Analysis of Barnsley's 1-0 home loss to Stevenage. The visitors scored on 92 minutes.
REDS SHOW INCONSISTENCY WHICH HAS DOGGED THEM ALL SEASON
THE HALF-TIME entertainment at Oakwell on Saturday was a penalty shoot-out between a bowling pin mascot of a tenpin chain and the Reds’ own Toby Tyke.
The blow-up pin deflated, causing some panic for the person inside, while Toby’s shoe flew off while kicking the ball, and the announcer seemed totally perplexed by the whole event. It was hilarious and far more enjoyable and entertaining for the home fans than what came before and after.
They too were left deflated by a pitifully flat and inept performance by the hosts who have now lost back to back games after they looked to be turning their season around with four straight wins.
The wild inconsistency of performances and results is putting a real question mark over their promotion credentials despite them staying in the top six.
Stevenage could not have been more mid-table – ten points off the top six and ten above the relegation zone. They kept a 14th clean sheet in the league this season – the most in the division – while Barnsley have kept the third fewest with four. Stevenage have not conceded in six away games in all competitions. They were the lowest scorers in the division and had netted just three away from home all season and none in 97 days since October. But they deservedly won late on and have beaten Barnsley three times in the last nine months.
Darrell Clarke has not beaten Stevenage in nine attempts as a manager – drawing five and losing four – or Alex Revell in six meetings. He admitted he feels like his inconsistent side is constantly ‘going back to square one.’
BARNSLEY JUST TOTALLY OFF IT IN ALL DEPARTMENTS
Barnsley were very bad.
There were often large gaps in the home defence, their midfield could not get any control of the game and their strikers were isolated. Generally their passing was terrible while they lacked energy, intensity and cohesion.
Barnsley had arguably delivered their best performance on the ball of the season a week earlier at Bristol Rovers, despite losing, but this one of the worst.
The Reds offered next to nothing in attack, with their only shot on target an 83rd-minute effort from Georgie Gent at a tight angle which was beaten away.
Although it was a dull match, Stevenage were the better and more creative side overall, having seven shots on goal and at least looking capable of scoring.
The Reds had some spells when they controlled the game – in the middle of the first half and the first half hour of the second – but they mainly threatened through set pieces which Stevenage are adept at defending and they dealt with all Corey O’Keeffe’s corners and free-kicks fairly easily.
Clarke said he was ‘speechless’ with a performance that was ‘miles off the standard and quality needed to be top six club.’ He added that they ‘need help’ in the transfer window.
POOR PERFORMANCES THROUGHOUT
There were poor performances throughout the team.
Defender Mael de Gevigney was not in the squad due to an ankle injury, ending a 63-match run of playing every minute of Barnsley’s league fixtures since September 2023 - the longest by an outfielder since Nicky Eaden in the 1990s.
He was replaced by Conor McCarthy who was sloppy at times, gifting the visitors chances throughout.
Next to him, Marc Roberts has so far not looked the same player since returning from injury and lost the ball numerous times while also being beaten easily. At 0-0, Roberts looked to have pulled Jake Young back when behind the Reds defence but got away with it. Josh Earl was the best of the back three.
In midfield, Adam Phillips had a poor match, starting with losing the ball in his half within minutes and not getting much better. He was taken off early but still named man of the match on the PA system which was met with laughter from the stands.
In contrast, his namesake for Stevenage Daniel Phillips had an excellent game - appearing to unsettle the home midfield with some strong early tackles then passing very well during some of Stevenage’s best moves.
Luca Connell struggled like Adam Phillips, having moved to the left of the midfield three with Kelechi Nwakali playing the holding role after replacing Jon Russell.
Up front, Davis Keillor-Dunn was the only home player to have any shots in the first 80 minutes as he saw a first half effort blocked by his former Oldham team-mate Carl Piergianni, who dominated defensively, then fired well wide twice from long-range after the break.
Max Watters made just 13 touches in the whole game while substitute Stephen Humphrys added some energy and impetus without any end product.
HOME FORM ISSUE NOT GOING AWAY
The home form issue just isn’t going away for the Reds.
After winning twice at the start of 2025, this performance was almost as bad as they have been this season - other than the 4-0 loss to Leyton Orient.
They have 17 points from 14 home games, the 17th best record in the division.
The Reds still have not won three successive home games since they won nine in a row under Michael Duff in 2023.
Duff’s team’s 13 wins in 14 games have been followed by 13 in 39.
It is no wonder the fans are fed up and, after staying quiet during most of the game, there were some loud boos at full-time which Clarke said were justified.
He said ‘some players look mentally shot at home’ and there does appear to a psychological block to collecting regular points at Oakwell - a massive issue that cannot seemingly be solved.
REDS HAVE CONCEDED MOST LATE GOALS IN ENGLAND
The Reds have conceded 15 goals after 75 minutes this season - the most in English professional football.
Clarke says it is because he wants to attack when games are close late on, but there are also significant elements of defensive frailty and a lack of game management.
The winning goal saw substitute Gent lose the ball.
He had come on for home debutant Neil Farrugia who had been one of the few positive home players but had struggled with injury all week. Gent received a pass from Humphrys and tried to play a long ball down the left wing to Russell but it was easily intercepted.
Stevenage worked it to Luther James-Wildin whose right-wing cross lobbed the stranded goalkeeper Ben Killip who - after having another good game overall - could only watch helplessly as his former Hartlepool colleague Dan Kemp headed in almost on the line.
The unmarked Kemp ran behind Roberts who tried to pass him on to O’Keeffe who could not catch up with him.
Gent has been generally blamed for the goal, and it was a mistake, but it was poor all-round by the Reds and others were lucky they were not punished for mistakes earlier.
