BARNSLEY RUFC host near neighbours Dearne Valley in Yorkshire Division Three on Saturday, hoping for a better outcome than in their last game when a player wrongly thought he had been sent off.
The Shaw Laners – who lost 27-12 at Castleford on Saturday – are eighth with 17 points from eight games.
Dearne are last, five points adrift in the bottom two and nine behind Barnsley.
But, having lost their first four matches and been deducted five points, they won three in a row before a 28-21 loss at home to leaders Wheatley Hills this week.
Tom Kerry and Brad Ezuma touched down as well as a penalty try with Steve Shaw kicking two conversions.
Barnsley coach Tom Kittrick said: “It builds up for a good game.
“We are looking forward to it. Derbies are always good games. We’re confident we can get a positive result.
“Dearne have found some good form. They had a big crossover of rugby league players with Dearne Valley Bulldogs but, once they got them back, they have got some really positive results.
“Our aim this season was mid-table and we’re still on for that.
“We only finished on 28 points last season so to get past 20 before Christmas would be great and we can still do that.”
A key moment in Barnsley’s game at Castleford saw Oscar Dyson shown a yellow card for conceding a penalty try and go to the sinbin but Joseph Green, who had already been given a yellow, thought he had been issued the card so had been sent off.
Kittrick said: “They were standing next to each other when the ref showed the yellow card.
“Greeny talked to the ref then just walked straight into the dressing room and none of us saw so we didn’t know where he was.
“One of our coaches ran round to the dressing room and he was about to have a shower.
“He had to put his kit back on quickly and play the rest of the game.
“In the time he was off the pitch, Castleford scored another try to make it 27-7.
“That debacle sums up our day.
“It was a breakdown in communication between us and the ref.
“It was a hard game for the ref in muddy and wet conditions.
“We can’t blame the referee, our communication needs to be better.”
On the match overall, Kittrick said: “It was a frustrating game. We started really well. We scored a penalty try early but didn’t deal with the kick-off and they scored directly from it.
“We were trying a bit too hard when in good positions, going too wide too quick in bad conditions.
“It was 12-7 at half-time but the game got away from us after that with the sin bin and the red card incident.
“We played really well towards the end.
“Oscar scored and we had four or five other big chances but our skill just wasn’t there and we kept knocking on.
“We had nine senior players missing but it’s not an excuse because we still had 20 players capable of doing a job.
“It was a negative performance and disappointing result which we need to put right.”
Hours before Saturday’s derby, Barnsley Ladies are due to play at Shaw Lane. Their game was called off at home to Lichfield in Championship North One on Sunday.
They are eighth out of ten and are now due to host Novocastrians, who are ninth, on Saturday.
Meanwhile, Wath won 41-16 at home to Harrogate Pythons on Saturday in Yorkshire Division One.
They were 13-3 down but enjoyed a strong second half.
Ryan Burrows and Ben Cairns scored two tries and Oscar Bramhall one, with Jack Whitlam kicking five conversions and two penalties.
Wath are second, six points off the leaders and six clear in the top two.
They are now due to visit fifth-placed Hullensians this weekend.
Wortley lost 32-15 at Withernsea in Yorkshire Division Four.
That left them second-bottom with 12 points from nine games. They are now due to host Hessle on Saturday.
