Stevenage will welcome Barnsley to Broadhall Way on Saturday for a key contest in the fight at the top end of the League One table.
The visitors currently sit fifth after 26 games with just a three-point lead over their visitors, who find themselves just outside the playoff places.
Match preview
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Stevenage return to Broadhall Way on Saturday with the aim of further ramping up their pursuit of a playoff place in League One, having enjoyed a strong first half to the season following their promotion from England's fourth tier last time around.
With 20 games to go, the Boro currently occupy seventh spot having amassed 46 points from their opening 26 outings, largely thanks to their impressive defensive record with only fourth-placed Bolton Wanderers having conceded fewer than the 25 goals that they have shipped in those 26 matches.
Steve Evans's side gave their playoff hopes a major boost with an impressive run to end 2023, picking up 20 points from a nine-match span with the only defeat coming against Saturday's opponents on Boxing Day, before they travelled to league leaders Portsmouth on New Year's Day and fell just short of extending the eye-catching streak, eventually succumbing to a 2-1 defeat as Paddy Lane and Colby Bishop found the net for the hosts either side of Louis Thompson's leveller.
Then on the back of a disappointing FA Cup exit at the hands of sixth-tier Maidstone United, the Boro set out to bounce back away at Shrewsbury Town on Saturday, and they succeeded in returning to winning ways as Jamie Reid netted the only goal of the game six minutes from time.
Having remained within three points of the top six with that away win, Stevenage will set out to further strengthen their top-six hopes with a major scalp to go level on points with their visitors on Saturday.
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Their visitors, meanwhile, travel to Hertfordshire with the aim of extending their lead over the chasing pack in the playoff race in the midst of an impressive run of form in League One.
After falling agonisingly short of promotion to the Championship in extra time of the playoff final last season, Barnsley set out to go one better under the new management of Neill Collins this term, and they currently sit fifth after 26 outings with 49 points on the board, having managed 13 victories while only suffering six defeats.
The most recent of those losses came away at Derby County in mid-November, and the South Yorkshire outfit have gone 10 games unbeaten since, adding 22 points to their tally in the process.
That run included triumphs over Saturday's opponents and Port Vale either side of Christmas, and after going on to play out back-to-back draws with Peterborough United and Wigan Athletic around the turn of the year, they have again bounced back with consecutive triumphs heading into the weekend, firstly beating Bristol Rovers 2-1 at Oakwell courtesy of goals from Devante Cole and Corey O'Keefe.
Having most recently come from behind to beat Carlisle United by the same scoreline on Tuesday, with Cole drawing them level and Herbie Kane netting the winner in the 86th minute, Barnsley now sit three points ahead of their seventh-placed visitors and three outside the top two, and they will set out to further strengthen their standing in the playoff fight with a third straight victory at the weekend.
Team News
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Stevenage will remain without defender Nathan Thompson, who continues to serve a suspension for a red card shown in their defeat away at Portsmouth, and Steve Evans may opt to deploy an unchanged starting XI from their 1-0 triumph away at Shrewsbury Town last time out.
In their 4-4-2 shape, Luther Wildin, Terence Vancooten, Carl Piergianni and Dan Butler are bound to line up in an unchanged back four in front of stopper Taye Ashby-Hammond.
Ahead of them, Finley Burns should again join Ben Thompson in the engine room, while Jamie Reid is bound to again lead the line after netting his 19th goal of the season in the triumph at New Meadow.
Barnsley could also be unchanged from their midweek win over Carlisle United, with Jack Shepherd again likely to join Mael de Gevigney and Jordan Williams in a back three in Jamie McCart's continued absence through injury.
At the other end of the pitch, Devante Cole should continue to lead the line despite questions around his future, having moved onto 16 League One goals for the season on Tuesday, with John McAtee again set to get the nod to join him despite competition from Max Watters and Sam Cosgrove.
Collins has plenty of options in midfield too, with the likes of Jon Russell, Adam Phillips, Herbie Kane and Callum Styles all fighting to join mainstay Luca Connell, while Nicky Cadden will fight to return in a left wing-back role.
Stevenage possible starting lineup:
Ashby-Hammond; Wildin, Vancooten, Piergianni, Butler; Freeman, Thompson, Burns, Forster-Caskey; Reid, Pressley
Barnsley possible starting lineup:
Roberts; Williams, De Gevigney, Shepherd; O'Keefe, Kane, Connell, Phillips, Styles; McAtee, Cole
We say: Stevenage 1-1 Barnsley
The two sides have enjoyed similar first halves to the League One season, and while Barnsley boast more quality, the hosts have continuously punched above their weight this term and should at least be able to take a share of the spoils on home turf.
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Top tip
Sam Varley
