Barnsley’s deeply disappointing home record throughout 2024 was capped off by an abject 4-0 loss against Leyton Orient in their final game of the year.

The Reds were 2-0 down at half-time, with both goals coming from corners from which they badly struggled in a terrible overall performance.

The visitors added another just after the break then another in injury-time to pile misery on Darrell Clarke and his hapless side.

Barnsley have won just six home games in the league in 2024, with four of those coming in January and February. Their last 17 home matches have brought just 15 points, and two wins.

They went down two places to ninth and are still a point off the top six.

Captain Luca Connell and Adam Phillips were not in the matchday squad. Phillips has had emergency dental treatment this week while Connell is unwell.

Connell’s replacement Matty Craig came into the starting 11 for the first time in 14 games, having been an unused substitute for the previous seven. That was the only change from last week’s win at Exeter. Mael de Gevigney replaced Connell as captain.

The visitors opened the scoring after six minutes when Ollie O’Neill’s left-wing corner was headed at the back post by Jamie Donley and it squeezed past Ben Killip into the bottom right corner.

Orient almost scored an identical second goal on 17 minutes when another O’Neill corner from the left went over everyone to the unmarked Donley who volleyed it and Killip saved comfortably.

The second goal saw Donley’s right-sided corner missed by Killip and headed in by Omar Beckles.

Darrell Clarke brought off Craig and Conor McCarthy for Kyran Lofthouse and Max Watters on 37 minutes.

Georgie Gent’s wind-assisted cross from the right hit the crossbar.

Dan Agyei’s shot was pushed away by a nervous-looking Killip after a good move and, after de Gevigney blocked a Jack Currie shot, another O’Neill corner was missed by Killip and seemed to be headed over almost on the line by Beckles.

Two minutes into the second half, Barnsley lost the ball deep in their half and Charlie Kelman went clean through but Killip saved one-on-one.

Kelman did score minutes later when he latched onto a Donley pass and lobbed Killip from the left of the box after de Geivngey left the ball for his goalkeeper.

Stephen Humphrys had Barnsley’s first shot on target on 57 minutes but his effort from the left of the box was easily held by the goalkeeper. Humphrys then played in substitute Barry Cotter but he shot over from the right of the box.

Cotter then saw a 20-yard curling effort pushed wide by goalkeeper Josh Keeley and Nwakali shot just over from a free-kick. Cotter then beat a man on the right and crossed for Watters who headed over.

Substitute Sonny Perkins added a fourth in extra time with his first touch, tapping in on the line after a cross from the right was pushed onto him by Killip.

Barnsley (3-5-2): Killip; de Gevigney, Pines, McCarthy (Watters 37mins); O’Keeffe (Cotter 60), Craig (Lofthouse 37), Nwakali, Russell, Gent; Humphrys (Cosgrove 80), Keillor-Dunn.

Unused: Smith, Benson, Yoganathan.

Orient (4-2-3-1): Keeley; Galbraith, Happe, Beckles, Currie (Cooper 90+1); Pratley, Brown, Agyei (Obiero 90+1), Donley (Jaiyesimi 80), O’Neill (Perkins 90+1); Kelman.

Unused: Phillips, Sweeney, Simpson, Cooper, Obiero.

Yellow cards: Currie, O’Neill, Pratley.

Goals: Donley 6, Beckles 28, Kelman 53, Perkins 90+3.