Howard's on the spot for 10-goals plus

The midfielder and vice captain has converted three out of three so far from the 12 yard mark. He's the club's only scorer in the two Championship games played so far ahead of tomorrow's match with Plymouth at Oakwell.

Manager Simon Davey need not look elsewhere for a volunteer to put on the spot; problem solved.

But while the dust was settling on the 2-2 draw last week at Colchester, Davey was asked: "When can we expect a goal from open play?"

The manager was just happy the team were scoring, he claimed.

Inevitably though the longer strikers Miguel Mostto and Kayode Odejayi go without a goal, the more pressure they and the rest of the team will come under. Odejayi has forced his way into the team. Mostto found himself dropped to the bench at Colchester and replaced by Istvan Ferenczi, the only striker on the books with a goal to his credit.

His reward for opening the scoring in the Carling Cup tie against Darlington was a starting place at Colchester.

He had two good chances with headers there but missed both.

Kim Christensen came off the bench, a couple of days after the joining the club and played a part in Barnsley being awarded a second penalty at Colchester.

Quite rightly, Davey wants more from all four - the trio of new recruits and Ferenczi, scorer of six goals in 16 starts last season.

"We have brought in three new strikers this summer and we need them all to contribute goals out there," Davey stressed.

"At the moment only Istvan (Ferenczi) has one in the three games we have played. Strikers live off their goals, even though they all contributed on Saturday."

Plymouth arrive with a striker who learned his trade at Oakwell. Rory Fallon was released by Barnsley four years ago. Swansea paid 300,000 for him last summer. He went to Plymouth for the same fee in January and has already scored this season.

Plymouth manager Ian Holloway was rushed to hospital last week with a kidney stone and he missed the 1-1 home draw with Ipswich but was back at work on Monday morning and will be with the squad flying north today.