PREVIEW: BARNSLEY (H)

19 April 2021

Opposition report, team news and more ahead of Wednesday night’s game

- Town vs Barnsley preview
- All the key info ahead of the visit of the Tykes
- Watch the game on iFollow HTAFC

Huddersfield Town are back at the John Smith’s Stadium to take on Barnsley with just four vital Sky Bet Championship games remaining!

The match will take place on Wednesday 21 April 2021 and will kick-off at 7.45pm.

The Terriers will be hoping to end the season strongly and to build on the 2-0 win against Nottingham Forest last weekend, when the Tykes mate the short trip to West Yorkshire.

Ahead of the midweek clash with Barnsley, we’ve rounded up everything you need to know…

THE OPPOSITION

After narrowly avoiding relegation from the Sky Bet Championship last season, Barnsley have been a breath of fresh air this time around!

Following a difficult start to the 2020/21 campaign, Gerhard Struber was relieved of his duties and replaced by Valérien Ismaël.

Ismaël (above) guided the Club to their first win of the league season at the end of October against QPR. He changed the Club’s style of play, which saw them only draw one game in his first four months in charge.

After a winless January, Barnsley really took off and pushed towards the Sky Bet Championship Play-Off places. They won seven games on the bounce between February and March and propelled themselves up the league table. They’ve actually only lost two of their last 15 games.

The Tykes currently sit sixth in the Sky Bet Championship table four points ahead of seventh-placed Reading with four games remaining. They have taken 71 points from 42 games.

Barnsley have the fifth best away record in the Sky Bet Championship, winning 10 and losing eight on their travels this year.

ONES TO WATCH

Michal Helik

The Polish centre-back has been a rock in defence for Barnsley this season. Previously spending his career in his native Poland coming through the youth set-up at hometown club Ruch Chorzow. He made his First Team debut as a teenager and spent four years at the Club. Helik made the move to fellow Ekstraklasa side Cracovia, where the defender managed nine goals in 89 appearances. He spent three years with the Club before making the switch to the Sky Bet Championship.

The 25-year-old arrived at Oakwell from Cracovia at the start of the season where he penned a three-year deal. Helik has been instrumental in Barnsley’s pursuit of Play-Off football and on his first season in South Yorkshire has netted five goals in 38 appearances for the Tykes.

His first season in English football did not go unnoticed by his nation and was rewarded with a call up to the Poland national team. He made his debut in a 3-3 World Cup qualification draw against Hungary.

Alex Mowatt

The central midfielder came into this season after being named Barnsley’s Player of the Year at the end of the last campaign.

Starting out at Leeds United, Mowatt impressed in the youth academy and development squad before breaking making his First Team debut, starting in a 3-1 win over his hometown side Doncaster Rovers. He made over a century of appearances for Leeds United before making the switch from West to South Yorkshire and signed for Barnsley.

After featuring regularly for Barnsley following his arrival, he found himself being loaned out to Oxford United for the season. Following Barnsley’s relegation to League 1, Mowatt returned to the club. During this season he didn’t miss a single league game, registering eight goals and eight assists to help Barnsley to an immediate return to the Sky Bet Championship.

Mowatt has only missed one league game this season and has got himself eight goals and seven assists so far this campaign. He was also awarded Sky Bet Championship Player of the Month for April playing a major part in Barnsley’s continued push for the Play-Offs.

Daryl Dike

The American-born frontman has been a revelation since arriving at Oakwell from Orlando City on loan. Dike has hit the ground running with eight goals in only 14 appearances for Barnsley.

Born in Oklahoma, Dike spent his youth career at Oklahoma FC before going through the American college system. He played for the University of Virginia’s football team and received the NCAA Division One soccer tournament’s Most Outstanding Player. He was selected by Orlando City in 2020 in the MLS SuperDraft as the fifth pick. He started 17 games for Orlando and scored eight goals during this time.

The American arrived in Barnsley in February 2021 and the big forward did not take any time adapting to English football. At only 20 years old, Dike has already made two appearances for the United States national team.

He won Barnsley’s Player of the Month award for March after netting four goals in six games including a brace in a 3-1 victory over Wycombe Wanderers.

FORM GUIDE

The Terriers will be hoping to build on the three points taken from Saturday’s 2-0 win over Nottingham Forest at the City Ground.

Town have only lost two of the last seven, despite being beaten by AFC Bournemouth in their last home game.

As for the visitors, they come into the game off the back of a 2-0 defeat away at Coventry City on Sunday 18 April 2021.

Barnsley have lost two of their last five games, those came against the Sky Blues and Sheffield Wednesday.

PREVIOUS ENCOUNTERS

Our 75 competitive meetings with the Tykes have seen both sides enjoy their fair share of victories in the fixture, with Town edging the tallies in the record books with 32 wins to Barnsley’s 28. The two sides have also registered 15 draws between them since their first meeting back in November 1910.

In the last decade the two sides have faced each other only nine times, which saw the Terriers win four of these fixtures while losing three and the remaining two games being played as draws.

Town ran out 2-1 winners the last time Barnsley came to the John Smith’s Stadium, thanks to goals from Christopher Schindler and Karlan Grant.

ACTION ELSEWHERE

Our game against the Tykes is one of seven Sky Bet Championship matches on Wednesday evening.

