[themaclad]

Last home game of the season this is usually the road near the ground at this time of the year



LAST TIME OUT
BARNSLEY 1 ROTHERHAM UNITED 0



FORM GUIDE

PNE 15 BARNSLEY 16

Both sides in reasonably decent form

Last season we ended Stendel's reign as boss with a 5-1 victory which led to this memorable 22.03 minutes of what has been missed this season



Almost ended in tears

A lot has changed since then the Tykes are in the play offs and we have just got safe for another season which the Yorkshire side did only on the last day of last season.
New managee Ishmael's style of play has been criticised n some parts but obviously works as they are still in with a chance of the big time next season.

http://barnsleyfc.org.uk/forums/bulletin-board.130/

[themaclad]

FRANKIE SAYS

Squad news

Everything fine in terms of what we hand, before we came in this morning. We are probably going to leave DJ, we don't want to irritate it and so we think we will let that go given that we are mathematically safe. We will get him ready for next season.

McAvoy on the job done
We had a good meeting. We set out a way we were going to play and we said we would try to win as may games as we could. Some haven't been pretty, but points are the most important thing. The players deserve great credit.

McAvoy on taking over
We thought we probably had more chance if we set-up to win and not be so worried about not losing. It was a gamble from Peter Ridsdale and Mr Hemmings, I've not got a lot of managerial experience. We had a fright against Brentford, but we have done well. I had faith in our good players. I thought 'let's have a go' and thankfully it's paid off.

McAvoy on the vacancy
I was excited about the chance and I am eternally grateful. Whatever is going to happen will happen, I don't really worry too much. I've come in, give it my best shot and we've got a big game to focus on against Barnsley. At the end of it we'll see what happens. I have taken it literally game-by-game.

More on the job
Ultimately it doesn't matter what Frankie McAvoy wants, it is down to other people. We will see what happens after the Forest game. I'm not going to be drawn into that. I enjoy my job; this has got more stress than being a number two.

McAvoy on Barnsley
Of course they do (give hope to other clubs). Securing play-offs is wonderful for the people of Barnsley but ultimately we are going to try and beat them on Saturday. They deserve every credit.

McAvoy on Cunningham contract
I’m delighted for him, he loves this club and his heart is here at Preston. I see that every day. He’s a very good guy to have in your team and he’s a very influential character to have in the dressing room.

Does your relationship with players change?
The only difficult part if when you leave them out because there are a lot of good players there. It's just getting the right team and formation on the day. So that's the difficult part, but I'll always be honest and I can sit down and have a good, honest chat about it.

[themaclad]

A season like no other has two games to go and in terms of Deepdale, the curtain comes down on the 2020/21 campaign when Barnsley arrive on Saturday afternoon.

The visitors will be on a high, having secured a place in the end of season Play-Offs, but North End will too be full of confidence after last week’s win at Coventry City secured their Championship status.

They now have their sights on a positive end to the season, with a top half finish, still possible, if they can secure wins from their remaining games.

Whatever happens, hopefully this is the last game where no supporters will be inside Deepdale – and once the government confirm their return, we can see everyone return safely.

Head To Head: PNE wins – 24; Draws – 15; Barnsley - 20

Team News
Daniel Johnson will not return before the end of the season and he joins Patrick Bauer and Declan Rudd on the sidelines for the final run out in PR1 this season.

Otherwise, there are no further issues for interim boss Frankie McAvoy, who will be hoping to continue the run of results since his appointment into the role.

For Valérian Ismaël, he could again be without Dominik Frieser who limped off just before half-time in their penultimate fixture, a Yorkshire derby with Huddersfield Town, due to a hamstring injury.

Match Officials
The referee appointed to take charge of Saturday's game will be refereeing at Deepdale for the second time, but his first since way back in September, when he sent Tom Barkhuizen off against Stoke City.

Matthew Donohue will be the man with the whistle for the game, having only officiated the Lilywhites once before that Potters clash, our 4-0 Carabao Cup first round win over Bradford City last season.

This season he has taken charge of 28 games, issuing 74 cautions and six red cards, including Barky and has taken charge of three Barnsley games; wins over Watford and Blackburn at Oakwell and away at Luton.

The other members of the third team involved in Saturday's clash see Shaun Hudson and Nik Barnard as the assistants and Chris Sarginson taking fourth official responsibilities

MACS VIEW
THe season finale at Deepdale and not one visit by anyone, no programmes, no food, beer, chats with those around us, no complaining about decisions everything about this season has been crap, performances on the field have been poor especially at home however following last weeks traditional three points against Coventry we are now safe.
Barnsley however have had a rather decent season now safely ensconsed in the play offs still will provide a decent test.
Anythng bar defeat would be good hopefully by the 7th August normality will have returned

[themaclad]

Preston North End 2 Barnsley 0


Goals from Jordan Storey and Ched Evans gave Frankie McAvoy’s Preston North End a 2-0 victory over Barnsley in the final home game of the 2020/21 season.

