Adam Hammill looked to put a poor 2009-2010 behind him and force his way back into Mark Robins plans for the season opener at QPR in two weeks with a brilliant first half hat-trick to defeat local rivals and League One promotion hopefuls Huddersfield at Oakwell this afternoon.
Robins started with four of his new recruits- Jason Shackell, Jay McEveley, Jim O’Brien and Goran Lovre, with Liam Dickinson and trialist Michael Boulding coming on in the second half. The game though was already won by then thanks to winger Hammill’s heroics.
The 22 year old who scored just four times in 34 starts last season nearly equalled that tally in 36 breath-taking minutes.
Firstly on 4minutes, he hit a 30 yard rocket into the top corner, before bettering that with a stunning overhead kick after 20. He completed his treble after playing a lovely one-two with Lovre and striding clear to finish comfortably past Terriers keeper Ian Bennett.
The gloss was taken off the victory slightly when Theo Robinson- a rumoured Reds summer target headed a Gary Roberts cross past substitute keeper David Preece.
Next up for Barnsley in their pre-season programme is a mouth-watering local derby with Sheffield Wednesday at Oakwell on Tuesday night- the Owls who have lost and drawn to non-league newcomers Grimsby and Darlington so far this pre-season went down 1-0 at Scunthorpe today.
Barnsley’s senior side wrap up their pre-season with a trip to Chesterfield’s new stadium- the B2Net Stadium- which they opened today with a cracking 5-4 defeat to Derby.
Teams v Huddersfield:
BARNSLEY: Steele (Preece 74), Hassell, Foster, Shackell (Potter 60), McEveley, Hammill (Bennett 68), Doyle, Butterfield (Colace 68), O'Brien (Devaney), Lovre (Boulding 74), Gray (Dickinson 60).
Subs: Taylor, Adam, Noble-Lazarus.
HUDDERSFIELD TOWN: Bennett, Peltier, Carey, Gudjonsson, Kay, N. Clarke, Roberts, Arfield (Atkinson 69), Garner (Simpson 79), Rhodes (Robinson 61), Croft (Pilkington 61).
Subs: Smithies, McCombe, Goodwin, P. Clarke, Ainsworth, Naismith, Rider, Chippendale.
Pre-Season games remaining:
Scunthorpe v Barnsley Academy
Tuesday July 27, KO 12.00pm
Barnsley v Sheffield Wednesday
Tuesday July 27, 2010, KO 7.45pm
Buxton v Barnsley XI
Thursday July 29, 2010, KO 7.45pm
Yorkshire Amateurs v Barnsley Academy
Friday July 30, 2010, KO 7.30pm
Chesterfield v Barnsley
Saturday July 31, 2010, KO 3.00pm
Glossop North End v Barnsley Academy
Monday August 2, 2010, KO 7.45pm
Frickley Athletic v Barnsley XI
Tuesday August 3, 2010, KO 7.00pm