Analysis of Barnsley's 2-1 win at Exeter City. They came from 1-0 down at half-time thanks to goals by Kelechi Nwakali and Davis Keillor-Dunn.
UNCONVINCING PERFORMANCE BUT BIG RESULT AFTER LONGEST TRIP
GOOD to get it over with.
That could apply to the longest journey of the season down to Exeter, always a daunting date in the calendar but especially just before Christmas – with an impressive 349 Barnsley diehards making the 500-mile round trip to back their team down in Devon.
Or to the six-game winless run that came to an end with this victory, which also saw them cut the gap to the top six from four points to one.
Or to the first half, which was a very poor performance by the visitors and would have led to a defeat in many other games, before they managed to turn it around in a much-improved second half display.
The last time Barnsley came from behind to win was Easter Monday at Burton Albion when the away fans had chanted for Neill Collins to be sacked. There was no danger of Darrell Clarke being subjected to that at Exeter but there was frustration and some negative songs from the away end in the first half then, after the break, they were singing ‘what fun it is to see the Barnsley win away’.
It was their sixth away win of the season, putting them on course to at least match the club record of 12 they set last season.
The Grecians had been 11th in League One, three points below the eighth-placed Reds who have played an extra game. They will feel they should have gone level with Barnsley and ended their own five-game winless run, which has come against most of the top sides in the division.
REDS SHOW CHARACTER AFTER DIRE FIRST HALF
Barnsley, although they had a big chance to level against the run of play, could easily have been 2-0 down or worse at the end of a first half in which they were clearly second best.
Exeter had a clear gameplan to hit diagonal long balls over the new-look Reds defence to the wings, which worked and led to chances, as did simple passing moves through the middle.
Josh Magennis bullied the away defence early on while the likes of ex-Red Jack Aitchison had plenty of space to cause problems. City were fairly lucky to score, with Magennis’ free-kick deflecting off Jon Russell’s ankle and wrong-footing Ben Killip after Luca Connell was controversially judged to have fouled Caleb Watts inches outside the box.
In contrast, Barnsley appeared to have no real plan as they struggled to pass through Exeter or find runners when they went long, while they were extremely open and easy to play through. Their flimsy and half-hearted wall for the goal summed up their entire display before the interval.
Clarke said the whole display was the worst Barnsley had played for six games, despite not winning any of the previous matches, calling the first half ‘unacceptable’ and saying he told his players at half-time that, if they did not run harder in the second half, they would be running on the Oakwell training pitch the following morning instead.
The head coach was not happy at all after the game, as is often the case when his team wins – especially if they have not played particularly well.
He was pleased with his side’s response after the break, and obviously the result, but clearly knows they need to play much better than that consistently to challenge for the top six.
After a half-time rollicking, the Reds upped their intensity, dominated the ball and did not give their hosts any space to play for the first 15 minutes of the season half in which they scored twice.
The final half an hour was much calmer, with the Reds seeing the game out professionally – which was pleasing considering their twin vices of dropping points when winning and conceding late goals.
Exeter made a quadruple substitution midway through the second half and changed formation, which allowed them a lot more of the ball but they did not create chances until the final stages. After Vince Harper headed wide on 87 minutes, Jay Bird could have levelled in the 94th but his weak 12-yard volley was easily saved by Killip.
KEILLOR-DUNN RECOVERS FROM BIG MISS TO NET WINNER
Davis Keillor-Dunn should have levelled for the Reds totally against the run of play on 35 minutes when, after good passes by Kelechi Nwakali and Jon Russell, he went clean through on goal but shot too close to goalkeeper Joe Whitworth. It seemed to sum up his recent form and the Reds strikers’ inability to finish simple chances. But he kept going and eventually got the winner, turning in from close range after meeting a low cross on the right from Stephen Humphrys.
It was his seventh goal of the season for the Reds in all competitions, drawing him level with Adam Phillips.
Humphrys set up a goal for the second successive match, having forced an own goal against Birmingham – although he could have converted from a Keillor-Dunn cross in the early minutes.
While the Reds clearly need to strengthen in January up front – with full-back Kyran Lofthouse chosen to come on ahead of Sam Cosgrove – those two are developing into a decent partnership, and it was positive to have Max Watters back to come off the bench.
IMPRESSIVE SCORER NWAKALI GIVES CLARKE SELECTION HEADACHE
Barnsley levelled totally out of nowhere on 50 minutes thanks to a stunning strike by full league debutant Nwakali. After Exeter missed several chances to clear the ball in the their box, the Nigerian international smashed a powerful 25-yard strike into the bottom left corner.
He barely reacted to the goal as the whole team just ran back to the re-start, then, after some encouragement, led the celebrations with the away end after the match.
He had been deserving of a start for a while after impressing off the bench, and certainly took his opportunity.
As well as the goal, he completed 93.3 per cent of his 60 passes which was the most made by a Reds player. Seconds after scoring, Nwakali was clearing a dangerous cross just in front of his goal.
Nwakali replaced suspended top-scorer Adam Phillips who will be available again for the home game with Leyton Orient on Saturday.
Clarke will face a tricky choice of who to drop from the midfield three. Although Phillips has not been at his best recently, he adds a natural attacking drive they lacked at times on Saturday and will surely want at home against a relegation-battler.
Jon Russell was trying to be the more attacking midfielder at Exeter and did that well at times, holding the ball in good areas and playing some fine passes. But he also deflected in the home goal having been beaten too easily by Aitchison in the build-up. He adds extra physicality in midfield.
Luca Connell, playing on the left of the central three with Nwakali holding in midfield, was the quietest of the midfielders and did not even take corners, with Georgie Gent taking them from the right, but it would be a huge call to drop the captain.
Nwakali surely deserves to start but he also did after coming on early and Cambridge and found himself on the bench again for another month.
NEW-LOOK BACK THREE STRUGGLE EARLY BUT HELP TO SEE OUT WIN
An Irishman, an American and a Frenchman walk into a back three…
If that sounds like the start of a joke, Barnsley staff and fans weren’t laughing in the first half when their makeshift back three looked very vulnerable. But the punchline was a solid second half display and three vital points.
With usual ever-presents in the back three Marc Roberts and Josh Earl injured, Conor McCarthy and Donovan Pines have been drafted in to join Mael de Gevigney who played with a broken thumb and continues to never miss a minute in almost 60 league matches.
The last time McCarthy started a league game was a 1-1 draw with Port Vale at Oakwell on September 13, 2022, just days after Queen Elizabeth II had died and days before Liz Truss’ disastrous mini budget which led to her resignation as Prime Minister.
He injured his knee later that month and has since been either on loan at Swindon or fifth choice centre-back for the Reds – finally ending his wait for league action when he come on, then off, in the previous game against Birmingham.
He made his fifth league start for the club on the left of the back three and, after picking up a harsh yellow card in the 11th minute and struggling like most of his team-mates before the break, ending up having a solid match overall considering how long he had been out for. He now has an opportunity to resurrect a Reds career which had looked as if it could end next month with another loan out ahead of his contract expiring next summer.
Pines has also come back into the side after being on the bench for most of the season. He too struggled in the first half - making a total mess of one cross but Killip rescued him - before improving after the break.
Since Pines made his debut for the Reds, their 12 league games when he has started have brought 24 points and the 23 when he hasn’t started have seen them collect 23.
De Geivgney also had a tough first half, then was seriously tested by lively home substitute Vince Harper who beat him and Corey O'Keeffe several times. But the Frenchman’s run forward and excellent pass to Humphrys set up the winner, just like last season when he started the move that led to John McAtee’s late winner.
