Score predictions - Stevenage away

We travel to Stevenage for the first time on Saturday, aiming to win our 3rd straight game. We've actually only managed 3 wins in a row once this season, which was a sequence involving wins over Wigan, Cheltenham and Burton back in September. Coincidentally all 3 were 2-0 victories, so is that an omen for Saturday considering we stand on two 2-1 victories at present. Unsurprisingly given their league position, Stevenage are narrow 8/7 favourites, with the Reds priced at 5/2, and the draw at the slightly shorter price of 23/10.

At home this season, Stevenage have lost just once in the league, 3-1 vs Oxford back in September where BBS favourite, Greg Leigh, scored twice. Despite this, they only have the 12th best home record in the division. For context, we have the 7th best (albeit we've played 2 more home games), and this is largely down to Stevenage drawing half of their 12 home games. Despite being unbeaten in the last 9 home games in all competitions, they've drawn 3 of the last 4 (vs Exeter, Port Vale and Peterborough). Their PPG at home is 1.75 compared to 1.71 that we have. Away from home though our ppg is 2.08, the third best in the league.

Obviously, there's no history to speak of in terms of head to head. Our victory at Oakwell over the Boro just before Christmas was our first ever meeting. Since then, Stevenage have won 2 and lost 2 in all competitions. They comfortably beat Northampton on home soil on boxing day, and edged past struggling Shrewsbury last weekend with a late winner. Their defeats have come against league leaders, Portsmouth, and a shock 1-0 reverse at National league South side Maidstone in the cup. A reasonably strong Stevenage side mustered just 3 shots on target against the 6th tier side.

Stevenage have the second best defensive record in the division, with only Bolton conceding fewer goals, and have kept 5 clean sheets in their last 10 league games. Whilst our record of clean sheets is much poorer (1 in our last 12 games), we have only conceded 5 more goals than our hosts on Saturday, and our record away from home is better than that at Oakwell. It's the goals for column which is probably keeping Stevenage out of the top 6 at present. Despite the aforementioned recent big win over Northampton, they have only netted 38 goals this season. This is the lowest of any side in the top 8 by at least 7 goals, and 12 fewer than we have netted. Top scorer, Jamie Reid has 15 of these, with their next top scorers, Elliott List and Jordan Roberts, both netting 4 times this season. Like our own top scorer, Jamie Reid is having the most prolific season in his league football career, having netted just 10 in the division below last season.

Referee Sam Purkiss could play a part on Saturday. He's averaged just over 5 cards per game in his 21 appointments this season, including a staggering 8 red cards, though all of those game in his first 12 appointments of the season, and he hasn't issued once since October. He last took charge of a Stevenage game in November 2021, overseeing the Boro's goalless draw at Sutton in the Pizza Jon's trophy. Primarily a lower league referee, this is his first appointment of a game involving Barnsley.

Despite the particularly poor performance on Tuesday night, I'm confident of a positive result in this one. I think it will be a low scoring affair, but with the reds coming out on top. We seem to be better on the road, particularly with a large away following behind us. So I'm going for 2-1 reds, with Cole grabbing a first ha lf brace.

 

2-2 draw Kane & Cole on scoresheet for us.

 

1-1 Cole taking the lead in the first half. Late equalizer.

 

1-3 Reds.

 

Boro 2 Colliers 0

 

0-2 super reds

 

Not seeing a clean sheet for us, but also feel we won’t lose. 1-1

 

3-2 Reds.

 

Feeling positive about this one 1-3 reds

 

Can't keep a clean sheet and scoring goals for fun away from home.......

Must be a 1.0 Reds victory then

 

1-1. Can’t see it being the prettiest game ever.

 

2-3.

 

Stevenage 1 Barnsley 2

 

Stevenage 176-1 Barnsley

 

2-0 Stevenage

 

0-1 reds

 

Dunno tough call this one, but I would be more than happy with a draw.

 

I agree, we'll be 2-0 down at half time, Watters will be sent on second half and score a hatrick.

 

Probably a fame of many chances and I back McAttee and Cole to take more than Stevenage so 2-1 or 3-2 to the Reds.