Storey’s first goal at Deepdale was a poacher’s strike from one of many set pieces in the opening half, Ryan Ledson’s delivery from a corner causing havoc, for the centre half to drill home from inside the six-yard box.

Evans then doubled the lead before five minutes of the second half was gone, his fifth goal in a Lilywhites shirt, after Storey had flicked on Barkhuizen’s long throw in.

There was one change from the side that won the previous week against Coventry City at St Andrew’s, with Greg Cunningham returning at left wing back, allowing Tom Barkhuizen to move upfront alongside Ched Evans.

The Lilywhites started brightly, camped in the Tykes area in the opening five minutes, with a brace of corners and a long throw causing plenty of problems for the visitors in the first salvos of the game.

And a long ball from Iversen gave both Cunningham and Barkhuizen a chance to get behind the high Barnsley line, the former drilling a low cross from the left, that needed to be put behind for another corner, the third in the first six minutes.

But on the counter the Reds were also a threat and Conor Chaplin should have done better on nine minutes, after a break that saw Cauley Woodrow find the No.11 with a ball from the left-side of the area, his effort though sliced well wide of Daniel Iversen’s right post.

Yet another corner, this time a deep one from Ledson on the left, found both Andrew Hughes and Jordan Storey in space, but the latter’s header down was narrowly wide.

A big chance came on 28 minutes, as a Barkhuizen long throw from the left was headed up in the air and Sepp van den Berg reacted quickest to be in behind at a very tight angle, poking the ball on target, but Brad Collins made a fine save and then punched clear the team’s fifth corner of the half.

Finally, a goal came from the sixth corner of the day. Ledson’s ball in from the left was flicked on by Liam Lindsay, it came off the back of Ched Evans and Lindsay and Storey both pounced on the loose ball, with the No.14 the first to get a toe on it, firing hard and low past Collins with predatory instinct for his first of the season, with six minutes to go until half-time.

It was no more than they deserved at that point, having dominated the opening 40 minutes of the game.

Valerian Ismael made a triple change at the interval with Tony Sibbick, Carlton Morris and Jasper Moon on for Chaplin, Michael Solbauer and Romal Palmer as his Play-Off-qualified side looked to reverse the half-time deficit.

But it was North End who doubled their lead within five minutes of the interval. It was another set piece as Barkhuizen’s long throw from the left was flicked on by Storey and another finish inside the six-yard box by Evans, with his left foot, getting in front of Michal Helik, gave PNE the two-goal cushion their dominance deserved.

The visitors’ best spell came mid-way through the second half and Mads Andersen headed over a left-wing corner from skipper Alex Mowatt on 68 minutes, in a rare foray into the North End final third.

Their gung-ho approach threw men into the box and an effort from Andersen was superbly blocked by Cunningham to deny a goal being pulled back on 72 minutes, before a brace Mowatt corners from the right, Ledson scrambling away the second, before Iversen claimed the ball as it was delivered back into the penalty area.

Iversen again showed his shot-stopping prowess to made a great save to deny substitute Jasper Moon a goal back with five minutes left, a free kick on the left from Mowatt delivered right into the mixer, but the on loan Leicester City man was doing his best to try and deliver a fifth clean sheets in seven games and the ninth since his arrival in January.

A glorious chance to finish the game came with three minutes left as Evans got in behind the defence, closing down on Collins; he unselfishly pulled the ball back for sub Brad Potts – against his former club – but the No.44 couldn’t collect the ball and shoot and Barnsley were able to clear, but the four minutes of added time ran out as PNE ended their home campaign with another positive result.

PNE line-up: Iversen, van den Berg, Storey, Lindsay, Hughes, Cunningham, Ledson, Whiteman (Potts, 82), Browne ©, Evans (Bayliss, 90), Barkhuizen (Riis, 70). Subs not used: Hudson, Molumby, Huntington, Maguire, Sinclair, Gordon.

Barnsley line-up: Collins, Styles (Williams, 84), Andersen, Brittain, Woodrow (Odeboyejo, 64), Dike, Chaplin (Morris, 46), Palmer (Moon, 46), Solbauer (Sibbick, 46), Mowatt ©, Helik. Subs not used: Walton, Oduor, Halme, Thompson.

Referee: Mr M Donohue

Interim Preston head coach Frankie McAvoy said:

"We were desperate to do well and the game plan worked exactly how we wanted it to.

"I was given an opportunity here for eight games and this opportunity might never have come up again.

"I didn't think for a minute we would win four, draw two and lose one of our last seven.

"The players have done me and the coaching staff brilliantly over the seven games I've been in charge - I can't praise them highly enough."

Barnsley boss Valerien Ismael said:

"We didn't put in the performance we wanted and it's a big disappointment.

"It's a typical case that when we reach our goal last week the pressure came down and we need to raise that. It's a warning for everyone that we need to refocus and come back to our strength and intensity.

"(The goals) show it was a concentration problem, it seems that the guys switched off this afternoon which I guess is a normal human process.

"Now the good thing is we will refocus and know what we have to do and find the right solution against Norwich."

[themaclad]