Analysis of Barnsley's 1-0 win at Northampton Town in their last away game of the season. Reyes Cleary netted the only goal.

POSITIVE END TO AWAY SEASON, WITH ONE TO GO AT HOME

WHILE most of the footballing-watching public were witnessing a nine-goal thriller in the Champions League semi-final between Paris St Germain and Bayern Munich, a hardy 5,143 were at Sixfields for a very different type of football match.

But the 260 away fans should be fairly happy with their evening as, although the game was far from a classic, they saw a rare win on the road for the Reds this season and an even more rare clean sheet.

Barnsley had won one of 11 as they stagger towards a mid-table finish and an uncertain future as Conor Hourihane leaves with his replacement yet to be announced.

But the outgoing head coach, who is clearly respected by all at Oakwell, asked his players for a victory for everyone at the club. From the moment they took the lead through the one real moment of quality on the night, three points were never truly in doubt.

They moved up two places to 13th and can realistically finish anywhere from 12th to 15th.

They have taken 26 points from 23 matches away matches, winning six.

Now attention will turn to the final game of the season at home to Stockport who need at least a point to guarantee a play-off place and are expected to be backed by a large away following.

It will be an emotional day for Hourihane who will be hoping to replicate the final game of last season when they beat a promotion hopeful in Reading, with a win this time meaning the Reds will have more points than the previous campaign.

Barnsley have shipped 96 goals this season so are unlikely to concede a century unless the finale goes very badly.

REDS GET JOB DONE AGAINST POOR HOSTS

This was the third of three similar trips within a week in terms of geography but, having lost at promotion-contenders Stevenage and Luton, it was a totally different prospect and a much better chance for a win.

Relegated Northampton have lost a club record 11 straight games and this result confirmed they would finish last.

Failure to beat the worst side in the division would have compounded frustrations at the way this season has gone but they got the job done in a professional manner and deserved to win. The Reds were not complacent like when they lost at home to relegated Shrewsbury on the penultimate game of last season.

The hosts were extremely laboured and lacking in confidence in attack and, although they had spells of pressure in the second half led by ex-Red Cameron McGeehan when Barnsley were loose on the ball, did not have a shot on target.

Barnsley were not at their best but had the extra quality, as you would expect, and did what was required defensively. It would have been nice to see them step up some more gears and win comfortably but confidence and energy levels are clearly not at their highest towards the end of a gruelling finish to the season.

It was a flat evening on the pitch and in the stands with an end of season feeling even if the weather was as bitterly cold and windy as a winter night.

The two sides had conceded the joint most goals in the division this season but that is now Northampton’s burden alone. Barnsley are unbeaten in the last six meetings with the Cobblers including three straight wins at Sixfields.

CLEARY ENDS 15-GAME GOAL WAIT

Barnsley were down to ten men when they opened the scoring on 37 minutes as Jono Bland had received treatment and was on the sidelines waiting to be brought back on. He watched his team-mates score with an excellent team goal finished by Reyes Cleary.

Luca Connell won the ball in the Northampton box then, after passes by Patrick Kelly and David McGoldrick, the captain smashed a powerful ball up to Tom Bradshaw who brilliantly controlled it with his chest on the halfway line and flicked it cleverly to Kelly. The Northern Ireland international registered his sixth assist of the season by playing in Cleary on the left wing then he advanced into the box and, with ex-Red Conor McCarthy backing off, expertly found the bottom right corner from 15 yards.

It was Cleary’s first goal in 15 games since netting at home to Peterborough in February, not long after a distracting January transfer window which was followed by a dip from his exceptional 2025 form.

It was his first goal away from Oakwell since his 70-yard strike at Bradford in October and obviously meant a lot to him as he celebrated emphatically in front of the nearby Barnsley fans.

He now has seven goals to add to his 15 assists in all competitions – superb numbers for his first EFL season and the kind of stats which will have clubs tempted to make multi-million bids in the summer for the 22-year-old.

The hosts looked to double up on Cleary with McCarthy, on the right of a back three, and wing-back Nesta Guinness-Walker both keeping a close eye on him but they were not good enough to contain him at full tilt.

FOURTH LEAGUE CLEAN SHEET

This was a fourth league clean sheet of the season for Barnsley, three of which have been away from home.

The only other teams in the top four divisions who have kept four clean sheets are Premier League duo Wolves and Burnley plus Championship side Sheffield Wednesday – who have all been relegated. No one has kept fewer in the top five leagues.

But this was the Reds’ second shut-out in five games after a 0-0 at Port Vale a fortnight earlier and there has been some very gradual defensive progress in the second half of the season, with a few blips.

Academy goalkeeper Kieren Flavell replaced loanee Owen Goodman as the Reds prioritised their own players. He drew level with Goodman on one league clean sheet this season while, if Stockport do not score on Saturday, he will join Murphy Cooper on two.

It was a quiet night for the youngster, only really being stretched by a McCarthy header which looked set to hit the post anyway. He was put under pressure by a poor Mael de Gevigney pass which almost went through his legs in the opening minutes while, much later, he showed great composure to ‘Cruyff turn’ past an attacker having come out of his box.

The defenders performed well, with Eoghan O’Connell making 14 clearances while de Gevigney started a league game in which Barnsley kept a clean sheet for the first time since a goalless draw at home to Burton Albion in February last year.

Northampton only really had a few scrambles in the box and off-target shots from long-range.

SOLID DISPLAYS THROUGHOUT

There were solid if unspectacular performances throughout the Barnsley team.

They played a back four with four midfielders then two strikers although it was a fluid system.

There was no one on the right wing in the first half other than full-back Corey O’Keeffe with Bland and David McGoldrick occasionally going over there.

O’Keeffe was a willing runner but did not create much going forward while Josh Earl, although defensively diligent, could not provide an attacking threat from left-back.

In Bland and Connell they played two defensive midfielders, while Kelly was funnelled into a narrow channel on the left and, other than the crucial assist, had a quiet night.

Connell had a decent game as, although he lost the ball a couple of times in his half, he made the most interceptions and played with energy while providing good quality with passes forward in open play plus set pieces.

Adam Phillips dropped to the bench due to a swollen ankle picked up on Saturday but came on at half-time for Bradshaw who had hurt his Achilles. Phillips did not look his usual self, missing a huge chance from a few yards out and losing the ball just outside his box while he was anonymous for long periods.

McGoldrick played off Bradshaw and often dropped deep in the first half, then again when Leo Farrell came on, providing some fine passes and touches to set up chances.