Preview: Barnsley vs Stockport County - prediction, team news, lineups

Still needing a point to guarantee a top-six finish in the League One table and move onto the playoffs, and a win to all but secure a home second leg for the semi-finals, Stockport County will head to Oakwell to take on Barnsley on the final day of the regular season on Saturday.

The visitors failed to cement a top-four spot in midweek when they lost 2-1 at home to Port Vale, but they do lead seventh spot by three points while the hosts will hope to crack the top half on the final day.

Match preview

Barnsley head into their final game of the League One season on Saturday and their last outing under Conor Hourihane at the end of an underwhelming campaign.

With one game left to play, the South Yorkshire outfit find themselves 13th having earned 59 points from their 45 outings, winning 15 and losing 16 of those with their 67 goals scored being the seventh most in the division while only already-relegated Northampton Town have conceded more than the 70 they have shipped.

After looking poised to charge into the playoff race in the final months of the season, the Reds saw any hopes fade away in a poor run across March and April, winning just once and collecting nine points from an 11-game span, culminating in consecutive defeats last week.

They were, at least, able to bounce back to winning ways in their final away trip on Tuesday, though, visiting Northampton Town and prevailing in a 1-0 victory at Sixfields Stadium as Reyes Cleary's first-half goal made the difference.

Now trailing 12th-placed Wycombe Wanderers by one point thanks to that win, Barnsley will bid to end their time under Hourihane on a positive note with a victory with the chance to sneak a top-half finish.

That will be no easy task, though, as their visitors arrive in South Yorkshire aiming to book their playoff place with momentum from a victory to close the regular season.

After being denied a second straight promotion in the League One playoffs last time around, Stockport County have again staked a strong claim to climb to the Championship this time around, currently sitting fourth with 74 points on the board.

The Hatters are yet to guarantee their top-six status and place in the upcoming playoffs, though, having lost two and drawn one of their last four league outings, with the only victory coming at home to Peterborough United last weekend on the back of a home defeat to Mansfield Town.

Already-relegated Port Vale then visited Edgeley Park on Tuesday, and Dave Challinor's men fell to a disappointing 2-1 home loss, having trailed by two inside the first 25 minutes to goals from Martin Sherif and Jordan Lawrence-Gabriel and failed to find a leveller after Odin Bailey halved the deficit.

Now leading seventh place by three points and only trailing third-placed Bolton Wanderers by one, Stockport County will hope to rebuild confidence with an away win at Oakwell and seal a top-four finish, earning them a favourable playoff tie and a home second leg.

Barnsley League One form:

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Stockport County League One form:

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Stockport County form (all competitions):

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Team News

Barnsley head into the final day of the season with a relatively clean bill of health, other than winger Tawanda Chirewa.

David McGoldrick returned to the attack in the last week after his injury layoff, and he will continue to play a key role having netted 15 league goals so far this season.

He may again be joined at the top end of a 4-2-3-1 setup by Patrick Kelly, Tom Bradshaw and Cleary, who boasts seven goals and 13 assists in League One this term, although Scott Banks and Adam Phillips will compete to come in from the outset.

Stockport County continue to face an unenviable injury list ahead of the playoffs, with Callum Connolly, Brad Hills, Joseph Olowu, Callum Camps, Tyler Onyango and Josh Dacres-Cogley all sidelined.

Those absences leave Ethan Pye as the only senior centre-back available, and striker and top scorer Kyle Wootton will continue to fill in in a makeshift role at the back.

That may again leave Adama Sidibeh to lead the attack, with the likes of Jack Diamond, Josh Stokes, Malik Mothersille, Louie Barry and Benony Andresson competing for the other spots.

Barnsley possible starting lineup:

Flavell; O'Keefe, De Gevigney, O'Connell, Earl; Connell, Bland; Kelly, Phillips, Cleary; McGoldrick

Stockport County possible starting lineup:

Addai; Gardner, Wootton, Pye, Osborn; Norwood, Bailey; Diamond, Stokes, Barry; Sidibeh

We say: Barnsley 2-2 Stockport County

While Barnsley are left with little to play for in an inconsistent season and the visitors are fighting for a top-four spot, we see Stockport's threadbare defence being exposed by the Reds' potent attack.

Barnsley are fragile at the back too, though, and we predict a high-scoring draw at Oakwell.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.