On the back of the departure of manager Neill Collins, and needing a victory to guarantee a top-six finish in the League One table and a place in the playoffs, Barnsley will welcome Northampton Town to Oakwell in the final round of fixtures of the regular season on Saturday.
The hosts find their top-six standing at risk following a dismal run of form in recent weeks, now only leading seventh place by a single point, while their visitors have dropped into the bottom half in England's third tier after back-to-back defeats.
Match preview
© Reuters
Barnsley head into the final game of the League One season on Saturday in a more desperate position than previously anticipated, having been dragged into a fight to defend their top-six place in the midst of a dismal run of form.
Under the tutelage of Neill Collins, the Reds set out to make a return to the Championship at the second time of asking this term, and they maintained a strong standing throughout, moving further into the top-two fight in early March as a seven-game unbeaten streak left the Yorkshire outfit on 67 points from 35 outings.
Their form has since taken a sharp dip, though, with the last 10 attempts producing just eight more points and two wins, the most recent of which came away at Burton Albion at the beginning of the month before another dismal run, as they went on to suffer another two defeats on the bounce and play out a draw at home to Reading.
Then following a 3-2 loss away at leaders Portsmouth, the Reds most recently travelled to Blackpool in the chasing pack on Saturday, knowing a victory would at least guarantee their playoff spot, but they were unable to do so and instead saw their lead narrowed further, eventually falling to another 3-2 defeat at Bloomfield Road having gone 3-0 down with goals from John McAtee and Adam Phillips coming too late to spark a turnaround.
Such a result spelled the end for Collins's tenure at Oakwell, and now under the temporary charge of Martin Devaney, Barnsley head into the final day with one-point leads over sixth-placed Lincoln City and seventh-placed Oxford United and a two-point lead over eighth-placed Blackpool knowing only a home victory at the weekend would be sufficient to arrest their slump and guarantee a spot in the playoffs for the second consecutive campaign.
They meet a Northampton Town team who will also bid to return to winning ways in South Yorkshire at the weekend, albeit with less to fight for having been confined to a creditable mid-table finish on their return to England's third tier this season.
After winning promotion from League Two last time around, Jon Brady's side have certainly enjoyed a pleasing campaign, having remained around the playoff picture on 48 points from 34 games until a slight dip in form in recent months.
That left the Cobblers to fight for a top-half finish, in the final run-in, but after recording consecutive 2-0 home victories over Port Vale and Carlisle United in early April, they have fallen behind with back-to-back defeats in their last two outings, firstly losing by the same scoreline away at relegation-threatened Fleetwood Town.
Brady's men then most recently welcomed Exeter City to Sixfields on Saturday, heading into the game with a one-point lead over their visitors in the fight for top-12 spots, but they would be leapfrogged in an eventual 2-1 defeat, despite Ryan Woods being sent off late in the first half for the visitors and Jon Guthrie levelling the scores at a goal apiece in the 73rd minute, as Will Aimson went on to net the decisive goal seven minutes from time.
Now sitting 14th ahead of their final-day trip to Oakwell, two points behind 12th-placed Exeter and trailing 13th-placed Wigan Athletic on goal difference, Northampton Town will set out to end on a high at the weekend and record an 18th league win of the campaign to give themselves a chance of a top-half finish depending on other results.
Team News
In a bid to arrest their slump, Martin Devaney may opt to make several changes to Neill Collins's final starting XI as Barnsley manager last weekend, and while they will remain without defender Donovan Pines, the Reds could be boosted by the return of star midfielder Luca Connell, who has been back in training after an injury layoff of his own.
If deemed fit to feature from the outset, he will rejoin Adam Phillips and Herbie Kane in the engine room, while Jamie McCart may return from the outset to join Mael de Gevigney and Josh Earl in a back three.
The front line is bound to remain unaltered, though, with John McAtee and Devante Cole continuing to partner up having netted 12 and 18 league goals respectively so far this season.
Northampton Town may also make several changes after last week's defeat, with defenders Patrick Brough and Harvey Lintott both set to remain out of action due to injuries.
After being reduced to a substitute appearance against Exeter, Sam Hoskins should return to the attack from the outset having contributed 15 goals in England's third tier this term, while Louis Appere and Kieron Bowie should keep their places in the front line.
Elsewhere, Will Hondermarck will push to earn a starting berth in midfield after Shaun McWilliams, Marc Leonard and Jack Sowerby were preferred last time out, while Sam Sherring and captain Jon Guthrie are bound to continue their centre-back partnership.
Barnsley possible starting lineup:
Roberts; McCart, De Gevigney, Earl; Williams, Kane, Connell, Phillips, Cadden; McAtee, Cole
Northampton Town possible starting lineup:
Burge; McGowan, Sherring, Guthrie, Pinnock; McWilliams, Leonard, Hondermarck; Bowie, Appere, Hoskins
We say: Barnsley 2-1 Northampton Town
Barnsley will hope that the change in management gives them the boost required to arrest their slump and make a crucial return to winning ways at the weekend, and despite their dismal recent run, they do have the quality to get past Northampton and Oakwell and book their place in the League One playoffs.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
