After a demoralising 1-0 defeat at home to Burton Albion last weekend, the Imps will hope to get back on track by bringing three points home to Sincil Bank in our game against Barnsley at Oakwell.
Barnsley Form
The Tykes are now in their third season in League One after falling short in the play-offs again last year, but enjoyed a solid start to the campaign under manager Darrell Clarke, losing only three of their first 15 league games to sit fifth by mid-November.
A 1-0 loss at home to Wigan Athletic, however, then sparked a run of four defeats in six league games, a challenging sequence that culminated in a 4-0 defeat at home to Leyton Orient that left the Yorkshire outfit outside of the play-off positions in ninth.
A much-needed win away at Bolton Wanderers on Boxing Day stopped the rot, with the Tykes gaining some revenge on the side who beat them in the play-off semi-finals last season, and that kick-started a run of four straight wins in the league.
They began 2025 with back-to-back home victories against Wrexham and Crawley Town, results that once again lifted them back into the top six, but the inconsistency that has marred their season so far has reared its head again in the weeks since.
Three successive defeats to Bristol Rovers, Stevenage and Wycombe Wanderers saw them drop out of the play-offs again, and after a frustrating 0-0 draw against an in-form Burton side, The Tykes slipped to 10th. However, the Yorkshire outfit has started to pick up a bit of form over the past week, after keeping clean sheets and winning their last two matches away to Rotherham and Northampton.
Barnsley Tactics
Often setting up in a 3-5-2 formation, Barnsley deploy long balls to quickly put pressure on the ball in the attacking area of the field. They also frequently attempt crosses into the penalty area, providing opportunities for their two strikers to score by penetrating the opposition’s defence from wide positions. Additionally, Barnsley focus on maintaining possession of the ball to control the tempo of the game, aiming to tire out their opponents and create goal-scoring opportunities through precise passing.
The predicted Starting XI for tomorrow’s game is below:
GK: Smith – CB: Earl – CB: Pines – CB: McCarthy – LWB: Gent – CM: Phillips – CM: Nwakali – CM: Russell RWB: O’Keefe – ST: Watters – ST: Keilor-Dunn
Team News
Maël de Gevigney is suspended after Barnsley decided against appealing his red card against Northampton. Conor McCarthy could take his spot in the back three after returning back to training this week following a groin strain.
Tom Bayliss and Reeco Hackett are pushing for starting spots after they were only on the bench for the Burton defeat. Joe Gardner is back from suspension after being sent off on his Lincoln debut against Cambridge. Additionally, Ethan Erhahon is facing several weeks on the sidelines. To make matters worse for Lincoln, creative midfielder Jack Moylan is also on the injury list after rolling his ankle during City’s away victory against Northampton.
Match Referee
REFEREE: SCOTT OLDHAM
Linesmen: Paul Newhouse and William Cavanagh
Fourth Official: Ross Joyce
Yellow Cards Per Game (Average): 3.9
Scott Oldham has officiated 23 games in the EFL and cup competitions this season, during which he has issued 90 yellow cards and four red cards. He hasn’t refereed a match involving the Imps in the 2024/2025 season, but across his career, he has taken control of seven Lincoln matches, with the last being the 6-0 thrashing of Cambridge United last year.
Previous Meetings
City have won each of their last five away league games against Barnsley, one more than across their prior 28 away matches against the Tykes in Football League history. The Reds have won just one of their last 11 league games against the Imps, though that sole victory did come during the reverse fixture in August.
City have enjoyed their matches at Oakwell over the past few seasons. In the first meeting between the two sides in over 20 years back in the 22/23 season, Danny Mandriou’s low-driven strike on the stroke halftime gave the Imps a 1-0 victory over the Yorkshire side. Last season, Barnsley were one of the victims of Michael Skubala’s super team, as the Tykes were hammered 5-1 in their own backyard by Lincoln City.
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