Team News
Barnsley have been hit by yet another midfield blow after David Perkins joined Jacob Butterfield and Michael Tonge in the treatment room. The 29 year old suffered a hamstring injury against Portsmouth on Saturday and was forced off after 29 minutes- ironically the same minute Tonge departed in the previous game at Burnley.
The Reds have been beset by midfield trouble this season with Jim O’Brien, Nathan Doyle and Stephen Dawson all being unavailable at certain parts of the campaign and Ricardo Vaz Te departing for West Ham in January. Dawson is set to make his debut tomorrow after recovering from the ankle injury that he brought with him from Leyton Orient whilst recent recruit David Cotterill is also pushing for his first appearance after being an unused sub on Saturday.
Boss Keith Hill has also hinted 17 year old Paul Digby could feature. Digby has been involved in three squads so far this season and came off the bench in the 1-1 draw at Derby in September. Now with the Reds midfield depleted Digby could once again get his chance.
There is only one other injury absentee and that is club captain Bobby Hassell who remains sidelined with a knee problem, which has kept him out of the last three matches.
Likely Line-Up:
Luke Steele
Stephen Foster
Scott Wiseman
Rob Edwards
Jim McNulty
Scott Golbourne
Korey Smith
Stephen Dawson
Jim O’Brien
Matty Done
Craig Davies
Andy Gray
Head To Head
Last Six Barnsley v Birmingham Results:
24/9/11 Birmingham 1-1 Barnsley (Championship)
10/3/09 Barnsley 1-1 Birmingham (Championship)
23/8/08 Birmingham 2-0 Barnsley (Championship)
9/4/07 Barnsley 1-0 Birmingham (Championship)
11/11/06 Birmingham 2-0 Barnsley (Championship)
16/2/02 Birmingham 1-0 Barnsley (Division One)
Overall Record:
Barnsley Wins: 20
Birmingham Wins: 34
Draws: 18
Barnsley Goals: 90
Birmingham Goals: 114
At Oakwell:
Barnsley Wins: 12
Birmingham Wins: 15
Draws: 9
Barnsley Goals: 54
Birmingham Goals: 57
This Season
Last six 2011-2012 results:
Barnsley:
18/2/12 Barnsley 2–0 Portsmouth (Championship)
14/2/12 Burnley 2-0 Barnsley (Championship)
4/2/12 Watford 2-1 Barnsley (Championship)
31/1/12 Barnsley 3–2 Derby (Championship)
21/1/12 Barnsley 1–3 Millwall (Championship)
14/1/12 Leicester 1–2 Barnsley (Championship)
W: 3 D: 0 L: 3 F: 9 A: 10 GD: -1 Points: 9
Birmingham:
18/2/12 Chelsea 1–1 Birmingham (FA Cup)
14/2/12 Birmingham 0-0 Hull (Championship)
7/2/12 Birmingham 1–0 Portsmouth (Championship)
4/2/12 Birmingham 0–0 Southampton (Championship)
31/1/12 Leeds 1-4 Birmingham (Championship)
28/1/12 Sheffield United 0-4 Birmingham (FA Cup)
W: 3 D: 3 L: 0 F: 10 A: 2 GD: 8 Points: 11
Interesting Stats
Barnsley are facing the most in-form team in the country tomorrow. Birmingham are unbeaten in their last 14 matches in all competitions and have won seven of their last ten including five of their last seven in the Championship which has taken them from 14th in the table to sixth, just six points off an automatic promotion place with two games in hand.
The Blues have also kept nine clean sheets in their last 13 matches and held Chelsea to a draw at Stamford Bridge in the FA Cup on Saturday.
Tomorrow’s match will be Birmingham’s 44th game of the 2011-2012 season- no Championship team has played more- The Blues have contested 30 Championship games, eight in the Europa League, four in the FA Cup (with at least one more to come) and one in the League Cup, which they won last season.
Birmingham will travel to South Yorkshire in good spirits tomorrow, regardless of their current impressive run. The Blues have won more Oakwell meetings with Barnsley than The Reds themselves- 15 to 12 and scored more goals – 57 to 54, although they have not won in their most two most recent trips, with their last victory coming back in 2001.
Barnsley though have won just one of their last 10 meetings home and away with the Blues- 1-0 in April 2007, but arguably their most famous success was the 4-0 thumping they inflicted on then manager Trevor Francis’ side at St Andrews in the first leg of the 1999-2000 Division One Play-Off Semi-Finals. The Reds lost the home leg 2-1 but progressed to the final where they were defeated 4-2 by Ipswich at Wembley.
Despite Birmingham having an impressive home record this season- they have yet to lose a Championship game at St Andrews Stadium in 2011-2012- and have lost just one of 20 in all competitions, they have won just four league games on the road and two of the last eight.
If The Reds win tomorrow it will be their ninth home win of the season- they have only won this many once in the past four years. On the other hand they have lost six matches at Oakwell this season- the same amount as they lost in the whole of 2010-2011.
Barnsley have taken the lead in 13 matches at Oakwell this campaign, no other side in the Championship have taken the lead in as many home matches.
Mad Sites
www.barnsley-mad.co.uk
www.birminghamcity-mad.co.uk
Official Sites
www.barnsleyfc.co.uk
www.bcfc.com
Other Fixtures
7:45pm:
Millwall v Middlesbrough
8pm:
Blackpool v West Ham
Wednesday 22nd February 2012:
7:45pm
Hull v Brighton
Thursday 23rd February 2012:
7:45pm
Derby v Leicester
Source: FOOTYMAD
