A look at Barnsley's seven games across the next three weeks.

Leyton Orient, A, Saturday

Barnsley’s trip to Orient on Good Friday last season was Conor Hourihane’s first game as permanent head coach, with the appointment announced hours before the game.

It was an early sign of the frustrations to come as they looked great in attack on their way to a 3-1 lead but conceded three times in six minutes and lost 4-3. Orient reached the play-off final the next month but are now 20th and in a relegation battle which they will look to pull Barnsley into.

The 12.30pm kick-off time is scandalous and proof that TV money trumps fans’ interests time after time. This is Barnsley’s longest remaining away journey of the season although they still have to visit Stevenage and probably Northampton on Tuesday evenings.

Wycombe Wanderers, H, Tuesday

Barnsley’s home form has not been consistently good throughout a season since they were managed by Michael Duff who is due to return with the Chairboys in midweek.

Hourihane is slowly rebuilding the Oakwell ‘fortress’ piece by piece after both Neill Collins and Darrell Clarke won more games away.

They are unbeaten in five at home in 2026.

Duff was the focus on some angry chants from Barnsley fans when in charge of Huddersfield last season. Wycombe were 11 points and 16 places behind Barnsley when he took over but are now six clear of them.

Exeter City, H, March 7

Gary Caldwell, who had the Devon club in mid-table despite serious financial woes, left last week to return to Wigan Athletic.

Former Barnsley midfielder David Perkins went with him as a coach but another ex-Red Kevin Miller remains a goalkeeper coach under caretaker Dan Green.

They are currently winless in six with five draws, leaving them level on points with Barnsley in that pack of mid-table clubs who need a few more wins to avoid nervous looks over their shoulders with the top six probably out of sight. Exeter have won at Oakwell in each of the last three seasons.

Cardiff City, H, March 10

This is probably the most difficult-looking of the remaining games.

The Reds were beaten 4-0 in the Welsh capital in late January. Leaders Cardiff were unbeaten in 12 but were thrashed 5-2 at Plymouth this week and are being pushed for the title by Lincoln. This is another of Barnsley’s games in hand, like Wycombe, and tiredness may be kicking in by this point.

Barnsley have not beaten Cardiff in ten meetings while, in their last eight home games with the Bluebirds, they have recorded two points and scored four goals.

Mansfield Town, A, March 14

Field Mill was where it all started for Hourihane as Barnsley head coach, one day shy of a year before this fixture.

He had taken over from the sacked Darrell Clarke three days earlier and oversaw a last-gasp 2-1 loss to a side who had not won in 14.

Mansfield are currently off-form and a place behind the Reds in 16th.

This short trip to Nottinghamshire is the only away game in March, assuming Northampton at the end of the month is called off.

The Stags have plenty of former Reds players.

Liam Roberts is their starting goalkeeper, they signed Victor Adeboyejo in January and they have former Oakwell youth products Rhys Oates and George Maris. Jon Russell is on loan there from Barnsley but cannot play in this game.

Wigan Athletic, H, March 17

Hourihane was linked to the vacant Latics head coach role in February but it went to Caldwell who ended a run of five straight losses by winning his first game. They then lost at Stockport and remain in the relegation zone.

If Barnsley have not won a couple more by this point, it could be a nervous affair.

Wigan have not lost any of their nine league games at Oakwell and only conceded two goals in them.

Caylan Vickers is with the Latics having been sent back from his loan at Barnsley in January.

Doncaster Rovers, H, March 21

Barnsley are currently the highest of the three South Yorkshire clubs in League One, with Doncaster just behind them in 18th and Rotherham second-bottom.

Having made a strong start to the season after promotion, Rovers won once in 16 which left them four points adrift in the relegation zone on New Year’s Day. But Grant McCann’s side have won seven out of ten in all competitions including a victory at the Millers on Saturday. They have just as many games to play as Barnsley in March including an EFL Trophy semi-final.

After this derby, the Reds are likely to have two weeks off, assuming they have three players called up in the international break as they have in the previous three this season.

And the rest

The Easter matches are the reverse fixtures from the first two games of the season which Barnsley won.

They visit Burton Albion on Good Friday – ten years to the day since Hourihane lifted the EFL Trophy – then host his old club Plymouth on the Monday.

They then visit lowly local rivals Rotherham United on April 11 and bottom club Port Vale the following Tuesday – both of whom could be on the brink of relegation in those games unless they have been on much better form – before hosting Bradford City on the 18th.

Assuming Northampton away is called off and moved from March 28 due to international call-ups, that fixture and the rearranged Stevenage tip will be on Tuesdays either side of a game at promotion-chasing Luton. Stevenage has been confirmed for April 21.

That is three journeys within a week to clubs all within 50 miles of each other. The season then concludes with a home game against Stockport on May 2, who are likely to be in the promotion battle.