Go back 12 months, and these two met at this stage last season, with Barnsley coming out on top. A 1-1 tie at Bolton, followed by a 1-0 win at Oakwell, The Reds made it to Wembley, before losing to Sheffield Wednesday in extra time, and remaining in League One.
But that may be the only reason that fans are confident coming here, after a dreadful run of form in recent weeks.
It’s Barnsley v Bolton on Friday night to kick off the EFL playoffs, and you can check out my betting tips and predictions for the game below. You can also read my League One playoff guide detailing all four teams taking part.
The disclaimer to begin this piece is that I am indeed a Barnsley fan, but as you read on, you should see that there is no bias here.
Barnsley Recent Form
To say Barnsley have been dreadful recently would be slightly underestimating their performances. No win in their last six league games, two wins from their last 12, that’s relegation form, not playoff form, with many players well below their best.
It led to the sacking of Neill Collins, one game before the end of the season. Plan A was to bring in a replacement immediately, but in typical Barnsley fashion, the club agreed terms and swapped contracts before realising the new lad couldn’t get a work permit. It’s never dull at Oakwell.
Barring a late rabbit appearing from a hat, it seems as though current caretaker boss Martin Devaney will be in charge of the team for the playoffs, and his biggest job is to make players believe again.
Going forward, when Barnsley counter quickly, they’re as good as any side in League One, and I mean that. Herbie Kane, Adam Phillips and Luca Connell combine to give them one of the best midfield trios in the league, if not the best.
John McAtee has been excellent since finding his feet, and Devante Cole started brilliantly, but has gone off the boil. Should those two bring their best together, then that strike partnership is again, as good as any in the league, but we’ve yet to see them both play their best, in the same game.
Defensively, it’s a bit of a mess, and that’s being polite. Wing backs that can’t defend, centre backs that are either completely devoid of confidence, or are wing backs playing out of position, and a goalkeeper behind them who has lost all of his confidence in the past couple of months.
Barnsley have conceded some dreadful goals recently, basic errors, a failure to mark at set pieces, and things that wouldn’t look out of place on your local park every Sunday morning.
Bolton Recent Form
At one point a couple of months ago, I fancied Bolton to charge forward and grab the second automatic spot, pulling away from Barnsley, Derby and Peterborough, to follow Portsmouth up.
But their push never really got going, odd draws and defeats along the way to prevent them from really kicking on, and while Bolton weren’t dreadful, they also have to face facts that they weren’t good enough.
Bolton come here on the back of seven games unbeaten to end the season, a good run, but they did draw four of those seven games and have drawn six of their last 11.
It’s those draws that have ultimately taken them out of the race for second, but they’ve been out of it for a while, so I don’t think there will be any hangover or disappointment coming here, which is sometimes the case for teams who finish 3rd.
Dion Charles, who scored a penalty at the weekend, has led Bolton in goals this season, and is a real threat at this level for anyone to handle. Bolton have options alongside Charles, Aaron Collins, Cameron Jerome and Victor Adeboyejo could all fill that spot, and those who don’t, are good options to have from the bench.
Without sailing past the other midfielders in this Bolton team too much, I can’t help but move straight onto Josh Sheehan. When Bolton came to Oakwell earlier in the season, they were at their best in the second half, and the reason for that was Sheehan controlling the game, he was excellent.
Both on and off the ball he oozes quality, and Barnsley will need to make sure they are limiting his ability to affect things.
Barnsley v Bolton Predictions
I think the first leg will be a little tight, as many playoff first legs are, but with the Barnsley back line having serious doubts over them, I do think we will see goals, and they’ll come at both ends of the pitch.
If we head into the final 10 minutes all square, don’t be surprised to see Bolton play that out, and take the game home next Tuesday to try and finish the job.
In terms of the overall tie, I think Bolton will win it, and book their place at Wembley in a couple of weeks.
Barnsley v Bolton Betting Tips
I’ll kick off with a bet on the draw on Friday night, priced at 5/2 with William Hill, a result that will suit Bolton more than Barnsley.
Next up, I think goals are going to come here, so as a correct score prediction, I will go with a 1-1 tie.
Lastly, I’m amazed to see John McAtee priced up so high to score at anytime in this game with bet365. He’s 4/1 with them, as low as 9/4 elsewhere, has 12 league goals this season and is at the heart of most of what Barnsley do going forward, that’s way too big to ignore.
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