Wednesday 21 April 2021

Millwall vs AFC Bournemouth – 6pm kick-off
Rotherham United vs Middlesbrough – 6pm kick-off
Stoke City vs Coventry City – 7pm kick-off
Wycombe Wanderers vs Bristol City – 7pm kick-off
Birmingham City vs Nottingham Forest – 7.45pm kick-off
Huddersfield Town vs Barnsley – 7.45pm kick-off
Luton Town vs Reading – 7.45pm kick-off

TEAM NEWS

Head Coach Carlos Corberán will provide the latest team news ahead of Wednesday’s game during his pre-match press conference on Tuesday 20 April 2021.

KIT

Town will be sporting the famous blue-and-white striped home kit for the midweek encounter – CLICK HERE to get yours!

HOW TO WATCH

With the game being played behind-closed-doors, Town Season Card holders will be able to watch the match for FREE on iFollow HTAFC.

If you aren’t a Season Card Holder, then you can purchase a match pass for £10!

The game will also be available via Sky Sports’ red button!

Match Reports

REPORT: TOWN 0–1 BARNSLEY

21 April 2021

A second-half Daryl Dike effort condemned Huddersfield Town to a 1-0 defeat against Barnsley in the Sky Bet Championship.

The 65th minute strike was enough to take all three points and leave Town empty-handed from the Yorkshire derby at the John Smith’s Stadium.

For the meeting with the Tykes, Head Coach Carlos Corberán made three changes to the winning side at Nottingham Forest on Saturday.

Having made his return to the match day squad in that game, Josh Koroma came in from the start to make his comeback from a hamstring injury that had kept him on the sideline since December.

Yaya Sanogo missed the weekend’s win at the City Ground with a foot injury but was fit enough to be back in from the off alongside Rarmani Edmonds-Green who was the third and final switch.

Under the setting sun at the John Smith’s Stadium, it was the visitors who had the best of the early openings. Despite looking offside, Cauley Woodrow got in behind the Town defence and flashed a shot wide of Ryan Schofield’s goal having come inside onto his left foot.

At the other end, the returning Koroma beat the Tykes’ offside trap to produce Town’s first opening. The returning forward drove into the penalty area before having his attempt well-blocked at close range.

A good spell followed for the visitors, with Dominik Frieser and Woodrow firing attempts straight at Schofield before Alex Mowatt’s free-kick from the left side of the box brushed the side-netting on its way wide.

With that the final chance of the first 45, Barnsley picked up where they had left off before half-time when play resumed, with Schofield called into action once more to tip a Carlton Morris header around the post.

After a intense period of end-to-end action, the space opened up for the visitors to foray forward and with that attack, they took the lead.

A dinked cross from Morris on the left of the byline was met acrobatically by Daryl Dike who found the net with his effort to put his side 1-0 up on 65 minutes.

There was a let off for Town soon after as the South Yorkshire club nearly had a second with just under 15 minutes to go. After Morris’ looping header was cleared off the line, Michał Helik’s close-range effort crashed back off the crossbar.

In the Terriers’ search for an equaliser, Lewis O’Brien met substitute Sorba Thomas’ cutback but saw his floated effort denied by Barnsley ‘keeper Bradley Collins.

With the hunt for that all-important goal going on, on-loan Ajax midfielder Carel Eiting made his return from a long-term injury and immediately came close to helping Town get on level terms.

An incisive through-ball found the run of fellow recent returnee Rolando Aarons, who had also been introduced with the Dutchman, but the winger’s low cross intended for Danny Ward in the box was cleared behind.

In the closing minutes, Sarr was again required to clear from underneath the crossbar to keep the Terriers active in the contest, following a frantic period of play inside the penalty area.

Despite a late push as the Terriers continued to turn up the gears in the final minutes at the John Smith’s Stadium, the Tykes closed out the encounter to take all three points from the Yorkshire derby at the John Smith’s Stadium.

Next up for Town is a trip over the Pennines to Ewood Park, with Blackburn Rovers the hosts in the Sky Bet Championship on Saturday 24 April 2021; 15:00 BST kick-off.

HUDDERSFIELD TOWN (3-1-4-2)

Ryan Schofield; Naby Sarr, Richard Keogh, Rarmani Edmonds-Green (Sorba Thomas, 69’); Jonathan Hogg (c); Duane Holmes (Rolando Aarons, 76’); Lewis O’Brien, Juninho Bacuna (Carel Eiting, 76’), Aaron Rowe (Scott High, 59’); Josh Koroma (Danny Ward, 69’), Yaya Sanogo

Unused subs

Joel Pereira; Richard Stearman, Demeaco Duhaney, Jaden Brown

BARNSLEY (3-4-2-1)

Bradley Collins; Mads Juel Andersen, Michał Helik, Michael Sollbauer; Callum Styles, Alex Mowatt, Romal Palmer (Jordan Williams, 78’), Callum Brittain; Carlton Morris, Dominik Frieser; Cauley Woodrow (Daryl Dike, 45+1’)

Unused subs

Jack Walton; Conor Chaplain, Toby Sibbick, Clarke Odour, Aapo Halme, Victor Adeboyejo, Jasper Moon

REFEREE

David Webb