arnsley Sport<div id="articleoptions"> </div><div id="viewarticle"><div class="right"><div id="viewarticleimage"><div class="ds-image"> </div><div class="caption" id?caption?="">Likely starter: Marc Richards is set to partner Paul Hayes in Barnsley’s must-win clash tonight</div></div></div><div class="ds-headline" id="ds-headline">Red Banking on 'the jinx'</div><div class="ds-firstpara" id="ds-firstpara">BARNSLEY are hoping the 2006 play-off jinx will hold good at Huddersfield Town tonight.</div><div class="va-bodytext" id="va-bodytext">So far, in nine play-off semi-finals there has not been one home win. And Huddersfield have never won a play-off match at home. Barnsley were beaten 1-0 at Oakwell three days ago and have not defeated Huddersfield in three matches this season. Boss Andy Ritchie is ready to tinker with his team to conjure up a victory tonight. Ritchie is threatening to take the axe to the side as he attempts to recover a 1-0 deficit after the first leg at Oakwell. "I haven't picked the team yet. I'm still agonising over it. I think one or two didn't perform so there might be a chance for one or two others to come in," he admitted before the squad embarked on the short journey across Yorkshire. Ritchie pulled a surprise out of the hat during the first leg. He started with strikers Marc Richards and Daniel Nardiello and swapped them for Paul Hayes and Tommy Wright in the second half. "You live and die by your strikers and we've got four who I consider can do well," Ritchie explained. "After 65 minutes I thought that both Rico (Richards) and Nardy (Nardiello) had run up and down and I felt seeing two sets of fresh legs come on could put a bit of a downer in Huddersfield's back four. I thought we might get more chances and maybe a goal because of the freshness of mind and body. "Nardy has come in and done okay of late, Hayes has been Rico's partner for most of the season and I haven't really got a preference, but I think we've got healthy competition. I think Tommy (Wright) and Rico are similar types of player so it would be either of them with one of the others." Ritchie may well revert to the Richards-Hayes combination. Bobby Hassell and Martin Devaney missed Saturday's training but Ritchie is certain they'll be fit. </div><div class="va-date" id="va-date">15 May 2006</div></div>
why does it have to be rico/wright with nardy/hayes. if he's insistant on playing a "big man" then hayes can hold the ball up as well as if not better than richards. nardiello and hayes.
RE: why does it Agree Nardy and hayes are surely best two. Strange that Ritchie does;'t even seem to condsider them as a paring!
sweet jesus! What does nads have to do to get a run in the side. Hayes got weeks to put a run together. For me id play the formation that pasted Oldham and put nads and hayes up front.
Far be it from me to criticise But surely by the end of the season he must have a first choice strike force.
Problem is none of them seem to be anygood at it I'd start with Nads and Richards up front though and Hayes on instead of shuker - just to piss off the Bristol C manager</p>
