BARNSLEY will look to bounce back from their midweek loss to Wycombe Wanderers when they host Exeter City from 3pm on Saturday.
The Devon club are 15th, two points behind the Reds – having played two extra games – and six clear of the relegation zone.
Previous manager Gary Caldwell left last month for Wigan Athletic and, after coach Dan Green took charge for four games, Matt Taylor was brought back on an interim basis until the end of the season this week.
Taylor managed the Grecians from 2018 to 2022 before spells at Rotherham United – where he also played cricket for Penistone CC – and Bristol Rovers.
Head coach Conor Hourihane told the Chronicle: “I think the bounce from a new manager can be a thing in football, and it can be a thing that doesn’t quite happen.
“Looking at their game the other night and what their new manager has said in the press, they’re going to be consistent in how they approach games and the way they want to play. So we don’t expect too dissimilar.
“It’s kind of been a way that Exeter have kind of played for quite a while now, obviously, previously under Gary. And now, obviously, Matt’s taken over.
“They are renowned for playing good football, and they try and play through you.
“They play some good stuff, and they try to make you feel uncomfortable.
“And they scored some really good goals away to Peterborough a few games ago when that was a 3-3 draw.
“They’re a team that play football in a really good way that I like to watch.
“But we need to concentrate on ourselves really and upping that performance from Tuesday night or else, obviously, we’ll make it a very difficult day whoever we play on Saturday.”
Barnsley had been unbeaten in five home games but were very poor in their midweek loss to Wycombe.
Exeter were in the relegation zone in December but a run of four wins and a draw from five games put them tenth a month later.
But they are now winless in eight, with six draws.
This week, they lost 5-1 at home to Bolton Wanderers on Saturday then – after Taylor returned – drew 1-1 at home to Burton Albion on Tuesday.
They are unbeaten in six away league games, with two wins, since December 29.
Exeter were in the relegation zone when they beat Barnsley 3-0 in Devon on December 20. Hourihane said: “That was probably our last really, really poor performance before Wycombe.
“We’ve obviously lost games in the meantime, of course.
“But in terms of the game on Tuesday night being a really off night, I think the last real off night we had or last real off day we had was Exeter away.
“So we need to put that right.”
Exeter did not visit Oakwell from 1981 to 2022 but have won there in each of the last three seasons, including last April in one of Hourihane’s first home games as head coach.
The clubs have met 27 times, with Barnsley losing 14 and winning nine.
Former Barnsley forward Jack Aitchison has been a regular for the Grecians this season.
If he plays, this will be Tom Bradshaw’s 100th Barnsley game.
