Match Preview: Barnsley vs Lincoln City

Sky Bet League One
Date: Saturday 2nd March 2025
Kick-Off: 3:00pm
Venue: Oakwell Stadium, Barnsley

Match Overview

Barnsley welcome Lincoln City to Oakwell on Saturday, aiming to make it three consecutive wins as they continue their push for a place in the League One play-offs.

Following a difficult run through January, the Reds have responded in impressive fashion with back-to-back victories over Rotherham United and Northampton Town. Those results have helped close the gap on the top six to just four points, keeping Barnsley firmly in the promotion race with 13 games to go.

Visitors Lincoln City arrive at Oakwell in contrasting form. Michael Skubala’s side have won just once in their last six league outings and suffered a disappointing 1-0 defeat at home to Burton Albion last weekend. Currently sitting 13th, ten points off the play-off places, the Imps need a positive result to prevent their season from drifting into mid-table obscurity.

Form Guide

Barnsley (10th - 49 pts)

Last 5 Matches: D L L W W
Home Record: 25% Win Rate | 1.13 PPG | 1.31 Goals Scored Per Game

Barnsley head into this fixture with confidence after back-to-back wins, which ended a frustrating six-game winless run. Their 1-0 victory over South Yorkshire rivals Rotherham United was followed by an impressive 2-1 success at Northampton Town in midweek.

However, their form at Oakwell this season has been inconsistent. Barnsley have won just 25% of their home matches and are conceding 1.44 goals per game in front of their own fans. With key players suspended and injured, Darrell Clarke will hope the grit and resilience shown in recent games will help the Reds improve their home form.

Lincoln City (13th - 44 pts)

Last 5 Matches: D D L W L
Away Record: 29% Win Rate | 1.24 PPG | 1.12 Goals Scored Per Game

After a promising start to the season, Lincoln’s form has tailed off since the turn of the year. A 3-0 win at Mansfield Town showed what they are capable of, but that was followed by a disappointing home defeat to Burton Albion, continuing an inconsistent run of results.

Lincoln remain relatively solid on the road, with clean sheets in 29% of away matches. However, they are averaging just 1.12 goals per game on their travels, highlighting a lack of cutting edge in front of goal. With key players missing, the Imps face a tough test at Oakwell.

Head-to-Head

Last Three Meetings

Lincoln City 1-1 Barnsley - August 2024
Barnsley 2-1 Lincoln City - March 2024
Lincoln City 5-1 Barnsley - September 2023

Lincoln’s recent record against Barnsley has been strong, including a 5-1 win at Oakwell last season, one of Barnsley’s heaviest home defeats in recent years. However, Barnsley will take encouragement from their hard-fought 2-1 win in the reverse fixture earlier this season, with goals from Marc Roberts and Sam Cosgrove securing the points.

The View From Oakwell

Barnsley boss Darrell Clarke has praised his side’s resilience after two hard-fought wins, but he’s calling for a more complete performance when they return to Oakwell.

“We’ve talked all week about this being a big week. We’ve got two wins from two so far, but now we want to finish it off with another positive performance on Saturday,” said Clarke.

“The players have really dug in over the last couple of games, which has been the most pleasing part for me. Against Rotherham and then again at Northampton, they showed the kind of character and togetherness we’ve been searching for.”

“That resilience has been missing at times this season, particularly when we’ve hit tough spells, so it’s been good to see it shine through. Now, the next step is to show a bit more quality on the ball — that’s what we’ll be working on heading into this one.”

Clarke also stressed the importance of Barnsley’s home crowd.

“The fans have been fantastic — they’ve stuck with us even when results haven’t been there. Now it’s down to us to give them something to get behind on Saturday. It’s all about mentality, standing up and being counted.”

The Opposition Camp

Lincoln City manager Michael Skubala is fully aware of the challenge his side face at Oakwell but believes they are capable of causing problems if they stay compact and disciplined.

“Barnsley have threats all over the pitch, so we know we’ll need to stay disciplined and organised to give ourselves a chance. We’ve shown plenty of times this season that we can frustrate teams, particularly away from home, but the key for us will be taking our chances when they come,” said Skubala.

With several first-team players still unavailable, Skubala acknowledged the challenge his side face, but believes there’s an opportunity for others to step up.

“We’ve been unlucky with injuries recently, but there’s no point dwelling on it. It’s a chance for others to show what they can do. We’ve got good players and if we apply ourselves properly, we can give anyone a game.”

Predicted Lineups

Barnsley

Smith; McCarthy, Roberts, Earl; O’Keefe, Phillips, Nwakali, Russell, Farrugia; Humphrys, Keillor-Dunn

Lincoln City

Jeacock; Jackson, O’Connor, Roughan; McGrandles; Darikwa, Clucas, House, Jefferies; Makama, Collins

Ones to Watch

Barnsley

• Davis Keillor-Dunn – Barnsley’s leading scorer with 12 goals this season, including a well-taken brace at Northampton in midweek.
• Adam Phillips – Scored the winner against Rotherham and remains a key attacking outlet from midfield.

Lincoln City

• James Collins – Three goals in seven appearances since joining the Imps in January, making him their most reliable attacking threat.
• Paudie O’Connor – Lincoln’s defensive leader returns from suspension and will be crucial in trying to keep Barnsley at bay.

The Verdict

With confidence growing after two important victories, Barnsley will see this as a great opportunity to maintain momentum and close the gap on the play-off places.

Lincoln’s injury problems and lack of cutting edge away from home leave them vulnerable, but the Imps have shown on several occasions this season that they are capable of frustrating better sides.

If Barnsley can blend the resilience shown in their last two outings with greater quality in possession, they should have enough to claim all three points.

Prediction: Barnsley 2-1 Lincoln City