A round-up of Barnsley FC related stories.

REDS SET TO VISIT TWO SIDES ON BRINK OF DROP

Barnsley are preparing to face two sides on the verge of relegation to League Two as they visit third-bottom near neighbours Rotherham United on Saturday then last-placed Port Vale on Tuesday.

The 14th-placed Reds are winless in six and five points clear of the relegation zone so the trips to two of the bottom three are a chance to allay any fears of being drawn into the survival scrap. They could also avoid setting a new club record of 26 straight games without a clean sheet within one season. They are currently on 25.

The Millers are 22nd, 11 points adrift of safety, with six games to play, while Vale are 24th and 14 points off safety. Vale beat Lee Clark’s Rotherham 1-0 on Tuesday.

EX-REDS COACH HAS SAINTS MARCHING

FORMER Barnsley first team coach Tonda Eckert led Southampton to an FA Cup semi-final as head coach this week.

The 33-year-old German joined the Reds in August 2020 to work alongside Gerhard Struber then stayed as first team coach during the tenures of Valerien Ismael and Markus Schopp before leaving in January 2022.

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After a spell at Genoa in Italy, Eckert joined Southampton last summer before replacing Will Still first as caretaker then permanently. He has guided them into the Championship promotion race as well as the FA Cup semi-final following a win over Premier League leaders Arsenal.

LOANEE DALLAS ONTO 15 GOALS

ANDY Dallas scored twice for Southend in their 3-2 home win over Braintree in the National League.

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He now has 15 goals for the season.

Jon Russell netted for Mansfield in their 2-0 win at Doncaster in League One.

Jackson Smith kept a 12th clean sheet in 20 League Two games for Grimsby who won 2-0 at Crawley.

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Kacper Lopata missed an open goal almost on the goal line in Walsall’s loss at Swindon.

Fabio Jalo still has not played for Oldham since January as, after being on the bench on Friday, he was not involved at all on Monday.

U21S TO PLAY FINAL TWO GAMES

BARNSLEY under 21s lost 5-2 at Crewe on Tuesday.

Kieran Graham and Stanley Holder scored.

They had won 2-0 at home to Hull City on Friday, thanks to goals by Graham and a trialist.

They are due to host Colchester United from 1pm on Friday then visit Sheffield Wednesday from 2pm on Tuesday which is their last game of the season. The under 21s are currently fifth with 34 points from 26 games.

Barnsley under 18s host Charlton Athletic on Saturday from 11am.