Barnsley and Preston North End meet at Oakwell on Saturday with both clubs looking set to end the season on poor runs of form.The
Tykes are already relegated and sit bottom of the Championship, while the Lilywhites are 16th but could still achieve a top-half finish
Barnsley sacked Poya Asbaghi after their relegation was confirmed last week, with caretaker boss Martin Devaneyoverseeing a 2-0 home defeat to Blackpool on Tuesday night.
Devaney, who made over 170 appearances for the club as a player, is the favourite to take the job full time and gave opportunities to a few younger names on Tuesday with a view to planning for next season.
The Tykes are dropping out of the Championship without a whimper – 12 months after competing in the playoffs for promotion to the Premier League – as they have not won in their last seven matches and are currently on a run of three consecutive defeats.
Twenty-two of their 30 points this season have come at Oakwell, so with a trip to West Bromwich Albion to come on the final day, their last chance to give fans something to smile about is likely to come this weekend on home turf.
Preston have suffered three successive defeats away from home, conceding eight goals and scoring none in that run. Only Barnsley and Derby County have netted fewer goals on the road this season than the Lilywhites (16).
Ryan Lowe’s side were beaten 4-1 on home turf by Lancashire rivals Blackburn Rovers on Monday night, leaving them winless in three matches. They have not gone four games without victory since October.
If Preston remain in 16th place or drop lower, it will be their lowest finish since promotion to the Championship seven years ago, but they are only three points adrift of the top half albeit with an inferior goal difference.
Links >> Stream 1 HD Stream 2 HD Stream 3 HD Stream 4 HD
The Lilywhites have won four of the last five meetings between the two sides, including this season’s reverse fixture in December when Daniel Johnson scored the winner in a 2-1 victory in Lowe’s first game in charge.
