BARNSLEY strolled into the second round of the FA Cup at the second time of asking, producing a thoroughly professional performance to beat Horsham 3-0 in their first-round replay.
The seventh-tier side from West Sussex had been a surprise packet in the 3-3 draw at Oakwell in the first match.
But Neill Collins’ men were in no mood to let the Isthmian League outfit show their attacking prowess a second time. And their own finishing was ruthless.
Nicky Cadden and John McAtee put Barnsley 2-0 up in the first ten minutes and McAtee made it 3-0 before half time. A trip to Sutton United awaits in the second round.
With four players absent on international duty and on an unfamiliar 4G artificial surface, Barnsley needed to settle early. And inside three minutes they got the best possible start.
Adam Phillips found himself in acres of space on the right and when he drove in a cross, Horsham goalkeeper Lewis Carey seemed to get his angles all wrong. Instead of putting the ball over the crossbar for a corner-kick, he could only help it on to the far post, where Cadden was waiting to knock it into the net from close range.
That stunned the sell-out crowd of 3,000 inside the Camping World Community Stadium.
Horsham were looking to reach the second round for only the second time in their 142-year history and to beat a Football League side for the first time. But that task began to look even harder seven minutes later as Barnsley doubled their lead.
Aiden Marsh found himself confronted by two defenders out on the left. But neither got close enough to prevent him from getting his cross in and McAtee was unmarked three yards out to meet the ball with his right foot and volley in off Carey.
Barnsley put the game further out of Horsham’s reach after 27 minutes. Jack Brivio was caught out by a long forward pass from Jordan Williams and McAtee took one touch before spotting Carey well off his line and chipping the ball nonchalantly into the empty net.
Horsham boss Dominic Di Paola needed to produce an inspirational team talk at the interval and whatever he said, it had an instant effect. Suddenly his players took the game to the visitors and both Lucas Santos Rodrigues and Daniel Ajakaiye tested Barnsley goalkeeper Ben Killip.
But only an excellent save by Carey at the other end denied Phillips a fourth Barnsley goal after 67 minutes. And Ajakaiye flicked Horsham’s best chance for a consolation goal just past the post after 77 minutes.
