Football: Barnsley aiming to maintain record

Barnsley hope to maintain their 100 per cent record when they take on Queen's Park Rangers at Oakwell today. The South Yorkshire side are two points clear at the top of the Nationwide League First Division, with a game in hand on their three nearest rivals Bolton, Norwich and Tranmere.

"It's been a wonderful start," admitted their manager Danny Wilson, the former Sheffield Wednesday and Northern Ireland midfielder who succeeded Mel Machin in July 1994.

"It's been down to hard work in pre-season and total commitment from the players to the club and to each other, and we've more than deserved all five victories." QPR head up the M1 still under the caretaker charge of Frank Sibley and the former Chelsea manager, John Hollins.

Second-placed Bolton are also eager to face seventh-placed Portsmouth at Burnden Park following their 6-1 midweek thrashing of Grimsby.

Third-placed Norwich entertain Southend while Tranmere, who are fourth, head for Swindon where Rovers' player-manager John Aldridge, whose goals have brought 1-0 wins against Birmingham and Huddersfield in the last two games, will be out to put one over on his former Liverpool team-mate Steve McMahon, Swindon's manager.

Asa Hartford remains in temporary charge of eighth-placed Manchester City, who will be seeking their third win in four games after the 2-0 midweek success at Port Vale.

Port Vale meet struggling Grimsby while Stoke, handily placed in fifth, go to Birmingham. Ipswich visit Sheffield United and Bradford City go to Oxford United boosted by the arrival on loan of the Tranmere pair, Eric Nixon and Ian Moore. Charlton are at home to Reading.