The game to confuse Sky

Last week they excelled themselves during the international coverage when they advertised Saturday's live coverage of the Championship game between Portsmouth and Burnley, even referring to Eddie Howe having started to turn things round at Turf Moor.

Kieran Trippier - was at Barnsley last season

It didn't take a genius to work out that Pompey were playing Barnsley and I'd hope both clubs have made the necessary complaints to the broadcaster who never seem to get mixed up with Manchester City and United, or the Sheffield or Bristol clubs.

So for their benefit, and the also often guilty BBC, tonight's game is at OAKWELL. The home side are BARNSLEY (that's a town in South Yorkshire) and the visitors are BURNLEY (all the way across the Pennines from East Lancashire).

And Burnley will be looking to make amends following the dismal performance at home to Reading on Saturday, a game that brought to an end a run of four games without defeat. Manager Eddie Howe described it as hugely disappointing and admitted the flat performance was something he couldn't put his finger on.

Thankfully, three days later, we've got the chance to put things right and there will be no one keener than right back Kieran Trippier who played in this fixture last season for Barnsley. He was a crowd favourite during his loan spell at Oakwell and won their Young Player of the Season award last season.

Trippier has said: "“If we play well like we did at Derby and Millwall I think we can take the points from our next two away games at Barnsley and Coventry.

“We can’t think that we can just turn up there (at Barnsley) and win though. It won’t work like that because they are a good team with a good manager and good players. There are a few players there who have a big threat, quality players.

"I know what they’re about and I’ll be letting the lads know. I have knowledge about them – players like Jacob Butterfield and Nathan Doyle. There are lots of good players there and they have added a few new faces too."

Trippier added: "We have quality players as well. We have the quality throughout the team to do well this season and to get in the play-offs. I think we can do that. You want the opposition to be worried about you and they’ll know that Jay (another who has enjoyed a loan at Barnsley), for example, is a massive threat.

Thankfully we have no new injuries ahead of the game although none of those currently out injured are close to a return, and so it will be the same 16 as Saturday on duty along with Alex MacDonald.

We should line up: Lee Grant, Kieran Trippier, Andre Amougou, David Edgar, Brian Easton, Ross Wallace, Marvin Bartley, Chris McCann, Junior Stanislas, Charlie Austin, Jay Rodriguez. Subs from: Jon Stewart, Ben Mee, Dean Marney, Keith Treacy, Alex MacDonald, Zavon Hines.

Our Opponents - Barnsley

There were big changes at Barnsley in the summer when manager Mark Robins chose to resign rather than work under the restrictions of a club moving towards the potential new break even rules.

Robins has been out of work since, but has this week been interviewed by Bristol City, whilst Barnsley brought in Keith Hill from Rochdale after he'd initially turned them down.

They ended last season in 17th place and were comfortably 14 points clear of the bottom three. It was their best points return since returning to the Championship in 2006.

They are currently 18th, two places behind Burnley but behind us only on goal difference with ours zero and Barnsley worse off by two goals.

They've recovered from a difficult start at home. They lost the first three games at Oakwell, against Morecambe (Carling Cup), Southampton and Middlesbrough but have since followed that up with draws against Watford and Leicester before recording their first home win last time out against Coventry when former Claret Andy Gray scored twice.

Gray's scored three of their nine league goals this season and sits alongside Jacob Butterfield as their joint leading scorer.

For tonight's game, Hill has some injury worries. Defenders Bobby Hassell and former Burnley loan player Jay McEveley are ruled out after suffering injuries in the defeat at Portsmouth on Saturday and that adds to an injury list that already includes Reuben Noble-Lazarus, Goran Lovre, Danny Haynes, Luke Potter, David Perkins and Matt Done.

Hill said of the current situation: "It's not great. It's a set-back but it's one we're going to have to deal with. Craig Davies and Rob Edwards will feature in some aspect but we're very short on numbers.

"We really are down to the bare bones and it's probably a worse situation than we were a week ago but as long as we show the passion, the determination and collective effort to try and overachieve against Burnley then we will be okay.

"It's been difficult, I must admit, such a long trip to go to Portsmouth and the trip back was horrendous. It's something we've got to deal with and there are no excuses. We've just got to deal with it.

There will be changes, because of the injuries to Hassell and McEveley from the line up at Portsmouth which was: Luke Steele, Bobby Hassell, Jay McEveley, Nathan Doyle, Stephen Foster, Jim O'Brien, Jimmy McNulty, Ricardo Vaz Te, Jacob Butterfield, Danny Drinkwater, Andy Gray. Subs: David Preece, Miles Addison, Scott Wiseman, Craig Davies, Cameron Park.

Last Time We Were There

Last season was something of a historic event. Last week, on the message board, I described it as an 'against the odds' win. Someone disagreed but I stand by that very much when you consider when and where it was played.

Andre Bikey headed in the winner from a corner

We hadn't beaten Barnsley at Oakwell since April 1932 at a time when King George V was still on the throne, when Edgar Hoover was President of the United States of America and where a certain Adolf Hitler had just been granted German citizenship.

Add to that it was Boxing Day and we were looking for our first away win on that day since 1972 (a 2-1 win at Blackpool) and Brian Laws' team went into the game having not won a single away game all season.

It went even worse too when Adam Hammill gave Barnsley the lead midway through the first half. We'd been by far the better side but the Barnsley player got onto a ball played between Jack Cork and Brian Easton. He saw his first shot saved by Lee Grant but made no mistake from the rebound.

The criticism of Laws was turned up and with the score still 1-0 to Barnsley at half time he suffered a difficult walk back to the dressing rooms at half time as Burnley fans stormed down towards the tunnel to vent their frustration.

Incredibly, nine minutes into the second half we'd turned things round. The first goal came four minutes in when Wade Elliott got down the right and played in an inviting cross for John Guidetti, making his first start.

The youngster had hit the post with a similar header in the first half but this time it sailed past the goalkeeper and in to the far corner.

Five minutes later and Andre Bikey headed home from a corner and from that moment on we never looked as though we might drop any points.

Mark Robins made three substitutions to try and get Barnsley back into the game but it made no difference and it was the Clarets who remained the more likely.

Finally we'd ended that run without a win at Barnsley and finally that long run without an away win on Boxing Day, and finally we'd got that monkey off our back of not having won away all season.

The points proved to be the last won by Laws as Burnley manager. Two days later we lost 2-0 at home to Scunthorpe and the following day he was gone.

The teams at Barnsley were; 

Barnsley: Luke Steele, Kieran Trippier, Stephen Foster, Jason Shackell, Bobby Hassell, Jim O'Brien, Hugo Colace (Jacob Butterfield 63), Nathan Doyle, Adam Hammill, Goran Lovre (Paul Hayes 58), Andy Gray (Steven Bennett 71). Subs not used: David Preece, Jeronimo Neumann, Diego Arismendi, Matt Hill.

Burnley: Lee Grant, Tyrone Mears, Clarke Carlisle, Andre Bikey, Brian Easton, Wade Elliott, Graham Alexander, Jack Cork, Ross Wallace, John Guidetti (Chris Eagles 72), Jay Rodriguez. Subs not used: Brian Jensen, David Edgar, Michael Duff, Dean Marney, Steven Thompson, Chris Iwelumo.

Previous Games against Barnsley

Click HERE to see all previous results against Barnsley