Barnsley have wobbled of late, but the promotion-chasing side welcome Shrewsbury Town at Oakwell on Easter Monday seeking to bounce back in League One.

The promotion-chasing South Yorkshire club are six places ahead of out-of-form Shrewsbury in the table, possibly making them favourites heading into the fixture, despite Friday's 2-1 defeat by Burton Albion.

Match preview

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The goal for Barnsley after last year's relegation from the Championship was instant promotion, and the Tykes have been in and around the top six for most of the campaign.

A top-two spot appeals to Michael Duff, who was appointed in June 2022 after the South Yorkshire outfit dropped to the third tier in England.

They currently rank fourth in the table, but two defeats in their last three fixtures have seen them slip six points below in-form Ipswich Town and off-form Sheffield Wednesday, both of whom have 81 points.

Those losses came against mid-table Exeter City and 18th-placed Burton Albion, teams Duff's men should be defeating on paper.

The recent wobble on their travels is disappointing, but they can take solace in their outstanding form at Oakwell that has seen them claim 11 wins from their last 12, winning seven on the trot.

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That form on home turf makes them resounding favourites on Easter Monday against a Shrewsbury side that could be in the top-six conversation if they had anything resembling consistency on the road.

Steve Cotterill's men have claimed five wins from six games at New Meadow, but seven losses in their last 13 away matches have contributed to their 10th-placed ranking.

Four of the preceding six road fixtures have been defeats, and it is jarring that the Shrews have netted only three times in that run of games.

A promising run from mid-January to early February brought about three successive away victories against Burton Albion, Milton Keynes Dons and Oxford United, but Cotterill's men did not sustain that and have relapsed into old habits.

With three successive losses away from home, scoring one and letting in 10 goals, Shrewsbury are underdogs for Monday's visit to Oakwell.

Team News

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Devante Cole has scored three and assisted one in his last two appearances at Oakwell, and Barnsley's top scorer could be decisive for Duff's men.

The burden of creativity should rest on Adam Phillips, whose next assist will be his seventh in the league.

Tom Flanagan could return to Cotterill's lineup after serving the suspension for a red card received in Shrewsbury's 6-0 at Charlton Athletic.

The Shrews lost Christian Saydee after 18 minutes on Good Friday, and the frontman is unlikely to start on Easter Monday.

Barnsley possible starting lineup:
Isted; Thomas, Andersen, Kitching; Williams, Phillips, Connell, Kane, Cadden; Norwood, Cole

Shrewsbury Town possible starting lineup:
Marosi; Pennington, Dunkley, Flanagan; Moore, Winchester, Leahy, Shipley; Phillips; Bloxham, Bowman

We say: Barnsley 3-1 Shrewsbury Town

Barnsley have netted three goals or more in six of their last seven games at Oakwell, while Shrewsbury's wretched road form has not produced near enough goals of late.

This seems a straightforward home win for the Tykes, with Duff's team expected to be superior to the visiting side.


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