Permitting the game goes ahead, the bookies have us as early favourites for this one at 12/11. That's the same price which we opened up at against Portsmouth, despite the evident jump in quality of the opposition for Saturday. Plymouth have tasted defeat just 5 times in the league this season. 4 of those defeats have come on the road (Peterborough, Wednesday, Charlton, Fleetwood). Despite insinuations that Plymouth might 'fall away', they have lost just twice in their last 15 games (9 wins, 4 draws), which is promotion form in anyone's book. It is away from home where Argyle have generally dropped points. They've only accumulated a third of their points on their travels. At present, they're on a run of just 1 win in 5 away from home in the league, and 2 in 10. Both of those victories came against struggling sides (Cheltenham and Oxford). That being said, Plymouth have the 4th best away record in the division (behind us, Wednesday and Ipswich). At Oakwell, our record against Plymouth is favourable this century. We've won 3, drawn 3 and lost just once in the meetings since the year 2000. That being said, our last victory over Plymouth at home came almost 15 years ago, with Anderson De Silva and Jamal Campbell Ryce securing victory on that occasion. Since 1970, we've won 9 of the 18 meetings at Oakwell, drawing 7 and losing just twice. Plymouth do have a tendency to have a freak result. They missed out on the play offs last season on the final day, losing 5-0 at home to MK Dons. They lost 5-1 at the Valley earlier in the season also, albeit they did spend the majority of the game with 10 men. They also spectacularly crashed out of the FA Cup at Grimsby, when a strong Plymouth team lost 5-1 to the league 2 side. Last month Argyle lost 5-2 at Peterborough. Its quite a unique trait for one of the divisions strongest sides. As such, they've conceded 9 more goals than us, albeit they've scored 11 more. This will be a tough test, and we'll have to be at our best to overcome Plymouth. They can be got at away from home, whereas Oakwell has become a fortress. 9 wins from 10 in all competitions (with the Bolton debacle being tbe only blip), leads me to believe we'll give them a good go. I'm going for 2-1 Barnsley, with Norwood getting a brace.
Not sure I'm that keen on being allocated a Southern referee in Will Finnie who has never been to Oakwell before, nor ever reffed us at all, whilst he's been in charge of Plymouth several times, including this season, but I guess we can't influence that. The things we will have to deal with are what Plymouth showed in our first meeting and have served them well since. Firstly, they seem to have an endless supply of credible strikers - I remember them taking their front 3 off and replacing them with an equally good 3, including last season's top scorer, Hardie. Secondly, they were very pacy and good on the break, with the nippy and skilful Danny Mayor being particularly influential and causing us countless problems. Lastly, they won the battles out wide with two impressive and quick wing backs pushing us back, the lad they have on loan from Norwich in particular was a thorn in our side. We have come on a lot since that first day of the season and so I think we are much better-equipped to cope if we are at our best. If we can keep our finishing to recent home game standards I take us to win a thriller 3-2.
Barnsley A-A Plymouth or if it goes ahead, Barnsley 3-0 Plymouth A surprisingly nerve-less performance with goals from Norwood, Cole and Phillips. 13,576
If it’s on, 2-1 win with Norwood and Phillips scoring. Have a feeling it is more likely to be postponed though.
Just seen Plymouth have a game midweek on 25 April so would have to play any rearrange game in the first week of May.
Thinking P-P most likely but if it goes ahead a tense 2-1 victory for us but low confidence in that scoreline