Barnsley will be hoping to climb into the top-half of the Championship table when they take on Bournemouth at Oakwell on Friday night.

Valerien Ismael's men bounced back from two straight defeats by winning at Birmingham City last time out to move even further away from danger, a gap which is now nine points.

This would appear to be one of Barnsley's toughest tests of the season, but having already beaten Watford here in recent weeks, they'll be confident of another surprise win against the Cherries.

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Especially with Bournemouth on the back of a disappointing defeat to Preston in midweek - although with both Norwich and Reading failing to win, the South Coast managed to keep their place inside the automatic promotion spots.

Jason Tindall's side have only managed to win twice on the road in their seven away games following their relegation - taking only six points from their previous five on the road.

On paper, this looks an away banker, but Barnsley are strong on home soil. But what does Sky Sports EFL expert David Prutton think will happen in South Yorkshire. He's gone for an entertaining 2-2 draw at Oakwell.

He told Sky Sports: "Valerien Ismael has done a fantastic job so far at Barnsley. The way they survived on the final day last season was fantastic, but they are looking at mid-table now it seems, which would be superb for them.

"Bournemouth have had a frustrating week, but they are still a very strong side in this league. I fancy goals in this one, but I think it will be a draw."

The Verdict

Barnsley keep coming up with the goods under Ismael, and I really fancy their impressive start under the Frenchman to continue here.

Whilst 12 places and eight points separate the two sides in the Championship standings, this is an extremely difficult assignment for Bournemouth, and one I don't think they'll pass.