Leyton Orient Vs Barnsley: McGoldrick hat-trick seals 3-1 win
In a decisive League One result, leyton orient vs barnsley saw veteran David McGoldrick score a hat-trick as Barnsley ran out 3-1 winners at Leyton Orient. The 38-year-old opened the scoring early, Dylan Levitt equalised, and McGoldrick added a second-half brace to complete the victory.
Leyton Orient Vs Barnsley match facts
Match ends, Leyton Orient 1, Barnsley 3. The result left Barnsley victorious at Leyton Orient in League One after McGoldrick netted three times. He opened the scoring inside 10 minutes with a right-footed shot into the bottom corner. Dylan Levitt levelled for Orient with a free-kick from outside the box after 20 minutes. In the second half Barnsley started brightly and McGoldrick notched his second when he pounced from a corner after 53 minutes. Nine minutes later McGoldrick completed his hat-trick with a left-footed shot, taking his tally to 10 goals in nine games and leaving Orient in relegation trouble.
Match turning points and moments
Barnsley had lost at Yorkshire rivals Huddersfield last week but made a positive start at Leyton Orient. The key moments were McGoldrick's early opener, Levitt's set-piece equaliser and the two second-half strikes that sealed the game. The sequence of events includes an attempt blocked when Will Forrester's right-footed shot from outside the box was blocked, assisted by Michael Craig; Josh Koroma won a free kick in the defensive half for Orient; and a corner was conceded by Eoghan O'Connell.
Team news and injuries
Leyton Orient remain unable to call on Rarmani Edmonds-Green, Idris El Mizouni, Jordan Graham and Aaron Connolly due to ongoing long-term injuries. Toby Oluwayemi joined goalkeeper Daniel Bachmann in the treatment room recently, meaning Will Dennis should again get the nod between the sticks. Talismanic forward Dominic Ballard continued to lead the line for Orient, having ended a five-game drought last weekend to move onto 16 goals for the season in League One. Barnsley head south with a relatively clean bill of health other than the ongoing absences of Josh Earl and Tawanda Chirewa. Following the January departure of Davis Keillor-Dunn, veteran David McGoldrick continued to lead the attack.
Head-to-head and League One stats
Leyton Orient have won two of their last three league games versus Barnsley (L1), the same number of victories as across their prior 10 meetings with the Tykes combined (D4 L4). After Barnsley's 3-2 win in the reverse fixture in December, the Tykes were looking to complete a first league double over Leyton Orient since the 1981-82 season. Leyton Orient have lost each of their last two home league games and would be aiming to avoid losing three in succession within the same season for the first time since February 2022, when they suffered five defeats.
Barnsley form and table context
Barnsley's 2025-26 League One season under Conor Hourihane has been defined by inconsistency: 41 points from 30 outings, from 11 wins and 11 defeats, with 52 goals conceded at the time noted. Barnsley had won over Peterborough United before travelling to face Huddersfield, where they fell to a 2-1 defeat despite McGoldrick giving them the lead; Ryan Ledson levelled and Ryan Hardie scored a 74th-minute winner at the Accu Stadium. That run left Barnsley 15th, 11 points off the playoffs and seven above the drop zone, albeit with games in hand. Barnsley had failed to win any of their last eight away league games (D3 L5), their longest run since a nine-match stint between March and August 2022, and had lost each of their last four away league matches against sides from London, last enduring a longer run in the capital between September 1997 and August 1999 (eight defeats).
Venue and ticketing notes
Leyton Orient welcomed Barnsley to the BetWright Stadium on Saturday. PAY ON THE DAY AT BETWRIGHT STADIUM was listed among match information ahead of the fixture. The preview build-up noted Orient were aiming to move clear of the bottom four after a crucial win last weekend at Northampton Town, where they led 2-0 through Dominic Ballard and James Morris and held on for a 2-1 victory after Tom Eaves halved the hosts' deficit on the hour mark. That win moved Leyton Orient a place above the drop zone, leading those sides by two points in the fight for survival.
Last Updated 28th February 2026 at 15: 44. Please Note: All times UK. Tables are subject to change. The is not responsible for any changes that may be made.
Match summary: leyton orient vs barnsley ended 1-3, with David McGoldrick the decisive figure after a first-half opener, a Dylan Levitt free-kick equaliser and a second-half brace that completed the Tykes' victory.
