Wednesday win ‘set standard’ but now Reds face another promotion favourite
BARNSLEY are looking forward to taking on another of the favourites for promotion in League One when they host Portsmouth tomorrow.
The Reds have lost their last two home games 3-0, to Wycombe Wanderers in League One and Lincoln City in the
EFL Trophy. Their 2-0 win at Sheffield Wednesday lifted them up to tenth with ten points from seven matches in the very early league table.
Portsmouth are second, falling down from top spot below Ipswich Town on Saturday despite coming from behind to beat visitors Peterborough United 2-1.
Pompey drew their first two matches of the season – 3-3 at Sheffield Wednesday and 0-0 at home to Lincoln City – but have since won their last five league games. They are the latest in a series of Reds opponents who have started well and are tipped for promotion.
On the Wednesday win, Duff said: “It set the standard.
“I don’t think many teams will go there and be fairly comfortable like we were.
“When you’re that good, you always win, but you might have four or five games like that a season.
“You will have four or five really bad ones as well.
“But it’s the other 35 games you need to nick points in.
“It was brilliant but it’s parked up now and we focus on the next game. “Portsmouth are a good team.
“They have a definite way of playing with a big ‘un and little ‘un up front, two wingers who play off the line.
“They are five unbeaten, put in a lot of crosses for goals, good on set plays and keep a lot of clean sheets.
“It is a tough challenge. Every team we seem to play are top of the league.
“But we have competed with some of the best teams so far and we will look to do that again against Portsmouth.”
Pompey have former Barnsley loanee Ryan Tunnicliffe – who played three games in 2013 – but he has not played since coming off the bench on the opening day.
This will be the 55th meeting of the two clubs, with Barnsley winning 18 and losing 22. The Reds’ last victory was in 2012 when Portsmouth were facing financial crisis and being relegated from the Championship. Since then they drew twice in the 2018/19 season – with Alex Mowatt netting in a 1-1 at Oakwell – then Portsmouth won 4-2 in an FA Cup tie win January 2020.
Barnsley then host Port Vale on Tuesday from 7.45pm.
Vale’s director of football is former Barnsley manager David Flitcroft.
Their manager Darrell Clarke has lost all five meetings with Reds boss Duff – four with Walsall and one with Vale.
The Staffordshire club – who won the League Two play-off final in May – are 17th in the early league table with eight points from their seven matches so far.
They drew 2-2 at home to Duff’s former club Cheltenham Town on Saturday, conceding an injury-time leveller.
Their first away match of the season was a 4-0 loss at Exeter City then were beaten 2-1 at MK Dons but won 2-0 at Burton Albion in their most recent game on the road.
Barnsley have met Port Vale more than any other current League One club, with 111 matches including 46 wins for both.
The most recent meeting was a 1-0 win for Barnsley in Burslem in 2016 thanks to a Conor Hourihane free-kick.
Vale’s last visit to Oakwell was earlier that season when they won 2-1 against the Reds who were on an eight-match losing run in League One under Lee Johnson.
Should goalkeeper Brad Collins play in both games this week, he will make his 100th appearance for the Reds.