Barnsley boss Conor Hourihane has taken the positives after their fixture against Stevenage was called off with just over an hour to go before kick-off.
The Tykes were originally scheduled to travel to Hertfordshire in September, but international call-ups caused that fixture to be postponed.
That has been a familiar story for Barnsley, with the South Yorkshire outfit also out of action during the international windows in October and November.
But Hourihane believes that last night’s postponement may benefit his side in the long run, as they prepare for a gruelling end to the season.
“With our schedule and the heaviness of the pitch, it would have taken a lot out of us for sure. We were here and fully prepared and ready to go and we would have loved to have played, but it may stand us in good stead in terms of this heavy schedule that we’re looking at.
“It’s a frustrating one to turn up here and obviously to have the game called off, we would have liked to have had an earlier heads up, for supporters as well, who are pretty much close to the ground. I definitely think, the middle of the pitch, when I walked on, I thought ‘oh no, this is a bit of trouble’.”
Two of the Tykes’ first three games of 2026 didn’t go ahead, for differing reasons. Freezing temperatures to start the new year affected games across League One & Two, including Barnsley’s trip to Port Vale. And their scheduled match with Wycombe Wanderers the following week has now been pushed back to early March, due to their progression in the FA Cup.
Looking at the calendar, it leaves very few opportunities to play this match. Barnsley only have one free midweek before Easter, but that is in just two weeks and would be an extremely quick turnaround.
Hourihane hinted that the game would be played at the end of the season, which seems like the only viable option. The two final midweek slots in April are the only other opportunities they have to play the Boro, owing to other rearranged matches, the March international window and the Easter period.
Schedule Leaves Barnsley Worrying
It’s been far from an ideal campaign for the Tykes, who are five points clear of the relegation zone. They still have three games in hand on most sides around them, but their inconsistent form continues. Perhaps the easiest way to sum up their frustrations was Saturday’s loss to Bolton Wanderers. The South Yorkshire outfit were dominated in the opening period and were deservedly 3-0 down, but fought back with two quick goals early in the second period.
But they could not force an equaliser in the 30 minutes that remained at the Toughsheet Community Stadium, losing 3-2. The only two senior strikers they possess, David McGoldrick and Tom Bradshaw, both start in Lancashire. It was expected that they would look at the free agent market, but the 15th-placed outfit have yet to add any senior players in that department.
One final nail in Barnsley’s coffin would be if their away fixture at Northampton Town, scheduled for the March international break, is also called off. That would leave no margin for any more games to be moved, otherwise the Tykes would likely be forced to play Tuesday, Thursday & Saturday.