Analysis from Barnsley's 4-3 loss at Leyton Orient on Good Friday. The Reds were 3-1 up thanks to a Stephen Humphrys brace and a Davis Keillor-Dunn strike but conceded three times between 68 and 74 minutes.
HOURIHANE’S FIRST GAME AS PERMANENT BOSS SUMS UP TASK AHEAD
It would have taken a remarkable game to move the big talking point of the day away from the appointment of Conor Hourihane on a permanent basis which was announced at 10.30am.
But remarkable it was as, when Davis Keillor-Dunn made it 3-1 celebrated cheekily towards the home fans on 64 minutes, it was unimaginable that his side would be losing ten minutes later then suffer a sixth defeat in nine matches.
It was also a perfect summary of where Barnsley are as a team as they showed a lot of potential, especially in attack, but threw away a promising position with dreadful defending and what looked like a group panic.
It could have been a really positive day if the appointment of a promising and popular new boss had been followed by a second successive win over a top seven team after the thrashing of Bolton.
But instead it was a painful afternoon which highlighted what we already knew. Hourihane has taken on huge task to turn the club around from a sustained slump in performances and results and have them competing for promotion again in his first head coach’s job even with the poor recent recruitment record and expected summer sales. He has worked very hard and well to get this position and it could be an exciting era, but obviously there are many issues to sort out.
The uncertainty over whether Hourihane would get the job was the narrative that seemed to be driving the remainder of the mid-table season for the Reds. The players at first played like they were revelling in the idea of a new era under their young boss but then fell apart against a side with far more to play for as Orient’s win took them into the play-off places.
It would be difficult to blame Hourihane much for the defeat. Perhaps he could have made changes earlier when his team were clearly struggling, and he brought on two full-backs in the wide forward positions. But he had very few good options on the bench due to the misshapen squad he has been given and injuries, while the players must take most of the responsibility for an inept and shambolic second half.
In Hourihane’s post-match interview - which lasted longer than it took his side to concede the last three goals - he said he hated the match after 25 minutes and that his side ‘lost their way’.
PROMOTION DREAM DIED WEEKS AGO, BUT NOW IT IS MATHEMATICALLY OVER
This result meant Barnsley could no longer mathematically finish in the top six.
That has been realistically impossible for months as they have won one in nine and taken 15 points from 18 games.
They have conceded 85 goals in all competitions this season - an absurdly high tally for a side with promotion ambitions.
Eight of those goals have been netted by Orient who followed up their 4-0 win at Oakwell in December to join Birmingham, Huddersfield, Stevenage and Mansfield in completing the double over the Reds this season.
In December, Barnsley were 12 points and 15 places ahead of Orient, but this result left them 12 points behind them.
The Reds have only taken seven points from their ten away games on the road in 2025, with two wins so far this year compared to a club record 15 in 2024. Their final away fixture is at another side in the promotion chase, Reading, on the last day of the season
DEFENSIVE SHAMBLES IN SIX-MINUTE COLLAPSE
Barnsley capitulated defensively in the second half, particularly in the six-minute spell which saw them concede three goals.
They were comically open, very loose in possession and appeared to suffer from a collective ‘head loss.’ The hosts had other chances and it felt as though they could have come back from 5-1 down if needed.
After being badly rattled early on, Orient began to create chances late in the first half and accelerated after the break - having plenty of joy with accurate long passes down the wings which the Reds could not cope with.
The first two home goals were both decent moves but Barnsley’s left-sided players, Josh Earl, Jon Russell and a hobbling Stephen Humphrys, were far too flat-footed and easy to pass through. The third was a counter-attack after Fabio Jalo passed straight to a home player then the winner was another set piece goal after they also conceded from a corner in the previous away game in Birmingham.
The scenes of despair when Josh Earl touched the winning shot past Jonathan Bland and into the bottom left corner summed up the horrible afternoon.
Dexter Lembikisa, who lost the initial battle for the winner, came on with a 3-2 lead on 71 minutes but his side were losing three minutes later. In contrast, Orient’s loan players such as Charlie Kelman and Jamie Donley were among the best on the pitch.
There were still 23 minutes left, including stoppages, after the Reds went behind but it felt like they had lost from that moment as the shell-shocked visitors did not create any chances to level.
It was a learning day for Barnsley’s youngsters who have rightly received praise for previous performances. Kieren Flavell - although he registered an assist and made some good saves – was left rooted to the spot as he watched several of the goals trickle into the left corner of his net, while the home fans targeted him after he appeared to fake an injury. Jalo was very quiet in attack and made a big error for the leveller while Jonathan Bland was lucky not to gift the hosts a goal with several first half mistakes. But the older players around them must also take responsibility.
ONE OF BEST DEFENSIVE RECORDS IN FIRST HALF, BUT BY FAR THE WORST AFTER BREAK
Barnsley had only conceded 17 goals in the first halves of their 43 games this season, with just champions Birmingham letting in fewer before the break.
But this second half collapse meant the Reds had shipped 51 in the second halves of games which was the most in English professional football.
Is that baffling difference down to fitness, squad depth, focus, inexperience, mental softness or a lack of quality? There are probably elements of all of that.
This loss meant they had dropped 22 points from winning positions, with only Burton Albion dropping more in the division.
HUMPHRYS CONTINUES GOOD FORM WITH EARLY BRACE
Orient had only conceded 16 goals in 21 home games this season but Barnsley breached their defence three times.
Stephen Humphrys netted twice in the first 20 minutes in which the Reds were excellent on the attack and played some very good football.
He has previously said that he wants to score more ‘poacher’s goals’ and these two were just that, taking his tally to four in as many games which meant he had scored as many under Hourihane as he did in more than six months under Darrell Clarke who often played him up front.
He caused major problems for Orient’s makeshift right-back Ethan Galbraith early on until Barnsley lacked the control later to keep finding him – and appears to be thriving in his left wing role.
The opener was another set piece goal for the Reds while both of Humphrys’ strikes arrived following excellent team moves which led to corners.
Keillor-Dunn played the key pass which set up both goals – first a corner then a fine crossfield ball to Marc Roberts - before netting the third which should have been the killer. He moved onto 16 for the season while Humphrys went onto eight, despite a 23-game goalless run.
Adam Phillips and Luca Connell both impressed in the first half but were overwhelmed as the turned tide spectacularly in the favour of the hosts after the break.
