Barnsley produced their best performance for a very long time as they beat Bristol Rovers 3-0 at home on Tuesday evening. A score line that quite frankly flattered the visitors such was the reds domination.
Goals in the first quarter of an hour from Devante Cole and Jordan Williams put the Reds in control then Josh Benson got yet another goal for himself early in the second half.
Barnsley were by far the better side throughout, creating plenty of chances and overwhelming their visitors who never threatened the home goal. I cannot remember the last time I witnessed such a one sided display.
Reds Gaffer Michael Duff made two changes from the side that lost at Derby County on Saturday as Cole and Robbie Cundy came in for James Norwood and Conor McCarthy.
The Reds were truly excellent in the first half, dominating the ball, outmuscling their visitors and playing some fine football to create a whole host of chances.
It only took the reds until the third minute to take the lead when Callum Styles ran down the left wing into the box and played a clever pass for Cole who blasted a powerful shot from a tight angle past the goalkeeper and in. It was his first league goal since last October. My initial thought was that he should have hit it earlier and he had made the angle too tight but he certainly proved me wrong.
Cole, who possibly had his best game in red shirt, almost got a second goal soon after when he latched onto a fine lofted pass by Benson but goalkeeper James Belshaw tackled him outside the box.
Benson then headed wide from Luca Connell’s right-wing corner before Cole was put in a very similar position to the one he scored from, after fine passes by Luke Thomas and Styles, but choose to cross and it was cleared.
Styles then let fly from 25 yards but his powerful effort was pushed away by the goalkeeper, then Cole who was always in the thick of the action dragged wide just inside the box.
Rovers made a triple change at the break to try and muster a way back in to the game, but they conceded again when Benson chested the ball down 25 yards out and brilliantly found the bottom right corner for his third goal in as many games across six days.
Thomas almost got fourth when he was gifted the ball in the Rovers box and tried to round the goalkeeper who just got a brilliant hand to it.
By far and away the best Reds performance for well over a year and if we play like this more often than not then we will certainly be in the promotion mix at the end of the season. Bristol Rovers were poor but I think that is because we made them look poor so credit for the performance and victory has to go entirely to the Super Reds.
Barnsley (3-4-1-2): Collins; Andersen, Cundy, Kitching; Williams (McCarthy 74mins), Connell, Benson, Styles; Thomas (Wolfe 74); Aitchison (Norwood 61), Cole (Marsh 83).
Unused: Wallton, Oduor, Hondermarck.
Goals: Cole 3, Williams 14, Benson 56.
Bristol Rovers (4-2-3-1): Belshaw; Anderson (Kilgour 84mins), Connolly, Hoole, Gordon (Gibson HT); Finley (Loft 67mins), Coutts (Whelan HT); Evans(Rossiter HT), Collins, Saunders; Marquis,.
Unused: Jaakkola, Lawrence.
Yellow cards: Coutts, Finley, Marquis, Connolly.
