Paul Jewell could stick with the line-up which should have beaten Watford last weekend when the Blues travel to Barnsley for Saturday’s live Sky game at Oakwell looking to end their run of seven successive defeats (Sky Sports Two/HD2 5pm). Skipper Grant Leadbitter is expected to miss out again due to his groin injury, while Ívar Ingimarsson is sidelined having broken his nose.

Jewell feels confidence has been the biggest issue during his side’s dramatic downturn: “If two or three are suffering from a lack of confidence you can normally get by but I think the whole team and the whole club has been a bit edgy.

“Some of the goals we have conceded have been just basic errors from set pieces or from just losing the ball.

“Even the second goal on Saturday, it wasn’t great defending but the guy’s had a shot, it’s hit Danny Collins and has fallen to someone who hasn’t scored an away goal for 31 matches.

“Players make decisions on the pitch and a lot of decisions we’ve made over the last month or so have been wrong ones, and not only wrong ones but costly ones.

“I think we’re all in this together, it’s not about blaming the experienced players or the young players or whatever. The manager ultimately takes responsibility and I think the team and the whole group just need a win to lift everyone’s confidence.”

One of last week’s success stories was winger Lee Martin, who impressed his manager despite making an error for the second Watford goal: “Lee Martin trains very hard every day and desperately wants to play.

“He’s deserved his chance, OK he made a mistake for the goal but I’m not going to lambast him for that and hopefully he can get better and better and have a long run in the team.

“He’s probably never had that at any club he’s every been at. It’s an opportunity for him now, there’s no place set in stone, but he’s got an opportunity. Josh Carson might find himself a little bit unlucky.

“Lee’s got the shirt at the moment and hopefully we can get the result on Saturday and he’ll stay in the team.”

Jewell says he wants to see one-time Barnsley loanee Michael Chopra, whose recovery from his gambling problems the Blues boss says is going well, grab a goal: “I’d like to see him scoring goals sooner rather than later. He hasn’t been as sharp as I’ve seen him in previous seasons, although he’s in better nick than he has been for a while.

“We do a lot of work with him in the afternoons on his fitness and with weights. Long-term that will pay off.”

The Tykes have won their last four matches to climb to ninth in the table, 12 places and 10 points ahead of the Blues, with Jewell having watched their 2-1 home victory over Crystal Palace on Tuesday: “I saw the game. They’re a good team and it was a good game, Barnsley scored after eight seconds.

“They’re playing with a lot of confidence, so it’s going to be a difficult game, but if we were playing anyone in this league I’d say exactly the same.

“They’ll provide a tough challenge, they’ve got an attacking formation, they like to pass the ball and I think Keith Hill’s done a terrific job there after a bit of a shaky start.

“Now I think people are looking at Barnsley and saying they’re a surprise package. Maybe they are to some people, but in this league for me there are no surprise packages or results.”

David Stockdale is set to keep his place in goal with Aaron Cresswell and Carlos Edwards the full-backs and Danny Collins and Ibrahima Sonko the central defenders.

Lee Bowyer had one of his best and most combative games for the Blues in the centre of midfield last week and is again likely to be partnered by Keith Andrews with Martin on the right and Daryl Murphy on the left and Chopra and Jason Scotland up front.

Ingimarsson and Leadbitter could be back for next week’s game against Derby, while Richard Wright is still out with his shoulder problem and Damien Delaney is making good progress after undergoing foot surgery.

One-time Town loanee Jay McEveley looks set to miss out with a thigh injury for the home side, who have no other injury or suspension issues.

Manager Keith Hill, who joined from Rochdale in the summer, says his players can’t get carried away despite their recent good run: "We've got to make sure we remain grounded. Everyone's expectation levels have got to remain balanced, including the players'.

"I don't like arrogance, I can't stand the smell of arrogance. Anyone who thinks they're better than the team will probably find themselves not playing.

"We're on a decent run, but that's been built off a foundation of hard work, honesty and a team effort. What I don't want to witness is individuals thinking they're better than their team-mates.”

He says Town should be doing much better than they are: "Jason Scotland, Michael Chopra, Keith Andrews, Lee Bowyer, Jimmy Bullard - I mean, they're in the wrong sequence of form but that type of player takes a lot of money to recruit, a lot of money! They must have one of the best budgets in this league by a country mile.

"The run of form that they're on isn't compatible with the type of player that they've got or the manager. There shouldn't be anyone turning up thinking 'this is going to be a walk in the park'.

Historically, Town have done well against the South Yorkshiremen, winning 19 games between the sides (18 in the league), drawing five (five) and losing 13 (11).

A last-gasp Jacob Mellis goal prevented the Blues from claiming four league wins in a row for the first time since 2004 when Town were last at Oakwell in February. Sub Jason Scotland had put Town ahead with eight minutes left, only for the Barnsley midfielder to hit back seconds before the final whistle.

In November, Barnsley left Portman Road with a comfortable 3-1 victory. The Tykes were 2-0 in front at the break through Goran Lovre — who left Oakwell by mutual consent this week - and a Márton Fülöp own goal with an angry home support olé-ing Barnsley’s passing.

Soon after the restart Garry O’Connor made it three before Tommy Smith pulled a late goal back for the Blues.

The most famous meeting between the teams came in May 2000 at Wembley when Town won the play-off final 4-2 to reach the Premier League. Richard Wright is the only player currently at either club to have played in that match.

Former Blue Danny Haynes joined the Tykes from Bristol City in January. For Town, derby specialist Haynes netted 19 goals in 43 starts and 85 games as a substitute between 2005 and 2009.

Defender Jay McEveley was on loan with Town in the 2005/06 season, scoring one goal in 17 starts and two sub appearances, while Blues striker Michael Chopra made 41 starts and one sub appearance, scoring 17 goals, while spending 2004/05 on loan at Oakwell.

Blues fitness coach Andy Liddell was a Barnsley player between 1991 and 1998 having come through the Oakwell youth system.

In addition to Sky coverage in the UK, the match is also being screened abroad with some locations listed on this page.

Saturday’s referee is Gary Sutton from Lincoln, who has shown 55 yellow and five red cards in 18 matches so far this season. Sutton’s only previous Town match came as a substitute official in the Blues’ 3-0 FA Cup victory over Chesterfield at Portman Road in January 2009 when he awarded a penalty for handball which Jon Walters scored.

Squad from: Stockdale, Lee-Barrett, Edwards, Cresswell, Wabara, Sonko, Collins, Smith, Bowyer, Andrews, Bullard, Kennedy, Martin, Murphy, Carson, Emmanuel-Thomas, Chopra, Scotland, Ellington.

Story syndicated from TWTD.co.uk

Photo: Action Images

Macclesfield Town Polls