Obviously has a betting element to it but is not a bad read, plus they think we'll do it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Derby atmosphere should produce tense tussle ..... Mark Langdon Barnsley 1-0 1pt 7-1 (general) No goalscorer 1pt 17-2 (general) BARNSLEY have managed to shut out the opposition on 19 occasions in League One this season and they could keep another clean sheet when Huddersfield visit Oakwell in tonight’s play-off semi-final first leg. Only Colchester can match Barnsley’s impressive clean sheet record and that may lead some to back them at 13-8 withPaddy Power to keep the Terriers at bay. However, at bigger prices it could be worth backing Barnsley to win 1-0, although punting them to win the play-offs is another option available. Neither team is in great form and the derby atmosphere is sure to lead to tension, making attacking football less likely and no goalscorer, which is 17-2 with Hills, is also worth a wager to small stakes. Barnsley lost just once at Oakwell in the regular season and the return of skipper Paul Reid is a huge boost to their ranks. It will be a tight, tense tussle, but if there is to be a winner, the Tykes may just edge the Terriers to set up a tantalising second leg on Wednesday. Tykes defence may tame the Terriers ..... Mark Langdon HUDDERSFIELD will be taking 6,000 fans across Yorkshire for their League One play-off semi-final first leg against Barnsley as they bid to win at fortress Oakwell. The Tykes have been blinding on home soil this season, losing once (to Doncaster), winning 11 games and drawing 11 times. Defence has been the key to Barnsley’s rise to fifth in the table – they have conceded just 44 goals in 46 games, thethird best in League One behind promoted Southend and Colchester. Andy Ritchie’s team kept 19 clean sheets in the regular season, which is as many as any other team in the division and that probably explains why goalkeeper Nick Colgan was voted player of the year by the gaffer. It has been a campaign of steady progression for Barnsley. The Tykes have picked up 34 points from their remaining 22 games and they have lost just once in nine matches – away to Huddersfield in a game Ritchie believes the 1-0 scoreline was harsh on his team. This decent run will be of no consolation to those who steamed into Barnsley for League One promotion last term, only to watch Paul Hart get it all wrong. However, Ritchie has done better than Hart with a talented bunch, although the immediate target was a top-ten finish – promotion was supposed to be the aim in 2007, although they now have a fantastic opportunity to return to the Championship. Huddersfield, of course, will also see this as a golden chance to reach England’s second tier, but Peter Jackson will surely be disappointed that they missed out on automatic promotion. The Terriers were matched at a low of 1.8 on Betfair to be promoted in the middle of the campaign and they were as short as 5-2 to go up ante-post. Exchange punters have obviously got faith in Jackson’s mob – they were favourites to win the play-offs on Betfair last night. In Andy Booth, Pawel Abbott, Gary Taylor-Fletcher and Danny Schofield – Huddersfield have four players in double figures for goals this season and their large travelling army will be hoping the quartet can shoot them to the Cardiff final. However, Jackson has not been best pleased with some recent showings and the shape has changed from 4-4-2 to 4-1-3-2 and a weakened side used 3-5-2 at Swindon on Saturday. Team news ..... Barnsley Barnsley manager Andy Ritchie is boosted by the return of captain Paul Reid from suspension. Defensive duo Matt Carbon and Neil Austin will miss both legs of the play-off showdown but could return if the Tykes reach the final. Huddersfield Huddersfield captain Jon Worthington is expected to return to the team after serving a suspension. Defender Andy Holdsworth may return following a groin injury but defender Tom Clarke is ruled out by a ban.
