2/2017)
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