Barnsley 1-1 Chesterfield

I may have criticised the players before this season but I have never felt as let down as much as at 5pm today.

Paul Hayes, Marc Richards and Martin Devaney, you should all be thoroughly ashamed of yourself.

All 3 missed gilt edged chances to wrap up a game that should NEVER have been in doubt.

Chesterfield are major contenders for Worst Team At Oakwell this season. They didn't come to attack and they didn't come to contain, they simply turned up and gave Barnsley enough chances to win 3 games never mind 1.

It all started in the very first minute when Spirerites keeper Barry Roche lost the ball in the swirling wind and skipper Paul Reid stabbed into the side netting from barely 2 yards.

It set the tone for the rest of the match.

Hayes header was cleared off the line and Chesterfield very nearly grabbed a shock lead when a stooping header from Colin Larkin was magnificently clawed out by Nick Colgan.

The first goal of what should have been many arrived after 31 minutes as The Reds grabbed their first goal in 3 games.

Hayes skinned two defenders and raced to the by-line before pulling the ball back, it clearly hit a Chesterfield hand but Brian Howard was there to ram the ball home.

That should have been the start of a real goal glut as Chesterfield simply wilted.

Early in the second half Richards raced away before been called offside, he deftly lobbed Roche and the ball ended up the net. A fan near me shouted “ He'll probably miss from 3 yards when it means something” He wasn't far wrong.

A woeful back pass allowed Richards to race clear again but he smacked the ball against the legs of Roche.

Hayes then raced clear from a Shuker ball, but with just Roche to beat he smacked it well wide.

Hayes finally summed up his lacklustre attitude ( complete opposite of his outstanding display at the Galpharm 7 days previous) when a poor defensive header saw the ball land at his feet on the edge of the area. Roche slipped, he had a clear sight of goal and just chipped it over the bar with all the passion of a dead fish.

Oakwell sensed that these sitters could be punished and they weren't wrong.

14 minutes to go and a misplaced pass from substitute Anthony McParland saw Chesterfield break away with Paul Hall who slipped a ball into the area from the by-line, which 4 Barnsley players failed to clear and Derek Niven drove the ball past Colgan.

Barnsley had one last chance when a Tommy Wright knockdown was spilled by Roche but Chesterfield cleared off the line.

Quite simply this team after all its mid-season promise just doesn't seem up to it.

Paul Hayes and Marc Richards are a laughable strike partnership. Hayes does, at time, create some good opportunities but Richards season has gone dramatically downhill since his one man shot at Nottingham Forest and his confidence is rock-bottom.

Speaking of Forest, they have today closed the gap on the top six to just 2 points and are fast coming up on the rails. Today's point unbelievably put The Reds back into 6^th spot with everybody from 3^rd to 6^th all losing. That tells its own story of this league whilst the fact that Chesterfield had lost their previous 5 games and 8 of their last 9 tells its own story of Barnsley F.C. Unless the strikers start scoring again we WILL miss out on the play-offs.

Player Ratings:

Nick Colgan: Pulled of one world class save in the first half but again rarely troubled. Had no chance with the goal. 7

Neil Austin: Strong and committed as usual. You could see the disappointment he felt at the final whistle. 8

Antony Kay: Another colossal display and is now hitting some real form at a crucial time. 9

Paul Reid: His kicking was abit awry in a strong wind but was strong again in the air. The Kay-Reid partnership is now looking better than Reid-Carbon. 7

Paul Heckingbottom: Fine game today. Defended well and got forward whenever possible. Devaney's laziness meant he was often doing two jobs at once. Subbed. 8

Martin Devaney: Total waste of time and space today. Just didn't look interested or up for a fight. He might as well have not been on the field. 4

Stephen McPhail: Again the instigator of Barnsley's attacks. His tackling was also superb and on this form there's no better midfielder in League One. 9

Brain Howard: Took his goal extremely well and him and McPhail bossed the midfield. 8

Chris Shuker: Came alive in parts but always kept his head up and kept fighting. Just needs a bit of luck now. Subbed. 6

Paul Hayes: Missed two great opportunities but had more of an impact than his “strike” partner. Chipping over with an open net is unforgivable at this stage of the season though. 6

Marc Richards: Again the main culprit. Missed great chances and spent most of his time either on the deck or with his arms in the air complaining. 5

Substitutes:

Anthony McParland ( for Shuker 75): His mistake set up the Chesterfield move for the equaliser but I refuse to judge the kid until he gets at least 45 minutes. 6

Tommy Wright ( for Heckingbottom 79) His nod down nearly presented Barnsley with a last gasp winner but doesn't look the answer to our scoring problems. 6

Unused Substitutes: Scott Flinders, Bobby Hassell, Robbie Williams

Sponsors Man of the Match: Antony Kay

Barnsley Boy's Man of the Match: Was another tie between Kay and McPhail for me but because the sponsors went for Kay Ill pick McPhail.

Coca Cola League One results Saturday 8^th April 2006.

Barnsley 1-1 Chesterfield

Brentford 1-1 Bradford

Gillingham 2-0 Huddersfield

Nottingham Forest 1-0 Colchester

Oldham 1-2 Milton Keynes Dons

Port Vale 3-2 Swansea

Rotherham 2-0 Tranmere

Scunthorpe 2-2 Bournemouth

Southend 2-1 Blackpool

Swindon 1-1 Hartlepool

Walsall 0-3 Bristol City

Yeovil 3-0 Doncaster

Barnsley lie in 6^th place in League One with 63 points from 41 games. We are in the Play-Offs on goal difference, 6 points off the Automatic Promotion Places, 14 points off First Place and 18 points clear of the Relegation Zone.

Next Up:

On The Road:

Oldham Athletic v Barnsley Saturday 15^th April 2006 Kick-Off 3pm

Tickets:

Purchased before the day:

Adults: £21

Senior Citizens: £11

Under 16s: £11

Under 12s: £3

Purchased on the turnstiles:

Adults: £22

Senior Citizens: £12

Under 16s: £12

Under 12s: £4

Official Reds on the Road coaches will be making the trip to Boundary Park.

Tickets: £9. The coach leaves Oakwell at 12:15pm on the day of the game.

At Oakwell:

Barnsley v Southend United Monday 17^th April 2006 Kick- Off 3pm (Easter Monday)