DIDZY RECALL – BONKERS
38 year-old David McGoldrick was recalled to the Barnsley XI for only his second league start since early November following star striker Davis Keillor-Dunn pulling out of contention due to illness at the last minute. Not quite fit enough to start, Didzy still rolled back the years and put on a vintage display. His brace was enough to seal a crucial three points for a Barnsley side that are somehow battling relegation and pushing for the play-offs simultaneously. League One, eh?
With rumours swirling around Keillor-Dunn’s future and multiple Championship clubs allegedly readying offers for the 28 year-old, new of his “illness” pre-match sent Barnsley fans spiralling. If there’s anyone that Tykes’ gaffer Conor Hourihane can rely on in a time of need, it’s his former Sheffield United and Derby teammate David McGoldrick. The veteran forward was more than happy to step in at half-fitness and give everything for his side in a game that could end up having massive ramifications at both ends of the table. Barnsley have anywhere between two and five games in hand on the rest of the division, if they’re going to navigate a tricky schedule and squeeze in their extra matches they’ll need more players like Didzy who are ready to step in from the fringes to keep their play-off dreams alive. They could probably do with a few reinforcements in January too, especially if Keillor-Dunn and Reyes Cleary are generating as much interest from higher divisions as the media would have you believe. As devastating as losing your best two attacking players would be, the fee for both of them combined is looking to be just shy of £10m, more than enough to bolster a League One squad for a promotion push if the board are willing to reinvest. The fate of Barnsley’s entire season hangs in the balance over the next two weeks.
One man who is already through the door at Oakwell is on-loan Crystal Palace ‘keeper Owen Goodman. Goodman is a familiar name to the Barnsley faithful, having received a straight red card while playing for Huddersfield against the Reds earlier this season for a kung-fu kick on none other than David McGoldrick. He lost his place in the Huddersfield side following that suspension and has now been recalled by Palace to spend the rest of the season as Barnsley’s new number one. An outstanding debut performance to help his side to victory has gone a long way to redeeming himself in the eyes of his new supporters, as well as victim-come-teammate McGoldrick.
The first of four crucial saves came midway through the first-half, denying Blackpool striker Tom Bloxham from close range. A defensive mix up from the hosts allowed Ashley Fletcher time to pick out Bloxham in acres of space in the box as the Barnsley defence back-pedalled to try and recover. The forward has been in good form as of late with 5 goals in 9 games preceding the trip to Oakwell, but his finish was that of a striker struggling for goals. Instead of burying his effort first time as the ‘keeper scrambled across the goal, he opted to take a few touches to set himself. This allowed Goodman to get into position and get his body behind the point-blank effort to keep the score level, his defence eventually retreating to cover the angle and ensure the shot on the rebound sailed well wide of the post. An early scare for Barnsley and a chance that Blackpool cannot afford to spurn if they want to survive this season, especially away from home.
To drive the stake even deeper into Blackpool hearts, they conceded the opener just two minutes later. As one on-loan goalkeeper showered himself in glory, Birmingham’s Bailey Peacock-Farrell had a nightmare at the other end. Blackpool were building from the back and, under no pressure, Peacock-Farrell played a lazy, under-hit pass into the midfield that was immediately snatched up by McGoldrick. He took a touch then slotted the ball into a wide-open net on the turn from 30 yards out. A difficult finish made to look easy, as is becoming the trademark style for McGoldrick. 38 years old and still pressing from the front like a teenager after being called up to the starting lineup last-minute while trying to build his fitness, he really is a manager’s dream.
Blackpool would test Goodman again before the break, and they broke through the Barnsley back line the same way as before. Fletcher again came down the right and threaded the ball through to Bloxham, the chance wasn’t as clear-cut this time and with the angle ever-closing his shot was saved well by the ‘keeper at his near post. That was the last real action of the half and Blackpool went in to the interval trailing on the road once again, they’ve only managed to pick up 10 points on their travels this season and have put themselves in serious danger of dropping down to the fourth tier because of it.
The Seasiders eventually did find their equaliser after 74 minutes, again through the hard work of Ashley Fletcher. The former Manchester United youngster terrorised Barnsley’s right-hand side with his physicality and reading of the game all afternoon, winning his team the ball on this occasion after picking the pocket of full-back Nathanael Ogbeta just as he received a terrible pass from an under-pressure Cleary. Fletcher played a smart one-two with George Honeyman around the outside to make his way into the area where his shot took a wicked deflection beyond a helpless Goodman. With the form the ‘keeper was in, it was the only way they were going to beat him. 1-1 and Fletcher had his reward for a day’s work with his 10th goal in 11 games, if Blackpool are going to drag themselves out of the relegation fight it will be that man up top they’re relying on.
A point away from home is good result, three is even better. Blackpool committed plenty of men forward for a long-throw routine in the dying moments of the game that was cleared well away into a gap in the middle of the pitch. Young Northern Ireland international Patrick Kelly picked up possession for Barnsley and drove forward as the Blackpool defence scrambled for position around him, he carried the ball nearly the length of the pitch before finding McGoldrick’s overlapping lung-busting run down the left hand side with a well weighted pass. Unfit to start, called upon at the last minute and just having ran from one box to the other after 93 minutes of football at 38 years old, could he finish it? It’s David McGoldrick, of course he could. He received the ball and, with all the composure and confidence of a much less tired man, beat his defender with a step over and buried his left-footed effort into the far corner and beyond the reach of Peacock-Farrell. 2-1 with no time left on the clock for a Blackpool rebuttal, Didzy had earned his side a vital three points in the fight at whatever end of the table Barnsley decide they’re battling at this season.
League One has been, frankly, ridiculous so far this season. Anyone can beat anyone, and wether that is because the quality is so high or so low is up for debate. When you see the level of talent on teams like Barnsley and Blackpool, 15th and 20th respectively, it’s clear that the floor of England’s third tier has been raised to its highest level yet. Everyone is able to compete and every team has at least one or two players of real quality that can hurt any opposition on their day.
Barnsley are now 7 points from the play-offs with 5 games in hand on Huddersfield who occupy the final spot, as well as 3 points above Northampton in the relegation zone with 3 games in hand on them. Their season hangs on a knife edge and it really is impossible to predict where they’ll wind up. A good end to the window, bolstering a small squad and keeping hold of their big stars, could see them easily make up ground in the promotion race in the back half of the season. Losing key players without replacing them, however, could see them scrabbling for points in a relegation battle that includes half the division. Lose a few in a row, and League Two starts to look mighty close for the Tykes.
As far as the Tangerine Army are concerned, things look bleak. After a brief run of games where they looked like they were going to pull clear of the bottom four, three consecutive wins including conceding FIVE to rock-bottom Port Vale has seen them sucked straight back into the relegation picture. They’re above Northampton on goals scored alone, with the Cobblers having a game in hand to potentially leapfrog Ian Evatt’s side. They play each other next up before difficult fixtures against Stockport and Luton round off the first month of 2026 for Blackpool. Come February, the true extent of their relegation prospects might be even clearer.
Two of League One’s big hitters now find themselves languishing on the dark side of the table, can either pull themselves out of this slump and away from a shock relegation? And could they both even kick on and find themselves challenging at the top end of the table come May? Anything is possible in the most bizarre League One season in recent memory, and we’ll be here for every second of it!
White Noise 