Barnsleyvs.Bristol Rovers

The two sides each sit on seven points from their first four outings in England's third tier and will bid to crack the top six with a victory.

Match preview

Barnsley return to Oakwell on Saturday aiming to continue a relatively pleasing start to their third consecutive season in League One, having headed into their latest promotion bid under new management.

After falling short in the playoffs for the second straight year last time around, the Reds hierarchy turned to Darrell Clarke over the summer, and after enduring a losing start at home to Mansfield Town, they have collected seven points from their last three outings.

Their first points came in an impressive 2-1 victory away at Lincoln City, before the South Yorkshire outfit had to settle for a 2-2 draw at home to Northampton Town having been pegged back in the final 20 minutes after leading 2-0 through Max Watters and Adam Phillips.

Then on the back of a 1-0 EFL Cup victory over second-tier Sheffield United, the Reds most recently visited Crawley Town last weekend and succeeded in putting a second notch in their wins column in style, as Donovan Pines opened the scoring and Phillips added a first-half brace in a 3-0 triumph.

With plenty of positives to take from their start to the new campaign and life under Clarke, Barnsley will now aim to make it consecutive League One victories and three straight wins in all competitions to take their tally to 10 points on Saturday.

That will be no easy task, though, as the visitors will also go in search of a second three-point haul on the bounce following a pleasing start of their own.

On the back of a 15th-placed finish in England's third tier last time around, Bristol Rovers headed into a first full season under the management of Matt Taylor with optimism, and they have started in impressive fashion, putting seven points on the board in their first four games.

Following an opening-day victory over Northampton Town and a creditable goalless draw with Rotherham United, the Gas did suffer a first defeat in a tough trip to Stockport County, as Louie Barry and Kyle Wootton fired the hosts to a 2-0 win, but Taylor's men were able to quickly bounce back last time out.

They hosted Cambridge United on Saturday and made a swift return to winning ways at the Memorial Stadium, as Promise Omochere netted both goals in a 2-0 triumph.

With confidence seemingly growing under Taylor, Bristol Rovers will now go in search of a third victory of the campaign and a first away from home in a tough trip to Oakwell.

Barnsley League One form:

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Barnsley form (all competitions):

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Bristol Rovers League One form:

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Bristol Rovers form (all competitions):

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Team News

Darrell Clarke should deploy a similar Barnsley starting XI from last weekend's victory away at Crawley Town, although his options have been further limited in attack as Max Watters picked up a knock in that game.

Fellow strikers Sam Cosgrove and Fabio Jalo are also ruled out through injury issues, while Stephen Humphrys will not be deemed fit in time to feature after his deadline-day arrival.

As a result, more attacking responsibility may fall on Adam Phillips, who has notched up three league goals so far this term after netting 12 last time around, while Luca Connell will continue to play a key role in front of a back three.

Bristol Rovers may be unchanged from last week's 2-0 victory, with Joel Senior and key forward Chris Martin sidelined by injuries.

Summer arrivals Promise Omochere and Ruel Sotiriou are bound to continue their partnership up front, with the former having netted his first two goals for the Gas last weekend.

Bryant Bilongo and former Barnsley man Luke Thomas will offer further attacking support from wing-back roles, while Taylor Moore, James Wilson and Clinton Mola are bound to line up in an unaltered back three.

Barnsley possible starting lineup:

Slonina; De Gevigney, Pines, Earl; Cotter, Craig, Connell, O'Keefe; Phillips; Marsh, Lofthouse

Bristol Rovers possible starting lineup:

Griffiths; Moore, Wilson, Mola; Thomas, Conteh, Ward, Garrett, Bilongo; Sotiriou, Omochere

We say: Barnsley 1-1 Bristol Rovers

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