BARNSLEY will play host to York City in the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy tonight hoping to avoid their longest run of consecutive defeats since 1959.

Saturday’s embarrassing 1-0 FA Cup exit at non-League Altrincham was the Tykes’ sixth successive loss and it’s more than 56 years since the South Yorkshire club went on a worse run.

Back then, they suffered an eight-game sequence in the old Second Division, although their opponents during that spell included the likes of Liverpool, Ipswich, Sunderland and Derby.

Altrincham, meanwhile, have followed Sky Bet League One adversaries Coventry (3-4), Scunthorpe (0-2), Fleetwood (0-1), Walsall (0-2) and Southend (1-2) in piling on the misery for underfire former Oldham boss Lee Johnson, who was appointed at Oakwell in February.

The Tykes last lost six games on the trot in a season at the start of the 1986/87 campaign and this evening’s competition has offered the only respite during a struggle of eight defeats in nine contests, their only positive result coming with a 2-1 victory over Bradford City at Valley Parade.

In the league, Barnsley have lost seven on the spin – a tally which is just two short of the club record set in 1952/53 and the team lie third-bottom with only Colchester (34) having shipped more goals than the 27 conceded by Johnson’s men in the division.

At home, meanwhile, the Oakwell outfit are hoping to avoid a fourth consecutive defeat in front of their own fans - a fate they last suffered in a single season during the 2007/08 campaign.

Barnsley have endured defensive problems all term and have managed just one clean sheet in 16 matches.

At the other end of the pitch, Sam Winnall is the joint-top scorer on four goals with centre-back Alfie Mawson, who finished third in last season’s League Two Player of the Year contest while on loan at Wycombe from former club Brentford.

Ex-Scunthorpe striker Winnall is without a goal in eight matches but on-loan Swindon striker Michael Smith, who has impressed against the Minstermen in the past for AFC Wimbledon, should return to boost the hosts’ attack.

Smith was not given permission by his parent club to play at the weekend but, having not featured in the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy this term and Swindon already out of the tournament, he is expected to figure.

Trio Lloyd Isgrove, Conor Hourihane and Conor Wilkinson could also come into contention after being introduced from the bench at the weekend but midfielder Josh Scowen has joined long-term absentee Ryan Williams on the sidelines.

Australian Williams was signed from Fulham for a six-figure sum in the summer but has only made on appearance due to a groin problem.

Barnsley (probable): Davies, Wabara, G Smith, Mawson, Nyatanga, Watkins, Hourihane, Isgrove, Pearson, M Smith, Winnall.