Barnsley suffered their first Championship defeat of the season as they went down 1-0 at home to Luton Town on Tuesday evening.
The visitors took the lead in the fourth minute then held on during a frustrating night for the Reds who dominated the ball but struggled to create or finish chances.
Markus Schopp made two changes from the side that beat Coventry City on Saturday. Ben Williams dropped to the bench and the injured Carlton Morris was out of the squad altogether. In came full league debutant Josh Benson and Clarke Oduor who started a Championship game for the first time in 2021. Callum Styles played at left wing-back with Oduor on the left of the front three.
Barnsley had started quite brightly but conceded in the fourth minute when a low cross from the right by Elijah Adebayo was allowed to travel across the home box and be fired in 15 yards out by left wing-back Amari'i Bell.
The Reds seemed badly rattled by that goal and almost conceded another when goalkeeper Brad Collins dropped the ball on the right side of his area and Luton crossed only for ex-Red James Bree to shoot wide from the edge of the box with Collins scrambling back and men on the line.
Barnsley grew into the game and had their first chance when Romal Palmer was played in on the left of the box and, instead of pulling the ball back, saw a six-yard shot from a tight angle blocked by goalkeeper Simon Sluga.
The Reds were passing out from the back, occasionally to groans from the home fans, and Benson lost the ball on the edge of his box on 31 minutes to Admiral Muskwe who was denied on the right of the six-yard box by a good reaction stop from Collins.
Callum Brittain almost got his first Barnsley goal but, from a Dominik Frieser cross after good work by Oduor, his 15-yard shot was well-saved by Sluga diving to his right then Brittain was tackled when trying to tap in the rebound.
Luton had a big chance about 20 seconds after the break when Cameron Jerome ran onto a long ball and went clean through but miscontrolled and Collins gathered. Adebayo also went through after latching onto a loose bouncing ball but dragged a shot wide from the left of the box.
Brittain came close again on 55 minutes but his shot from just outside the box whistled narrowly wide of the bottom left corner then his cross-come-shot whizzed through the six-yard box but went wide.
Collins had to push a powerful 20-yard Henri Lansbury shot out of his bottom right corner midway through the second half. At the other end, Benson volleyed a difficult chance over the bar from 20 yards.
Kitching headed over a left-wing Benson corner on 78 minutes from six yards out as he appeared to see it late.
Styles should have levelled on 86 minutes but blazed over the bar ten yards out after Kitching brilliantly won the ball on the left and sent in a cross which was half headed clear.
Barnsley (3-4-3): Collins, mark out of ten: 7; Sibbick 6, Helik 6, Kitching 7; Brittain 7, Palmer 7 (Halme 90mins), Benson 7, Styles 6; Frieser 5 (Adeboyejo 76), Woodrow 5, Oduor 5 (Cole 56).
Unused: Walton, B Williams, Moon, Miller.
Yellow cards: Helik.
Luton (3-4-3): Sluga; Naismith, Lockyer (Osho 88), Kioso; Bree, Lansbury, Ruddock, Bell; Muskwe (Rea 88), Adebayo, Jerome (Cornick 70). Unused: Isted, Lee, Mendes, Campbell. Yellow cards: Muskwe, Adebayo, Lansbury, Cornick. Goals: Bell 4. Attendance: 12,299 (748 Luton fans).
Referee: Oliver Langford (West Midlands).
AS IT HAPPENED
  • GAME UNDERWAY
  • 7:49pm
    Callum Styles is at left wing-back as expected
  • 7:50pm
    2 Decent Reds move. Styles plays a fine pass to fellow wing-back Brittain whose cross from the right is touched by Oduor into the path of Palmer who burst down the right of the box and goes down under a tackle but no penalty is given
  • 7:51pm
    Goal for Luton
  • 7:52pm
    Amari'i Bell fires in on the the left of the box after a low cross from the right
  • 7:53pm
    The Reds had started quite brightly but they will be very disappointed with the defending for that goal as a cross was allowed to travel all the way through the box
  • 7:58pm
    Barnsley look rattled by that opener. Luton are constantly looking to open them up with accurate long passes
  • 8:01pm
    13 Barnsley have not settled down at all. Brad Collins tries to claim the ball on the right of his box but drops it and Luton cross with no goalkeeper in the net. It falls to ex Red James Bree who, with Collins scrambling back and defenders on the line, fires well wide
  • 8:04pm
    16 Slightly better from the Reds, after decent passes by Oduor and Woodrow, Styles' left wing cross is blocked. Luton try to break but Benson makes a goods tackle
  • 8:07pm
    Barnsley try to play out from the back and get in a bit of a tangle about 35 yards from goal with Styles being nudged to the floor but no foul given and Kitching has to rush in and blast the ball clear
  • 8:09pm
    21 Henri Lansbury's left-wing free-kick goes past a lot of bodies but Collins catches it
  • 8:10pm
    22 Big chance for Romal Palmer who is played in down the left of the box in plenty of space, he shoots from a tight angle and Sluga blocks
