[BFC SITE] Match Preview: Shrewsbury Town (H)

Fixtures

• Barnsley Vs. Shrewsbury Town - Sat, Apr 26 2025, 15:00

The Reds are back at Oakwell for consecutive home games this Saturday as we prepare to entertain Shrewsbury Town in a Sky Bet League One clash.


The Reds will take the positives off the back of Easter Monday’s 1-1 draw against Peterborough, which saw Barnsley fight from a goal behind to go on and grab an equaliser. A goal on the seventeenth minute from Ricky-Jade Jones put Posh ahead, before a sumptuous Jon Russell curler nestled in the top corner to level the game on the stroke of half-time. The Reds continued to push in the second half, and chances did fall their way, but the elusive winner just evaded them.

Shrewsbury sit at the bottom of the Sky Bet League One table and have already had their fate of relegation confirmed. The Shrews will be looking to put on a positive display in the closing couple of games after a pretty disappointing season in which has seen the side have four different head coaches in Paul Hurst, Sean Parish, Gareth Ainsworth, and Michael Appleton is currently acting as Interim Head Coach.

The 49-year-old has eleven years experience of managing sides, predominantly in the EFL. In his playing career, Appleton progressed through Manchester United’s youth system, eventually earning a professional contract in 1994. The midfielder’s chances at United were limited, with Appleton only making two appearances, his debut coming 2-1 League Cup victory against Swindon Town in 1996, and his other appearance coming in a 2-0 defeat away to Leicester City.



During his time at the Red Devils, the midfielder was exposed to more game time and first team football, with loan spells coming at AFC Wimbledon, Lincoln City and Grimsby Town. In the 1997/98 season, Appleton joined Preston North End on a permanent deal, with the club breaking their then record transfer fee for a sum of £500,000. He would go on to have his most successful spell of his career at the Lilywhites, making 145 appearances, scoring 15 goals. In 2000, North End were crowned Division Two champions, with Appleton being a mainstay within the side. During the January transfer window of 2001, Michael Appleton signed for West Bromwich Albion for a fee of £750,000, he went on to make his Baggies debut in a 2-1 win over Sheffield United.

On 19th November 2001, Appleton tore his posterior cruciate ligament during a training ground collision, this injury unfortunately cut his career short, and in November 2003 he was forced to retire due to the injury. Appleton’s first permanent Head Coach role saw him take charge of Portsmouth in 2011, this stint was short lived however, and the club were relegated at the end of the 2011/12 season. Stints at Blackpool and Blackburn Rovers then followed, but no real success came at these clubs for the Head Coach, although on 16th February 2013, Appleton’s Blackburn side defeated Arsenal in the Emirates FA Cup at the Emirates Stadium. On 4th July 2014, Appleton was announced as the Head Coach of Oxford City, it was a lacklustre first season, with the O’s finishing thirteenth in Sky Bet League Two. The following season was much more successful, Oxford finished second with 86 points, as well as reaching the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy final, where they would fall short in a 3-2 loss over the Reds at Wembley. Oxford reached the final again the following season, but once again came runners up. Since the spell at Oxford City, Appleton has spent time at Leicester City, West Bromwich Albion, Lincoln City, Blackpool and Charlton Athletic, before joining the Shrews.

The reverse fixture earlier this season saw the Reds pick up three points on the road with an impressive showing in a 2-0 win. On the stroke of half time, a Reds corner ended up at the feet of Luca Connell on the edge of the box, the skipper clipped it back in and Jon Russell met it was a thunderous volley that gave Toby Savin absolutely no chance. On the 47th minute, the Reds doubled their advantage, a Corey O’Keeffe ball into the channel was met by Max Watters, the forward man cut inside onto his left and produced a clinical finish.



Stats:

During their last five outings, the Shrews have fallen to four losses against Cambridge, Reading, Wigan Athletic, and Northampton Town. They also picked up a point on the road against Lincoln City.

The top scorer for the Shrews this season is John Marquis, the veteran striker has picked up ten goals and a single assist in all competitions.

In terms of assists, Malvin Benning leads the way with five for the season.

In terms of the head-to-head record, the Reds have the advantage over the Shrews, winning 24 times, drawing 10 times and loosing 13 times. The Reds boast an impressive six game unbeaten streak over this weekend’s opponents.

Key Quotes:



I've made a big message to the players on that we want to finish the last game at home in a good way for the fans. I think we've done okay in the last two home games, Bolton and Peterborough, but we want to finish on a high. - Conor Hourihane (Barnsley FC Head Coach)
Conor’s really encouraged me to keep doing what I'm doing. He's said I've been a really big part of this team, and he wants to get the best out of me, and that's what he's been doing. - Jon Russell

How To Watch and Listen:

The Reds will be providing audio commentary on iFollow Barnsley, available here.

Overseas supporters are able to watch the game in full here.

Tickets are still available for the game here.

Reds vs Shrewsbury | Tickets

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