Preview: Barnsley vs Peterborough United - prediction, team news, lineups

Aiming to narrow their gap to the top six in the League One table after a weekend defeat, Peterborough United will visit Oakwell to take on Barnsley on Tuesday.

The visitors trail the playoff places by five points with 14 league games remaining, while their hosts sit 16th having failed to win any of their last three games.

Match preview

Barnsley return to action at Oakwell on Saturday aiming to bounce back to winning ways and begin climbing the League One table.

Under the permanent management of Conor Hourihane, the South Yorkshire outfit have failed to trouble the top end of the division so far this season, sitting 16th with 38 points on the board from their 28 outings, having won 10 and lost 10 of those.

Despite boasting the league's fourth strongest attacking record, the Reds have been cost by poor defensive form, with only one team allowing more than the 49 goals they have conceded despite having played the joint-fewest games in the league so far at 28.

After beating Stevenage in late January, their only win in the last six matches, Hourihane's men went on to play out a draw with Northampton Town and lose in a trip to Bolton Wanderers, before hosting AFC Wimbledon on Saturday and sharing the points in a 3-3 draw, having led 2-0 through David McGoldrick and Tom Bradshaw and fallen 3-2 down before Scott Banks levelled three minutes from time.

Now sitting just six points above the relegation zone but six behind the 10th-placed visitors, with between one and four games in hand on every team above them, Barnsley will hope to kickstart a much-needed upturn in form and rise up the division on Tuesday.

They face a tough test, though, with the visitors hoping to bounce back and improve their outside playoff hopes with a midweek win at Oakwell.

Peterborough United's League One season has been one of major contrast thus far, with Luke Williams having taken charge in November when they sat in the drop zone on just 10 points from 13 outings.

He has overseen an eye-catching upturn in form thus far, with the Posh having since climbed to 10th spot and onto 44 points from 32 games, having won 11 of their 19 league matches under the new boss.

After moving further into the top-six chase with consecutive wins over Wigan Athletic and Mansfield Town, Williams's men faced a tough trip to promotion-chasing Bradford City on Saturday and left empty-handed, as goals from Bobby Pointon and Kayden Jackson condemned them to a 2-0 defeat.

Still sitting 10th in League One and just five points outside of the top six, having looked set for a fight for survival until recent months, Peterborough will hope to get back to winning ways on Tuesday and apply pressure to the playoff places.

Barnsley League One form:

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Peterborough United League One form:

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Team News

Barnsley remain without defenders Josh Earl and Georgie Gent on Tuesday due to ongoing injuries.

David McGoldrick and Tom Bradshaw will continue their partnership in attack, having both got on the scoresheet at the weekend, seeing the former move onto eight league goals for the season.

They will have support from wingers Reyes Cleary, who boasts five goals and 10 assists in League One this term and Scott Banks, who scored last time out and has provided four assists in four games since his loan arrival in January.

Peterborough United are missing Matthew Garbett, Ben Woods, Jacob Mendy, Sam Hughes, Rio Adebisi and Harley Mills on Tuesday as they remain confined to the treatment room.

Harry Leonard will continue to lead the line, having notched up 10 goals and five assists in League One so far this term, while Jimmy-Jay Morgan has netted seven of his own in support.

Kyrell Lisbie is another danger man on the wing, with nine league goals to his name this term, while Brandon Khela will again join mainstay Archie Collins in the centre of a 4-2-3-1 setup.

Barnsley possible starting lineup:

Goodman' O'Keefe, Roberts, Shepherd, Watson; Banks, Kelly, Connell, Cleary; McGoldrick, Bradshaw

Peterborough United possible starting lineup:

Bass; Dornelly, Okagbue, Nevett, Johnston; Collins, Khela; Hayes, Morgan, Lisbie; Leonard

We say: Barnsley 2-3 Peterborough United

Given the two sides' recent record and form, a high-scoring affair can be expected at Oakwell on Tuesday, and Peterborough games tend to go one way or the other with no draws in their last 10 outings.

We give an edge to the Posh to bounce back in their playoff chase against a Barnsley side relatively low on confidence.

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