Preview: Barnsley vs Exeter City - prediction, team news, lineups

Separated by just two points in the bottom half of the League One table, Barnsley and Exeter City will square off at Oakwell on Saturday.

The visitors are back under the temporary management of Matt Taylor and sit two places below their hosts in an eight-game unbeaten run.

Match preview

Barnsley return to action at Oakwell on Saturday aiming to make a return to winning ways and break into the top half of League One.

The Reds have experienced a mixed and inconsistent first full season under the management of Conor Hourihane, currently occupying 13th spot on 44 points from 32 games, having scored the fourth most goals in the division and conceded the second most despite having played the fewest games thus far.

Indeed, any threat of the Reds climbing into the playoff picture has been harmed by their failure to manage consecutive league wins since November, having seen wins over Peterborough United and Leyton Orient in February split by an away defeat to playoff-chasing Huddersfield Town.

Aiming to build on the Leyton Orient win and put themselves truly in the top-six hunt heading into the final run-in, Hourihane's men hosted then-seventh-placed Wycombe Wanderers on Tuesday but came away empty-handed as Aaron Morley scored the only goal of the game for the visitors on the hour mark.

Now sitting 13th and nine points off sixth-placed Wycombe, albeit with three games in hand on them and at least two on every top-half team, Barnsley will hope to finally put a run together beginning with a home win on Saturday with still an outside chance to threaten the playoff spots.

Their visitors, meanwhile, head to South Yorkshire back for their second game back under the management of Matt Taylor, who departed in October 2022 after over four years with the club.

He returned to an Exeter City side sat 15th in League One and in the midst of an seven-game winless streak, before which they sat in a promising position on 36 points from 26 league outings.

Gary Caldwell called time on his own three-year tenure with the Grecians in mid-February to join Wigan Athletic, and Dan Green failed to reverse their fortunes in three games of an interim spell, albeit taking creditable points against Wycombe Wanderers and Peterborough United before they suffered a 5-1 beating at home to Bolton Wanderers last weekend.

Then following the return of Taylor until the end of the campaign, the Grecians hosted Burton Albion on Tuesday and fell behind to an Udoka Godwin-Malife goal, before at least taking a share of the spoils as Josh Magennis drew them level 17 minutes from time.

Still with a winless streak hanging over them, but with confidence bound to be back in the camp on the return of a popular former manager and with a healthy six-point lead over the drop zone still in tact, Exeter City will hope to further solidify their mid-table standing and pick up an away victory on Saturday.

Barnsley League One form:

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Exeter City League One form:

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Team News

Barnsley may remain without key midfielder Patrick Kelly, who missed the midweek defeat to Wycombe, while Josh Earl and Tawanda Chirewa are still sidelined.

In the likely absence of Kelly, Adam Phillips should again operate further forward alongside Scott Banks and Reyes Cleary in support of veteran forward David McGoldrick, who scored all three goals in last week's win over Leyton Orient to move onto 12 for the season in League One.

Cleary is another danger man having managed six goals and 11 assists in the league this term, while Jonathan Bland should again partner mainstay Luca Connell in the engine room.

Exeter City continue to contend with several injury issues, as Jack Fitzwater and Jake Doyle-Hayes may both remain sidelined alongside Danny Andrew, Reece Cole and Johnly Yfeko.

Magennis, who netted their leveller of the bench in midweek, will hope to earn an attacking spot from the outset at Oakwell alongside star man Jayden Wareham, who sits fourth in the league's scoring charts with 15 goals so far this season.

Taylor is unlikely to make many changes from his first game back at the helm, with Pierce Sweeney, Luca Woodhouse and Jack McMillan bound to line up in an unaltered back three.

Barnsley possible starting lineup:

Goodman; O'Keefe, De Gevigney, O'Connell, Watson; Bland, Connell; Banks, Phillips, Cleary; McGoldrick

Exeter City possible starting lineup:

Whitworth; Sweeney, Woodhouse, McMillan; Niskanen, Aitchison, Brierley, Oakes; Mendes Gomes; Magennis, Wareham

We say: Barnsley 1-1 Exeter City

With Barnsley failing to make their quality count on a consistent enough basis this term, and Exeter likely boosted by Taylor's return, we anticipate a close encounter at Oakwell on Saturday and fancy the visitors to leave with a creditable point.

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