The Michael Duff era got off a to a winning start with a comfortable pre-season victory 29miles down the road at Worksop Town
It is rare to see Barnsley play a friendly as early as June but in baking sunshine they roared into a 3-0 lead before half time against the Northern Premier League Division One East side.
Devante Cole who managed only two goals last season on his return to the club after six years opened the scoring in confident style after just eight minutes. Good footwork on the edge of the area by Aaron Leya Iseka saw the Belgian lay the ball off to Cole who stroked it beautifully into the far corner.
Leya Iseka got in on the act himself 20 minutes later when he turned in from close range after Clarke Oduor’s freekick was fumbled by the Worksop goalkeeper.
It was three after 38 minutes when Callum Brittain – often maligned for his wayward finishing lashed a shot into the roof of the net from just inside the area after the ball was laid off by Luke Thomas.
Duff made 11 changes at the break which predictably disrupted the flow of the game and it was Worksop who had the final say when Liam Hardy dispatched a penalty, sending new Reds keeper Jamie Searle the wrong way after 48 minutes.
Reds Team:
First half XI:
Jack Walton
Jasper Moon
Jason Sraha
Liam Kitching
Clarke Oduor
Callum Brittain
Matty Wolfe
Josh Benson
Aaron Leya Iseka
Devante Cole
Luke Thomas
Second half XI:
Jamie Searle
Amir Ariely
Danny Benson
Will Lancaster
Kareem Hassan-Smith
Will Hondermack
Harrison Nejman
Jordan Helliwell
Joe Ackroyd
Aiden Marsh (David Bremang 60)
Jack Aitchison (Tomas Kalinauskas 60)