Barnsley vs. Lincoln City - prediction, team news, lineups
League One | Gameweek 34 Mar 1, 2025 at 3pm UK Oakwell Stadium
Barnsley vs. Lincoln City - prediction, team news, lineups
Aiming to make it three straight victories and climb closer to the top six in the League One table, Barnsley will welcome Lincoln City to Oakwell on Saturday.
The hosts have moved within four points of the playoff spots with consecutive three-point hauls, while their visitors have fallen to 13th spot in the midst of a tough run.
Match preview
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Barnsley will aim to ramp up their League One playoff pursuit on Saturday, having given their hopes a boost in the last week after a dismal run of form.
The Reds sat in a strong position in their bid for a third straight top-six finish early in the new year, sitting on 42 points from 25 outings following four straight wins, but Darrell Clarke's men would quickly fall out of the playoff spots in the following weeks.
Their next six outings produced just a single point, with a goalless stalemate against Burton Albion then followed by consecutive defeats, before the South Yorkshire outfit finally bounced back to winning ways last Saturday, with Adam Phillips netting the only goal against rivals Rotherham United.
Clarke's side then made the trip to Northampton Town on Tuesday, and after Davis Keillor-Dunn had them 2-0 up with a brace and Sam Hoskins pulled one back for the hosts, they were able to stand strong to earn a 14th league win of the campaign.
Those results have seen the Reds move back up to 10th spot and within four points of the top six, and they will now aim to make it three victories on the bounce and a first away from home since early January to further strengthen their bid.
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They meet a visiting side who may have seen any playoff hopes of their own dashed in recent weeks.
After picking up 31 points from their first 21 outings of the League One campaign, Lincoln City have added just 12 more points to their tally in 12 attempts since Christmas, largely thanks to back-to-back wins in late January.
Another four-match winless run then followed for Michael Skubala's men, before they bounced back to winning ways in style in a trip to Mansfield Town last Tuesday as Paudie O'Connor, Sam Clucas and Dom Jefferies fired them to a 3-0 victory.
Aiming to build on that win and maintain any slim top-six hopes heading into the final months of the term, the Imps hosted relegation-threatened Burton Albion on Saturday and fell to a 12th league defeat of the campaign, as Charlie Webster snatched all three points for the visitors with the only goal of the game in injury time.
Now sitting 13th and 10 points behind sixth-placed Leyton Orient, Lincoln City will hope to at least correct their form and return to the top half in the coming weeks, starting with a victory on the road on Saturday.
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Team News
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Barnsley head into Saturday's contest without defender Mael de Gevigney and midfielder and captain Luca Connell due to suspensions, after the former was sent off against Northampton Town and the latter having reached 10 league yellow cards.
Barry Cotter and first-choice goalkeeper Joe Gauci are also set to miss out through injuries, leaving Jackson Smith to deputise between the sticks again, while Conor McCarthy should join Marc Roberts and Josh Earl in a back three in De Gevigney's absence.
Jon Russell, Adam Phillips and Kelechi Nwakali will continue in the midfield as Connell serves the second instalment of his suspension, while Davis Keillor-Dunn will again lead the attack having moved onto 12 league goals for the season with his midweek brace.
Lincoln City continue to deal with a long injury list, as goalkeeper George Wickens is confined to the treatment room alongside defender Tom Hamer, midfielders Jack Moylan and Ethan Erhahon and attackers Tyler Walker and Bailey Cadamarteri.
In the absence of first-choice stopper Wickens, Zach Jeacock will again deputise in net, while Adam Jackson, Paudie O'Connor and Sean Roughan are bound to continue in a back three.
James Collins, who has netted three goals in seven League One games for the Imps since his January arrival, will again join Jovon Makama up front with Walker and top scorer Cadamarteri sidelined, while Ben House and Sam Clucas will offer further attacking support from midfield.
Barnsley possible starting lineup:
Smith; McCarthy, Roberts, Earl; O'Keefe, Phillips, Nwakali, Russell, Farrugia; Humphrys, Keillor-Dunn
Lincoln City possible starting lineup:
Jeacock; Jackson, O'Connor, Roughan; McGrandles; Darikwa, Clucas, House, Jefferies; Makama, Collins
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