Reds’ home comforts likely to be handed their toughest test so far
CLUB historians have been kept pretty busy at both Barnsley and Ipswich Town in an exceptional 202223 campaign.
The Reds currently boast a ninematch winning sequence at Oakwell. It's their best run on fertile home ground in almost a century since 1914-15 when they set a club record of 12 successive victories in the same campaign.
And then there's Ipswich, who recently equalled their best-ever run of consecutive league wins – eight – established back in 1953-54 and also registered a club record of 950 minutes without conceding a goal.
The Suffolk outfit – according to Michael Duff and those who crunch the numbers at Barnsley – are also the best side in League One history in terms of data in several specific areas including pass completion and possession.
In terms of 2022-23, they are also the top-scorers in League One (90) and possess the best defence (33 goals conceded).
But it is purely winning and not statistics that concern Duff and his opposite number Kieran McKenna tonight.
McKenna stressed before this game that Barnsley will have not given up on finishing in the automatic promotion positions, despite being six points behind his second-placed side with three games left.
It is not in Duff 's nature to cede anything. And with a play-off place assured and a second leg guaranteed at home, Barnsley might as well give it a shot. They have nothing to
lose and everything to gain. After wins over Sheffield Wednesday, Derby County and Plymouth Argyle in their fine home run, a triumph over Ipswich will gild that particular set.
Duff, who has Nicky Cadden available again after serving a threematch suspension, said: "We have to win (to finish in the top two).
"But I said that four or five games ago. We are not worried about positions.
"It should be two good teams coming together. It was 2-2 at their
place and I think both teams have improved.
"They are the best team in League One history (on statistics). You talk about all the possession and passes and scoring 90-odd goals. But they have got an unbelievable amount of clean sheets as well.
"That's why they are on such a run as they perform all sides of the game really well. We have been good against the other teams at the top of the league, but this could be the hardest one yet.
"But if we don't get in the top two, there's potentially two big (play-off) games coming up at the end of the season and in terms of motivation, players who aren't in the team and have got on the pitch – people like Ziyad (Larkeche) and Boban (Slobodan Tedic) – have put their hand up and proven to me that they are ready. We've got others as well.
"People are pushing each other in training and it will probably be the hardest team to pick to try and make sure we do get it right.
“We know about their squad, but we have got good players as well."
On his side's majestic run at home, he continued: "The fact it is nine in a row for the first time in (almost) 100 years – I don't know where 10 or 11 would take us – I’m not really bothered about records, but we want to keep performing and winning."
Further spice to tonight's fixture arrives in the fact that Conor Chaplin, fresh from being named in League One's team of the season and with a 26-goal haul to his name thus far in 22-23, makes his first return to Oakwell after his move in the summer of 2021.
Duff said: "He's a good player. We have got to try and block his passing lanes and areas to starve him of the ball, so he starts wondering into areas we want him to. But you look at the squad they have got.
"(But) he might not start and they will bring someone else in who is just as good.”
There is also another sub-plot. Hoping to start on the opposing side against his former employers is a well-known figure to Ipswich fans in the shape of James Norwood, who has revived his career at Barnsley after a mixed time at Portman Road.
The forward was a marmite figure who divided opinion during his three-year stint in East Anglia.
One of football's characters as well as very able frontman on his day, tonight's game might be right up Norwood's street on an occasion when the banter is likely to flying in his direction from the 5,000-strong travelling support in North Stand.
On ten-goal Norwood, who came on from the bench on Saturday, Duff added: "It doesn't take a lot to get him going. He will want to play in this one, with it being his old club. But without having a point to prove.
"I know there's a little bit of fire in him that he wants to get another promotion as we all do. They will all want to play in this one."