Barnsley U23s host Hull City on Friday afternoon knowing that victory will see them leapfrog Nottingham Forest and Sheffield Wednesday to seventh place in the Professional Development League No.
Martin Devaney’s side secured a hard-fought victory in their last outing against high-flying Burnley at the Oakwell Training Complex thanks to Romal Palmer’s ninth minute header – a result that took them five points clear of the Tigers at the foot of the table.
Hull, meanwhile, let a 1-0 lead slip at Forest last week, which leaves Jon Beale’s youngsters with just one win in their last ten games – a surprise 2-0 victory over Bolton Wanderers before Christmas.
The last time we met the Tigers was in February last year, when a brace from Ben Hinchliffe cancelled out Louis Rowe’s opener to give the hosts all three points at North Ferriby’s Grange Lane.
Prior to that, the Reds had secured a 3-0 victory over Friday’s visitors in November 2017 courtesy of a first half own goal and strikes from Louis Wardle and Stevie Mallan after the interval.
Keane Lewis-Potter will be the one to watch for Hull as the young forward leads their goal scoring charts with 11 goals in 17 appearances – eight of which have come in the league.
The 17-year-old, who has also scored four times in three outings for the Tigers’ U18s this season, made his first team debut in the FA Cup third round defeat at Millwall, replacing Nouha Dicko with nine minutes remaining at the Den.
Barnsley will be hoping to continue their fine form heading into Friday’s clash having picked up ten points from their last five matches, with the only blip a defeat at Birmingham City earlier this month.
You can find out how our U23s fare by attending the fixture for free at the Oakwell Training Complex, kick-off at 2pm. Alternatively, you can follow the updates on our official Academy Twitter account: @AcademyBFC.
