What a difference four days can make. Many supporters were despondent after defeats to Crawley and Crewe (both without scoring) but The Reds got instant revenge over the Railwaymen, plundering two goals of their own to gain their first points of the 2014-2015 season.
Barnsley put to bed a bogey record against Crewe. They had lost each of their last five matches against them and this was their first league win at Gresty Road this century.
This win also ended a run of six defeats in all competitions.
On Tuesday night Barnsley went in at half time 1-0 down courtesy of a Billy Waters goal…. And they did again today.
Barnsley won their first away match of the season for only the third time in 17 years. They also managed it in 2006 and 1997. In each of these three campaigns Barnsley started the season at home and lost.
The Reds came from 1-0 down to win a match for the first time since February 2013, a run of SIXTY SEVEN matches.
The last time was a 2-1 win over Wolves when Chris Dagnall and Jacob Mellis cancelled out a Bjorn Sigurdarson strike at Oakwell. You have to go all the way back to November 2010 for the last time they did it on the road, winning 2-1 at Preston when Adam Hammill and Garry O’Connor cancelled out Craig Morgan’s early effort.
In that match The Reds did go in at the break at Deepdale level at 1-1. The last time Barnsley were behind at half time away and won was….. the FA Cup win at Liverpool six years ago. Last time it happened in the league? 2006 when The Reds last won their first two away games of a season.
If only The Reds could sort out their home form. Barnsley have failed to win any of their last eight home games, losing seven, and each of their last four wins have all come away from Oakwell.
Leroy Lita lived up to the hype, scoring on his league debut to haul Barnsley level. Captain Martin Cranie also grabbed his first goal for the club.. on his 81st appearance.
Another really bright point for Barnsley is that the three substitutes that came on today all emerged from the Barnsley Academy. 19 year old Rhys Oates made his debut for the club.
Crewe remain pointless after also losing 2-1 on the opening day.
Barnsley Team:
Adam Davies
Reece Brown
Martin Cranie (YC)
Lewin Nyatanga
Joe Dudgeon
Keith Treacy
James Bailey
Connor Hourihane
Luke Berry
Sam Winnall (YC)
Leroy Lita
Substitutes:
James Bree (for Treacy 72)
Paul Digby (for Lita 78)
Rhys Oates (for Winnall 89)
Unused Substitutes:
Christian Dibble, Jean-Yves Mvoto, Dominic McHale, Nana Boakye-Yiadom.
Match Reports:
Skybet League One results Saturday 16th August 2014:
Bristol City 2-1 Colchester
Chesterfield 2-1 Rochdale
Coventry 1-0 Sheffield United
Crawley 1-0 Swindon
Crewe 1-2 BARNSLEY
Doncaster 1-3 Port Vale
Gillingham 2-0 Yeovil
Notts County 0-1 Fleetwood
Oldham 1-3 Leyton Orient
Peterborough 3-2 MK Dons
Scunthorpe 0-4 Preston
Walsall 0-0 Bradford
Barnsley lie in 15th place in the Sky Bet League One with 3 points from 2 games.
We are 1 point off the Play-Offs, 3 points off the Automatic Promotion Places, 3 points off First place and 3 points above the Relegation Zone.
Up to 16/8/14
Next Up:
On The Road:
Sky Bet League One Matchday Three: Coventry City v Barnsley, Tuesday 19th August 2014. Kick-off: 7:45pm
Tickets:
Adults £9
Over 60's £6
Under 22’s: £6
Under 16’s: £4
At Oakwell:
SkyBet League One Matchday Four: Barnsley v Gillingham, Saturday 23rd August 2014. Kick-off: 3pm
Tickets:
Adult: £20-£24
Over 65’s: £15-£18
Age 17-21: £15-£18
Age 12-16: £10
Under 12: £5