Source: FOOTYMAD
Npower Championship Matchday Thirty-Four: Barnsley v Nottingham Forest
Match Preview Team News Youngsters Paul Digby, Reuben Noble-Lazarus and Alastair Taylor could all get game time this weekend as The Reds try to work through a midfield injury crisis. David Perkins who has already missed the last three matches is now likely to be out for a minimum of six weeks as he has been fitted with a knee brace. Joining the summer signing from Colchester on the sidelines are Jim O’Brien with a groin injury, Nathan Doyle with a calf problem and Bobby Hassell with knee trouble. This could see Digby, Noble-Lazarus and Taylor who have a combined total of 18 league appearances between them (with Noble-Lazarus owning 16 of those) named on the bench. Last time out: Luke Steele Jay McEveley Rob Edwards Stephen Foster Scott Wiseman Jim McNulty Scott Golbourne Stephen Dawson Korey Smith Michael Tonge Craig Davies Head To Head Last Six Barnsley v Nottingham Forest Results: 6/8/11 Nottingham Forest 0-0 Barnsley (Championship) 1/1/11 Nottingham Forest 2-2 Barnsley (Championship) 16/10/10 Barnsley 3-1 Nottingham Forest (Championship) 16/3/10 Barnsley 2-1 Nottingham Forest (Championship) 20/10/09 Nottingham Forest 0-0 Barnsley (Championship) 4/4/09 Barnsley 1-1 Nottingham Forest (Championship) Overall Record: Barnsley Wins: 27 Nottingham Forest Wins: 26 Draws: 20 Barnsley Goals: 99 Nottingham Forest Goals: 105 At Oakwell: Barnsley Wins: 20 Nottingham Forest Wins: 8 Draws: 9 Barnsley Goals: 64 Nottingham Forest Goals: 39 This Season Last six 2011-2012 results: Barnsley: 25/2/12 Coventry 1-0 Barnsley (Championship) 21/2/12 Barnsley 1–3 Birmingham (Championship) 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) W: 2 D: 0 L: 4 F: 7 A: 10 GD: -3 Points: 6 Nottingham Forest: 25/2/12 Birmingham 1-2 Nottingham Forest (Championship) 18/2/12 Nottingham Forest 2-0 Coventry (Championship) 14/2/12 Middlesbrough 2-1 Nottingham Forest (Championship) 11/2/12 Nottingham Forest 1-1 Watford (Championship) 31/1/12 Nottingham Forest 0-2 Burnley (Championship) 21/1/12 West Ham 2-1 Nottingham Forest (Championship) W: 2 D: 1 L: 3 F: 7 A: 8 GD: -1 Points: 7 Interesting Stats When these two sides met in the corresponding fixture, on the opening day of the 2011-2012 season, Nottingham Forest had high hopes of finally gaining promotion back to the Premier League after two successive play-off failures as they had appointed former England boss and Dutch title winner Steve McClaren as their new manager. Unfortunately the goal-less draw the two sides played out at the City Ground was a sign of things to come for Forest. They currently sit 20th in the Championship having lost the most games in the division, conceded the fourth highest amount of goals and scored the second lowest. Forest have the worst home record in the division, having picked up just 15 points in front of their supporters whilst only Hereford (11) have lost more home games than Forest (10) in the Football League this season. In the last two outings however, Forest arrested their alarming form of one win in 15 by securing back to back wins for only the second time this season. They last won three in a row 11 months ago. Steve Cotterill’s side have won just two of their last nine away leagues in all competitions, losing six of them. However their tally of five away victories is only bettered by one team currently in the Championship’s bottom half- Crystal Palace and their last match on their travels saw them end Birmingham’s unbeaten home record. Last Saturday’s 1-0 reverse at Coventry was Barnsley’s 15th league defeat of the season- the first time Keith Hill has lost that many games in one season since he started his managerial career in 2006. His previous highest was 14. Whilst Forest come into this match with back to back wins, Barnsley have suffered back to back defeats for the sixth time this season, and have lost four of their last five matches. Barnsley’s last home match was a 3-1 defeat to Birmingham, which was their seventh in front of their own supporters- more than they suffered in the whole of 2010-2011. A win for Forest would give them 27 victories over Barnsley, the same amount as the Reds have against Forest. Barnsley need one more goal to reach 100 v Forest. Barnsley have won four of their last five home matches against Forest and last lost at Oakwell to them back in 2000. That though is The Reds only home defeat against Forest since 1957. Mad Sites www.barnsley-mad.co.uk www.nottinghamforest-mad.co.uk Official Sites www.barnsleyfc.co.uk www.nottinghamforest.co.uk Other Fixtures Friday 2nd March: 7:45pm: Blackpool v Hull Saturday 3rd March 3pm: Birmingham v Derby Crystal Palace v Peterborough Doncaster v Brighton Ipswich v Bristol City Leicester v Coventry Millwall v Reading Portsmouth v Middlesbrough Watford v Burnley 5:20pm: Leeds v Southampton Sunday 4th March 12:45pm: Cardiff v West Ham