It’s getting pointless when the Rovers come calling.
5 games in the last 2 seasons and 5 defeats with an aggregate score of 16-2.
I wasn’t present at the meek 2-0 cup defeat to Walsall, which manager Andy Ritchie labelled "the worst performance of the season" but this was the worst I’ve seen this term.
There was no skill and organisation so evident in the successive 2-0 victories against Mk Dons, Nottingham Forest and Bristol City prior to this game. The team simply failed to show up and whilst Doncaster weren’t exactly at their fluent best they brushed aside a meek Barnsley side with ease.
Ritchie made 2 changes from the side that claimed victory over Bristol City a week earlier. You would have thought he had replaced the entire 11 with a bunch of strangers. Matt Carbon came back into the centre of defence whilst Antony Kay who played so magnificently against City and so dreadful here went into the centre of midfield with Robbie Williams missing out. Both Kay and surprisingly Jacob Burns were the worst two players on the park and alleged Reds target Kevin Horlock and Michael McIndoe bossed proceedings. Bobby Hassell was the only player who could really come out of this game with any credit as he tried manfully to keep the team together.
Rovers keeper Alan Blayney could have taken the afternoon off as The Reds managed just ONE shot on target the whole game and the sell-out 2,400 fans who had made the trip were severely let down.
2 goals settled the game, both coming from new signing Jason Price, both set up by fellow new signing Horlock.
The first arrived after 36 minutes after a bout of head tennis eventually saw Price loop his header into the far corner past a stranded Nick Colgan.
This really killed the game and the second duly arrived 13 minutes into the second half.
Paul Green sprayed the ball across the area to a totally unmarked Price and he fired the ball across Colgan and in.
Barnsleys only real chances arrived at either end of the second half.
Hayes ball across looked destined to be headed into an open net by Richards but McIndoe bravely got their first and at the end substitute Danny Nardiello beat Blayney to a long punt but the ball trickled past the post.
On a bitterly cold afternoon there was nothing on show here to warm Barnsley hearts and performances like that will leave The Reds with NO chance of promotion.
There is no need for alarm bells to ring just yet and The Reds (with the best home record in the league) have the chance to put things right on Tuesday night when Port Vale come to Oakwell but today was simply not good enough.
Player Ratings:
Nick Colgan: Had no chance with the goals and to be honest had very little to do. The defence didn’t look confident with him today though. 6
Bobby Hassell: Only player to emerge with any credit his tackling was spot on most of the time, felt sorry for him out there. Subbed. 8
Paul Reid: Struggled with the aerial threat of Leo Fortune-West and was his usual commanding self. 6
Matt Carbon: Same as Reid, this partnership was nothing like the one that shut out Forest. 6
Paul Heckingbottom: Rarely got near the ball, didn’t do anything drastically wrong but like most just failed to show up. 5
Chris Shuker: Another ineffectual display totally marked out of the game. Subbed. 5
Antony Kay: Cool in defence last week calamitous in midfield here. Looked like a pub player and his passing was dreadful. 4
Jacob Burns: Big surprise today as him and Kay were the worst of the lot. Passing, tackling and work-rate was nowhere to be seen. 4
Brian Howard: Another player you just forgot was actually there. Booked. 5
Paul Hayes: His usually immaculate first touch deserted him today and he just couldn’t get involved, both him and Richards were starved of service. Subbed. 5
Marc Richards: His lethal scoring boots weren’t worn today, again no service but it was just pitifully poor
Substitutes:
Daniel Nardiello (for Hayes 68) Had probably Barnsley’s best chance at the end but he’s hardly the player who would call on when you need a striker to work with little service. Booked. 6
Stephen McPhail (for Shuker 72) Didn’t do anything wrong but the midfield had already been lost by the time he was brought on. 6
Tommy Wright (for Hassell 80) Only just remembered he came on! 5
Barnsley Boy’s Man of the Match: Nobody particularly shone today but for trying Bobby Hassell gets my pick.
Coca Cola League One Results: Saturday 11th February 2006
Bournemouth 0-0 Oldham
Bradford 1-1 Swindon
Bristol City 0-1 Brentford
Doncaster 2-0 Barnsley
Gillingham 1-1 Tranmere
Huddersfield 2-0 Colchester
Milton Keynes Dons 3-0 Blackpool
Nottingham Forest 1-2 Swansea
Port Vale 1-0 Yeovil
Walsall 2-2 Scunthorpe
Barnsley lie in 6th place in League One with 51 points from 31 games. We are in the Play-Offs by 3 points, 7 points off the Automatic Promotion Places and 16 points clear of the Relegation Zone.
Next Up:
At Oakwell: Barnsley v Port Vale Tuesday 14th February 2006 Kick-Off 7:45pm
This is a Category B match.
On The Road: Bournemouth v Barnsley Tuesday 28th February 2006
Tickets:
Adults: £17.00
Over 65s: £9.00
Students: £9.00
Under 16s: £7.00
Note: This is Pay On The Turnstiles only!!!!
Official Reds on the Road coaches will depart Oakwell at 12.15pm on the day of the game and the fare is £19.00.
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