  • 8:13pm
    Barnsley have had almost all of the ball in the last five to ten minutes and the home crowd are starting to get behind them
  • 8:13pm
    Barnsley have had almost all of the ball in the last five to ten minutes and the home crowd are starting to get behind them
  • 8:16pm
    28 Reds close again. Good work by Woodrow then Styles plays in Oduor who turns in the box and looks to shoot six yards out but Lockyer makes a good tackle
  • 8:16pm
    28 Benson's corner is headed on by Helik but cleared
  • 8:18pm
    30 Luton corner on the right. The referee blows for a foul by the visitors
  • 8:19pm
    31 Chance for the visitors as Benson loses the ball on the edge of his box and Admiral Muskwe gets in on the right and his shot forces a good reactions save from Collins
  • 8:22pm
    The Reds have gifted their visitors chances while they are having to work very hard to create them at the other end
  • 8:25pm
    36 Callum Brittain so close to his first Barnsley goal. After good work by Oduor and Frieser on the right, Brittain shoots from 15 yards but Sluga gets down to his right to save. Brittain tries to get to the rebound but is tackled
  • 8:29pm
    YELLOW CARD
    Admiral Muskwe the first name in the book for clattering Palmer
  • 8:33pm
    YELLOW CARD
    Elijah Adebayo is also booked
  • 8:33pm
    Two added minutes
  • 8:33pm
    Decent move by the Reds out to Brittain who smashes a cross far too high
  • 8:35pm
    HALF-TIME: Barnsley 0, Luton 1. The Hatters scored in the fourth minute and have had chances to extend their lead, while Palmer and Brittain have forced saves for the hosts who improved after a very poor start
  • 8:53pm
    SECOND HALF UNDERWAY
  • 8:53pm
    Luton had a big chance about 20 seconds after the break when Cameron Jerome ran onto a long ball and went clean through but miscontrolled and Collins gathered
  • 8:58pm
    51 After a scrappy start to the half, Barnsley have had a good few minutes, A corner is taken short and cleared
  • 9:01pm
    Josh Benson passes the ball into the dugout with no one there. He has struggled tonight on his first Championship start
  • 9:02pm
    55 Callum Brittain comes close again! After a fine cross field pass picks him out, the right wing-back sends a 20-yard shot whistling just wide of the bottom left corner
  • 9:02pm
    Devante Cole comes on for his Championship debut in place of Clarke Oduor
  • 9:04pm
    YELLOW CARD
    Henri Lansbury booked for flooring Palmer
  • 9:06pm
    60 Another decent chance for the visitors. Elijah Adebayo latches onto a loose bouncing ball just outside the box and goes through on the left but drags a shot wide
  • 9:10pm
    Barnsley have gone really attacking. In possession, Liam Kitching is playing as a very advanced left back with Styles in the middle.
  • 9:10pm
    63 Barnsley banging on the door now. After a long spell of possession, a very clever Woodrow pass plays in Brittain on the right and his low cross whizzes through the six yard box and out
  • 9:14pm
    67 Lansbury takes a corner on the left, after some head tennis he gets it back on the edge of the box and hits a powerful shot which is well-saved by Collins down to his left
  • 9:15pm
    69 Chance for Josh Benson. A deflected Brittain cross is chested down by the midfielder just outside the box but he volleys over. Tough one
  • 9:16pm
    Luton bring on Harry Cornick for Cameron Jerome. He will be pacy on the counter attack with Barnsley throwing men forward
  • 9:20pm
    74 Barnsley have the ball in the Luton box again but Brittain's shot is blocked
  • 9:20pm
    Victor Adeboyejo is coming on
  • 9:21pm
    Dominik Frieser off for Adeboyejo
  • 9:23pm
    77 Adeboyejo's first involvement is to win a corner on the left after running onto a Kitching pass
  • 9:24pm
    77 Benson's left wing corner is headed over from Kitching six yards out. I don't think he knew much about it
  • 9:29pm
    Into the final ten minutes. The Reds have had some decent spells in this half but haven't create a good chance for a leveller
  • 9:30pm
    83 A decent move by the Reds reaches Woodrow on the edge of the box but he takes a poor touch and fouls a Luton man
  • 9:34pm
    86 Huge chance for the leveller. Callum Styles shoots over from about ten yards out after Kitching brilliantly wins the ball and sends in a cross from the left which is half headed clear
  • 9:37pm
    Six added minutes
  • 9:39pm
    YELLOW CARD
    Harry Cornick booked for kicking the ball away after he was judged to have fouled Josh Benson. Luton had plenty of men over on the counter and they are furious
  • 9:40pm
    90+2 Benson's free-kick from the left falls to Styles about 15 yards out but his shot is squeeze well wide of the left post under pressure
  • 9:42pm
    Barnsley win a corner on the left in the 96th minute
  • 9:42pm
    Brad Collins goes up for the corner
  • 9:43pm
    FULL-TIME: Barnsley 0, Luton 1. The Reds lose for the first time this season

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