Barnsley will welcome Cheltenham Town to Oakwell on Saturday for a game of major importance at both ends of the League One table.
Following an important midweek win, the hosts trail the automatic promotion spots by five points, while their visitors sit 21st, five points adrift of safety, with both having games in hand of teams above them.
Match preview
Ahead of the weekend's meeting with Cheltenham Town on their return to Oakwell, Barnsley will bid to give their League One automatic promotion hopes a boost on Saturday, having rebounded from a setback in midweek.
Aiming to return to the Championship with a top-two finish after their playoff heartbreak last time around, the Reds have enjoyed a positive start to life under the management of Neill Collins, currently sitting fifth in England's third tier with 70 points on the board from their 37 matches.
After looking set to fight it out for a playoff spot, Collins's men firmly established themselves in the top-two race with a hot streak between late November and early March, picking up 39 points from a 19-match span and only losing once along the way, with the run culminating in consecutive wins over Fleetwood Town, Derby County and Wycombe Wanderers and a creditable draw with Bolton Wanderers.
Aiming to extend that run further and strengthen their promotion bid, Collins's men then played host to Lincoln City last weekend, only to see their momentum halted in a 5-1 defeat with Adam Phillips's goal nothing more than a consolation, but they were able to bounce back on Tuesday, eventually prevailing in a 3-2 win away at basement side Carlisle United with Jordan Williams, John McAtee and Jon Russell on the scoresheet.
Now finding themselves fifth with nine league matches left to play, four points behind third-placed Bolton Wanderers and five behind second-placed Derby County with a game in hand on each, Barnsley require another strong run of form in the final run-in if they are to stand a chance of a top-two finish and will be keen to make it back-to-back three-point hauls on Saturday.
Their visitors, meanwhile, travel to Yorkshire with the need for three points in their own battle at the other end of the League One table this term.
After enduring a dismal start to the season, Cheltenham Town have been able to give themselves a fighting chance of avoiding the drop to England's second tier under the management of Darrell Clarke, earning 33 points from their last 25 league games after picking up just one from their opening 11.
The Robins moved within touching distance of safety with three consecutive victories in February, taking their tally to nine three-point hauls for the season by beating Cambridge United, Blackpool and Port Vale, but they have since been unable to strengthen their bid to leap out of the bottom four and find themselves winless in the last five outings.
Clarke's men have only been able to pick up two points in that time, firstly playing out draws with Wigan Athletic and Burton Albion either side of a loss to Wycombe Wanderers, before falling at home to Charlton Athletic and most recently suffering a 2-1 loss away at Oxford United on Saturday, having sat level until the 88th minute thanks to Will Ferry's leveller only for Greg Leigh to snatch all three points for the hosts.
Still sitting 21st as a result of their dip in form, but with a game in hand on Cambridge United and Burton Albion and two in hand on Reading, all of whom are five points ahead at this stage, Cheltenham Town do still have a chance of avoiding the drop this term but will know they must quickly arrest their winless run at the weekend to avoid being cut any further adrift ahead of the run-in.
Team News
Neill Collins has rarely made many changes to his settled Barnsley starting XI in recent months, and we are bound to see a similar lineup on Saturday, with key midfielder Herbie Kane likely remaining sidelined by an injury, meaning Jon Russell will again join Luca Connell and Adam Phillips in the centre after netting their third goal against Carlisle.
Centre-back Donovan Pines has also missed their last two matches and could remain absent at the weekend, and Jamie McCart is expected to return and join Mael de Gevigney and Josh Earl in a back three, allowing Jordan Williams to shift back out to a right wing-back role.
Devante Cole, who has notched up 17 League One goals this term, was reduced to a substitute appearance in midweek, but the forward should return from the outset alongside John McAtee, who netted his 11th of the campaign across all competitions in their triumph.
Darrell Clarke should field a similar Cheltenham Town starting XI on Saturday from their narrow defeat away at Oxford United last Saturday, with Jack Shepherd and Tom Bradbury again set to join veteran Curtis Davies in a back three.
Ahead of them in a 3-5-2 shape, Tom Pett will anchor the midfield behind Liam Kinsella and Liam Sercombe, who leads the Robins' scoring charts with eight goals so far this term, while Will Ferry will offer further attacking support from the left flank.
At the top end of the pitch, Matty Taylor missed the trip to the Kassam Stadium through injury, after hitting four goals in his first eight games for the club, and if he is not deemed ready to return against Barnsley, Joe Nuttall should again join Aidan Keena up top with Rob Street also sidelined.
Barnsley possible starting lineup:
Roberts; McCart, De Gevigney, Earl; Williams, Russell, Connell, Phillips, Cadden; McAtee, Cole
Cheltenham Town possible starting lineup:
Southwood; Shepherd, Davies, Bradbury; Long, Kinsella, Pett, Sercombe, Ferry; Keena, Nuttall
We say: Barnsley 3-1 Cheltenham Town
Cheltenham Town have been resilient under Darrell Clarke in their bid to defy the odds and escape the bottom four, but the Robins' momentum has slowed somewhat.
Coming up against a free-scoring Barnsley side at Oakwell, we can only envisage the visitors being overpowered on Saturday and back the Reds to strengthen their top-two hopes with a win.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Sam Varley
