Analysis of Barnsley's 2-1 win at Burton Albion. The Reds took the lead through Luca Connell's excellent free-kick then, after the hosts levelled in the 88th minute, substitute Stephen Humphrys won it in the 90th.
HUMPHRYS SECURES EPIC WIN
A 90TH-MINUTE winner, in a thunderstorm, right in front of the away end, by a new signing with his first goal for the club, after conceding in the 88th minute. There are not many more epic ways to win a football match.
It was a much-needed boost for the Reds and their fans after a tough week looked likely to end with a frustrating draw.
But Stephen Humphrys headed a fine Corey O’Keeffe cross into the bottom right corner then led raucous celebrations in front of a jubilant away end, only matched by the pure joy in the Barnsley dugout.
It was Humphrys’ third substitute appearance of the week as he attempts to catch up in terms of fitness having had no pre-season.
It is hoped he will provide regular goals and assists as well as the larger-than-life personality that the Reds have perhaps lacked since the exit of James Norwood last year.
Humphrys admitted fault for the equaliser two minutes earlier when - playing on the right due to Barry Cotter cramping up - he did not block a cross by ex-Red Tomas Kalinauskas and Jack Cooper-Love got in front of Marc Roberts to head home.
He also said there was more to come from him, and that a fitter version would have taken a chance for 3-1 when denied by the goalkeeper one-on-one. But it was certainly a big day for him, and the strikers department in general which has been low on goals so far this season.
REDS SHOW CHARACTER AFTER TOUGH WEEK
When the Reds conceded an 88th-minute leveller, to a side who had barely threatened all game, Darrell Clarke’s accusations of his team being ‘flaky’ and having a ‘soft underbelly’ looked set to be repeated.
But they reacted extremely well and forced the winner, showing real character and a will to win which bodes well.
They had suffered harrowing defeats, in different ways, at Stevenage and Manchester United – conceding ten and scoring none – during a tiring week with a long trip down south followed by a draining thrashing by the Premier League giants.
The Reds wanted to repay the supporters after almost 7,000 made the journey to Old Trafford four days earlier to watch a calamitous performance in a 7-0 loss. The roughly 1,500 who travelled to Staffordshire will also remember this game, for more positive footballing reasons.
Those moments bond the team and the fans and, although they need to play better overall, the never-say-die attitude will be vital if they are to be promoted.
The weather certainly added to the drama, with the rain pouring down in the final minutes while the roar from the away end was not quite as loud as the thunderclaps in the sky before flashes of lightning provided an electric backdrop to the post-match interviews.
REDS IMPROVE THROUGHOUT POOR MATCH
This was a poor game lit up by memorable moments but Barnsley grew throughout and probably just about deserved to win without being near their best.
The Reds were disappointing early on. They played two number tens, Adam Phillips and Davis Keillor-Dunn - who had missed training all week after his partner had a baby - behind striker Sam Cosgrove as they matched their hosts in a 3-4-2-1. It didn’t work for the first half an hour, with their attacking midfielders barely involved while Cosgrove could not hold onto the ball up front. Connell was playing far in front of defensive midfielder Matty Craig, almost between Phillips and Keillor-Dunn, but is not a natural attacking midfielder and that left a gap in the middle of the pitch where Burton kept collecting the ball.
The Reds, who could find no rhythm in that early spell, addressed the problem with potentially a bit of gamesmanship. Goalkeeper Gabriel Slonina went down apparently needing treatment at the exact time the Reds felt they needed a mini team talk on the sidelines. Clarke spoke animatedly to his ten outfield players. After that, they were more robust and compact in their formation, took the lead through a moment of magic then were better after the break and missed a few chances to extend their lead. The forward players improved then were replaced by substitutes who also made an impact.
CONNELL PROVIDES MOMENT OF MAGIC
A poor first half contained one real moment of quality.
Visiting captain Luca Connell won a free-kick almost 30 yards out after being hauled down by opposition skipper Elliot Watt, then drilled it brilliantly into the bottom left corner.
It was his side’s only shot on target in a first half when they otherwise struggled for inspiration in attack.
Connell, playing in a more attacking role this season, already has two goals in seven games after netting three across the previous two seasons. If the former Celtic man - who also has two assists - can add regular goal contributions to his passing range and combative midfield qualities, he will become even more of an asset for the club. Connell - who also scored at Burton last season - came off midway through the second half, thought to be due to fatigue after a draining week. His replacement Josh Benson played well.
There were other good performances. Centre-backs Josh Earl and Mael de Gevigney were both booked in the first 20 minutes - with Earl now one yellow off a ban - but both had solid games. In between them, Marc Roberts lost the ball clumsily a few times but also came up with some important interventions - summing up his hit and miss second Reds spell so far. In general, the Reds defended well.
REDS MAKING IDENTICAL START TO LAST SEASON
Barnsley also played Burton in the seventh game of last season - a 2-0 home win.
In both campaigns, they had four wins, a draw and two defeats at this point.
There are also similarities in that they haven’t played particularly well in a number of matches and there are plenty of questions still to answer, while their away form is so far better than at home.
Burton, other than their late leveller, had no good chances as they remained winless in six games this season. They signed 23 players in the summer but their 18-man squad had played just 16 games above League One level between them.
The quality of opposition is now set to step up, in theory, as Barnsley host fellow top ten sides Stockport and Wycombe next week before visiting Michael Duff’s Huddersfield Town. They will have to play better to keep winning but this morale-boosting victory and the belief they gained will certainly help.
