Preview: Barnsley vs Northampton Town - prediction, team news, lineups

Fresh off a victory that lifted them further away from the League One relegation zone, Barnsley welcome struggling Northampton Town to Oakwell on Tuesday night.

Conor Hourihane’s side claimed a 3-1 win on Saturday to move up to 15th in the table and five points clear of the bottom four, while the Cobblers suffered a fourth consecutive defeat after losing 2-0 to Reading.

Match preview

A Davis Keillor-Dunn double, along with another goal from David McGoldrick, secured the Irish manager his 10th league win of the season and lifted the Reds into 15th place.

The 2025-26 campaign has been a relatively tough one for Hourihane's side so far, having earned 36 points from their 25 league matches. 

A record of 10 wins, six draws and nine defeats leaves them five points clear of the relegation zone heading into this midweek clash.

One area that has aided their recent improvement is their attacking output.

Only four sides in the division have scored more than Barnsley’s 40 league goals, and no team in the bottom half has found the net more often than Tuesday’s hosts.

© Imago / Pro Sports Images

As for Northampton Town, their form since the turn of the New Year has seen them slip down the table and into the relegation zone. 

Winning just eight, drawing five and losing 15 from their 28 league matches means Kevin Nolan's side sit 23rd with 29 points. 

Their latest setback came at home to Reading on Saturday, as goals from Jack Marriott and Will Keane condemned the Cobblers to a 2-0 defeat.

Only bottom side Port Vale have scored fewer than Northampton’s 24 goals this season, an area Nolan’s men must address if they are to avoid relegation.

Although on a dismal run of form, a win on Tuesday night could be enough to lift the Cobblers out of the relegation zone. 

The pair meet for the first time this season, with the previous encounter being postponed due to international call-ups. 

Barnsley League One form:

Barnsley form (all competitions):

Northampton Town League One form:

Northampton Town form (all competitions):

Team News

© Imago

Barnsley remain without Georgie Gent, who is expected to remain on the sidelines for a long period of time after suffering an Achilles injury.

With four goals in his last four, expect McGoldrick to resume in attack with Keillor-Dunn, who will look to add to his 13 League One goals. 

Despite coming off injured against Cardiff, Reyes Cleary was fit for Saturday's game and could start again. 

As for the Cobblers, they will be without captain Jon Guthrie after coming off injured just 37 minutes into their Saturday clash. 

Expect Elliott Moore to replace the skipper in defence.  

Michael Forbes is closing in on a return, while Cameron McGeehan returned to the matchday squad last time out and could feature from the beginning on Tuesday.

Barnsley possible starting lineup:

Goodman; O'Connell, Shepherd, Watson; O'Keeffe, Banks, Connell, Kelly; McGoldrick, Keillor-Dunn, Cleary

Northampton Town possible starting lineup:

Fitzsimons; Willis, Moore, McCarthy; Burroughs, Taylor, Campbell, Guinness-Walker; Hoskins, Eaves, List

We say: Barnsley 2-1 Northampton Town

With both sides remaining a little too close to the relegation zone, this midweek encounter offers a huge opportunity to give them some much-needed momentum. Returning to winning ways on the weekend, we expect Hourihane's side to just about make it two wins in a row. 

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