Barnsley have won, yes that’s right, Barnsley have finally won a game of football, for the first time in the Championship under Poya Asbaghi. It ended a six-match losing run with a 1-0 victory at home to Queens Park Rangers on Saturday.
Watford loanee Domingos Quina netted his first goal for the club on 72 minutes to cap a good overall display for the hosts who created the better chances against their promotion-chasing visitors and deserved a much needed victory.
It was a first win in 14 league games and cut the gap to safety from eight to five points with 16 fixtures remaining. Whilst it is still likely that the reds will go down, this victory gives the fans a glimmer of hope and there a certainly 4 teams in a battle for those 3 relegation spots with Reading and Peterborough both on poor runs of form and Derby’s revival beginning to stutter slightly. This could give the reds the hope and confidence they need if there is any hope of survival.
Stat of the day: Barnsley broke a club record before the game as their changed their line-up for a 25th successive game. 25 is about the amount of positional changes Callum Styles has had this season as well, playing virtually everywhere barring keeper and centre back.
The only change from the midweek loss at Luton Town saw Jordan Williams come in for the injured Liam Kitching. And Williams was excellent throughout on the right hand side of a back three. He defended well and also burst forward when possible. His pace alongside Helik and Andersen is vital and he compliments them in much the same way Sibbick did. A much better option that Kitching in my opinion who after a promising start to his Barnsley career has been very poor for a while now.
Barnsley continued with their 3-5-1-1 formation with Styles operating as a right wing back and Bassi in support of Morris up top.
Brad Collins kept his place in goal despite a string of recent errors. And it is fair to say he looked nervous throughout but hopefully a clean sheet will have given him the confidence he needs to return to his early season form. And despite his recent mistakes and the fact that he probably did deserve dropping before this one, he is probably still our player of the season so far which probably says everything you need to know about our season.
Barnsley then played fairly well but were restricted to long-range efforts in the first half. It was an improved performance but still painful to watch as a spectacle.
Carlton Morris saw a low 25-yard shot easily saved by goalkeeper David Marshall then Josh Benson screwed a free-kick well over from a similar distance.
Collins then made a good save to push away Lee Wallace’s shot from a tight angle on the left of the six-yard box after the hosts were carved open for the first time in the 26th minute.
Williams surged forwards 50 yards from his half before shooting over from long-range. Bassi and Gomes also shot wide from 25 yards out then Benson’s effort from a similar distance was easily held by Marshall.
QPR finished the half well.
Collins dived to his left to keep out an Ilias Chair shot from the edge of the box after good work by Gray and Lyndon Dykes. Chair’s right-wing free-kick was sliced horribly wide at the back post by Yoann Barbet who was totally unmarked. Wallace then fired into the side netting from a very tight angle after a wicked cross from the right.
While Barnsley had only managed long-range shots in the first half, they opened QPR up seconds after the break when Domingos Quina played in Callum Styles on the left of the box but the goalkeeper saved at his feet.
Benson, who was truly awful throughout, then lost the ball deep in his half to Chair who played in Gray but the pass was slightly behind him and Helik got back to make a good block.
Styles shot wide from 22 yards with a low effort and Chair flashed a shot wide at the other end from slightly closer in.
Gomes missed big chance midway through the second half as he scooped a volley over 12 yards out after Quina beat a man on the right of the box then crossed.
Quina’s deflected shot from 20 yards out then bounced in off the woodwork to put Barnsley in front for the first time under Asbaghi.
Styles curled wide of the top left corner from just outside the box after Morris won the ball and Cole passed from the right wing.
QPR came close to a leveller in injury-time when Dykes was inches away from heading in Barbet’s left-wing cross.
But overall Barnsley were good value for their win. The reds certainly created more chances than QPR although not many were clear cut. And also restricted QPR to very little in terms of efforts on Collins’ goal despite them having a good portion of possession.
The effort and determination was back for the reds. The back three defended superbly. Styles and Vita as the wingbacks were terrific both going forward and defensively. Gomes has grown as the season as gone on and had a fine game in midfield. The two new lads Quina and Bassi look excellent signings and could just be the difference in us having a chance of staying up. Another big difference has been the return to the team of Morris. We look a completely different proposition with him able to hold the ball up and actually be a goal threat and that is despite him being nowhere near match fit yet. The only negative was Benson who gave the ball away countless times and even when he kept it he was too slow initially so took any forward pass out of the equation and had to go backwards or sideways. Brittain back in and Styles in midfield in place of Benson and the first eleven isn’t looking too bad then.
Reds Ratings:
Barnsley (3-5-1-1): Collins, mark out of ten: 6; J Williams 9, Helik 7, Andersen 7; Styles 9, Benson 2 (Palmer 69mins), Gomes 8, Quina 8 (Cole 80), Vita 8; Bassi 7, Morris 8.
Unused: Walton, Moon, Hondermarck, Halme, Wolfe.
Yellow cards: Quina.
Goals: Quina 72.
QPR (3-4-1-2): Marshall; Dickie, Dunne, Barbet; Odubajo, Field, Hendrick (Johansen 62mins), Wallace (Adomah 67); Chair; Gray (Austin 62), Dykes.
