BARNSLEY V ROVERS MATCH THREAD

Our next match is away at Barnsley, a fixture i always look for when the list comes out in the summer and a game i attend as often as i can.
Because of the earlier postponement i am denied the opportunity to visit Croakwell this year because of work committments so will have to join in on the thread and listen to the commentary on the radio ( if Radio Deedar feature our game that is).

Barnsley are currently in a run of dodgy form, drawing one and losing four of their last seven league games.
Like us, they are also having a tough time at home this season with five defeats and a draw being their return from nine fixtures.

They will be without the recently free scoring Sam Winnall and Captain Martin Crainey for this game which should also be a hindrance to them.
The downside for us is that Winnalls replacement is likely to be Leroy Lita and he nearly always scores against us.

Also in the Barnsley line up will be our old buddy Marcello Trotter.
He is forever in Rovers folklore and i hope the faithfull remind him with a few renditions of "Marcello Trotter, he hit the crossbar".

Ourselves, Barnsley and Yeovil are are having indifferent starts to the new season after having to rebuild the squads following relegation last season.
All three clubs lost a virtual first team and had to start almost from scratch.
Recent form suggests that the Rovers are getting to grips with the situation better than the other two and we are looking to build on our recent run of good form that is showing one defeat in the last six games.

Concern for us is that we are one of the lowest scorers in the division (although we have played two less matches than most others) and as such we need to be more clinical and calm when the opportunities to score come along.
In recent games we have created lots of scoring chances but continue to miss many more than we score.
The good thing though is that we DO create the chances and i am sure that we will get the goals we need to push on up the table.

Matches between us and Barnsley since the first meeting in 1901 have been almost even.
We have won 23, Barnsley have won 21 with 18 being drawn.
As you might expect, the goals scored by both sides are also very close, 91 by the Rovers and 87 by Barnsley.

History i guess points to a draw but i fancy that our recent run has been a confidence builder for the lads and i think our skill and pace up front will trouble them.
I just have a feeling that it will be a good night for Tyson.

Just a quick note on Ross Turnbull.
He is obviously going to be in the Barnsley goalkeeping shirt for this game and he says it will be odd playing against us after having enjoyed his time with us last season.
He said he had been interested in staying on with us this season but that nothing appeared to have been done to encourage that.
Quite sad really because i liked him playing for us.

Rovers have no injury worries for this game following the Crewe match so PD will have to decide whether to start with Bennett or Forrester wide on the left and i can only see Furman in place of Keegan as a possible change to the team that started the last game.
Personally i would keep Keegan in.

I am looking forward to this one and would even welcome comments from Braveheart Tyke even though he is incapable of saying anything that makes sense.