Analysis of Barnsley's 4-1 win over Bolton at Oakwell. Jon Russell and Fabio Jalo scored two goals each.

HOURIHANE’S HARD WORK FINALLY PAYS OFF WITH WIN

THE WORK Conor Hourihane and his staff had been putting in over exactly a month since the sacking of Darrell Clarke suddenly brought its first real reward with this surprising and spectacular thrashing of a promotion-chaser.

Hourihane could not have done much more behind the scenes to make a good impression and take the permanent job. There are stories of him turning up at the club at around 4am to start preparations in those first few days in charge, while he has shown boldness to play academy players and instilled a discipline around the club exemplified by not using Adam Phillips for two games after he missed a meeting.

All that, plus his aura as a former top level player, his legendary status from his first Oakwell spell and his obvious coaching talent make the driven Irishman an impressive candidate.

But he also needed to win games and, after taking just two points from five including far easier fixtures in theory than this one, the team carried out his gameplan nearly to perfection to dismantle Bolton.

Hourihane clearly knew one win was not to be over-celebrated - turning down fans’ suggestions to lead the three ‘hurrahs’ after each victory.

But, if he can back this up with a few more wins while the head coach search goes on, it will be hard to ignore him and many supporters will get behind him.

This fixture last season was a turning point as Barnsley then suffered a huge collapse in form from which they have arguably still not recovered. They had only taken a point per game in 26 home matches since, sacked two head coaches and become trapped in mid-table this season.

But this excellent win suggested it could potentially be another turning point, this time in the right direction. They played exciting attacking football and put in a true team performance.

The Reds avoided equalling the eight-game winless run in the third tier under Lee Johnson in 2015, when Hourihane was a player, and can no longer equal an unwanted club record for five home wins in a 46-game season.

Now they have just two home matches left this season, against sides lower than them in Peterborough and Shrewsbury, who will probably be relegated by then. A positive end to the campaign, especially at Oakwell, will at least hint a bright future ahead.

FIRST HOME LEAGUE WIN OVER BOLTON SINCE ‘97

Barnsley completed their first double against Bolton since the 1982/83 season and got their first league win over them at Oakwell in nine attempts since 1997 when Eric Tinkler and Georgi Hristov netted in the Premier League.

They had met in the play-offs in the two previous seasons and this result may mean neither side extends their season into mid-May.

Bolton fell to three points off sixth and, while their fans' chants of ‘League One again’ were perhaps slightly hasty, their promotion ambitions suffered a real blow.

It was an excellent performance by Barnsley – as they looked comfortable in the new 4-3-3 formation – with some really impressive individual stories within it.

The first half was one of their best of the season, as they were by far the better team and played some excellent football. You would never have known that it was the visitors who had a chance of the top six as the hosts looked by far the more energetic and motivated.

Bolton, who played in midweek while the Reds did not, made a triple change on 38 minutes and had some chances just before the break then started the second half well.

But – despite playing a side who had fallen apart after the break so many times this season – they didn’t create enough clear chances to get back in the game and were undone at the other end by two more goals.

JALO SHOWS MORE THAN A GLIMPSE OF HUGE TALENT

Fabio Jalo has been around Barnsley’s first team squad for three years and is approaching his 50th appearance, mainly in cameos.

So it is easy to forget he is only 19 and this was just his third league start.

But the immense talent that he had shown only in glimpses previously was revealed more fully with an excellent two-goal showing.

The Portugal under 20 international – who came into the 11 for the injured Max Watters – was lively from the start in a right wing role, running at the away defence and working extremely hard to win the ball back.

We have been waiting for him to fully break through and become a first team regular and this could be the game that leads to that.

Jalo’s first goal was a clever set piece routine, the kind of training ground move we have seen several times this season including the winner at Bolton – with Jon Stead now in charge of them after Hourihane’s promotion.

The head coach called it the ‘flip around’. Davis Keillor-Dunn looked set to take a central free-kick 40 yards out then, at the last second, left it for Luca Connell who shaped to cross then passed to Adam Phillips on the left flank who did put the ball in the box. The Bolton defenders had to adapt to the change within a few seconds from right-footer to left-footer to right-footer on the wing, whereas the attackers knew what was coming so suddenly were in space in the box. It was a fine cross which picked out Josh Earl at the back post and he volleyed across goal for Jalo to tap in having been totally unmarked throughout.

His only previous league goal – at home to Reading one day shy of a year previously - was a header from a long throw but his trademark is more eye-catching goals, like his second.

Connell won the ball and Jon Russell moved it on to Keillor-Dunn who played Jalo in on the left to chop inside and out past bamboozled ex-Red Gethin Jones before smashing home.

UNSUNG HERO RUSSELL ONTO 8 GOALS

Russell can often be an unsung hero in Barnsley’s team but netted the first and fourth goals in this win.

He did not start any of the first ten league games this season but has been in the 11 for 30 of the last 32, making the left-sided box-to-box midfield role his own.

His brace took his tally for the season up to eight, the third most in the Reds’ squad and the second highest from open play.

For the opener, Russell received a pass from Earl about 35 yards from goal and charged to the edge of the box, skipping past a defender then finding the bottom right corner.

It was a fine goal which deservedly capped a bright start for the hosts and set the tone for dominant display.

Russell has scored four goals from outside the box this season, with only two players netting more in the division.

He made sure of the win late on in a move that involved his fellow midfielders. Phillips was picked out by Connell on the right of the box and impressively brought the ball down before standing up a cross to the back post where Russell rose highest to head home. Connell had taken a free-kick on the right wing swapped passes with Roberts and Corey O’Keeffe before playing the ball into the box.

OTHER BIG PERFORMANCES

There were good performances throughout for the Reds.

Connell and Phillips looked refreshed following their two-game break from the first 11 and back to near their best, being involved in most of the goals. Phillips recorded his seventh assist of the season while Keillor-Dunn, playing as a ‘false nine’ between the two wingers, collected his sixth assist to add to his 16 goals. It is the most goal contributions in all competitions since Kieffer Moore in 2018/19.

Stephen Humphrys was booed throughout by the Bolton fans due to his history with Wigan but put in another whole-hearted display, winning the free-kick for the second goal.

Teenager Jonathan Bland played at right-back with O’Keeffe benched after making 31 straight league starts but also a series of errors recently. Bland coped well with the pacy Jordan Osei-Tutu, while left-back Earl – who replaced the banned Mael de Gevigney – returned from injury and assisted the first two goals.

Conor McCarthy had a couple of nervy moments but in general formed a sold centre-back partnership with Marc Roberts, while Hourihane praised goalkeeper Kieren Flavell for his kicking.