Coca-Cola Championship Matchday Thirty: Barnsley 1-3 Plymouth Arygle

Last updated : 14 February 2010 By Rob Miles (Barnsley Boy)

It was Plymouth against Barnsley, on a muddy pitch, with the rain lashing down, and the away team stormed to a thumping victory. No this wasn’t the Football Association awarding Barnsley the points for being 4-1 up at Home Park in November before the weather stopped their march. This was Oakwell, in February, and the Pilgrims of Plymouth hit right where it hurt by claiming three points from the 605 mile round trip by hammering The Reds. You really couldn’t write the script could you?


Plymouth are the worst team that I personally have seen at Oakwell this season, and only had one way of playing football- hitting the ball long to ex Red Rory Fallon. In the second half that ploy worked a treat and Plymouth were by far the better team- that says it all.


Barnsley are not used to scoring first half goals- Hugo Colace’s 45th minute effort was only the second first half goal The Reds have scored at home in the last 10 matches at Oakwell, stretching back to October, and it was the first time The Reds had led at the break at home since the 2-1 win over Ipswich on the 3rd October. In short the Reds don’t normally score in the first half this season, and they very nearly got to the break in this game without a goal. Many supporters will wish they had as judging by the second half performance the entire side looked clueless at protecting a lead. Plymouth goal-keeper David Stockdale was hardly over-worked in the first half but he didn’t have a save to make in the second half as Barnsley’s attitude seemed to be “We’re 1-0 up lets sit back”. By doing that they were 2-1 down before they knew it. Plymouth had only won by more than one goal once this season- when they walloped Reading 4-1 in December and nobody could have complained if that had been the score-line this afternoon no matter how ironic it would have been considering the circumstances in Devon at the end of last year.


At the start of this match Plymouth looked like a team short on confidence and were clearly there for the taking, The Reds just simply couldn’t muster the imagination or drive to put them to the sword. They did though waste a golden opportunity when poor defensive work from Plymouth saw Jay Rodriguez win possession and fire the ball across the area where Emil Hallfredsson was unmarked and had an open goal in front of him. Somehow he blazed his effort over. And just when it looked like another goal-less first half to match the previous two home games, The Reds struck. Carl Dickinson swung over a cross from the left hand side and it dropped perfectly for Hugo Colace on the half volley to send the ball into the ground and looping up into the net off the far post for his second goal in four days.

 

It came 15 seconds before the end of normal time and it could have been the worst thing to happen. Not used to this luxury, The Reds seemed baffled on what to do. When in previous home matches, the score had been goal-less it was obvious the team needed to go up a gear and pour forward. With the comfort of a goal behind them, the Reds simply sat back, to bring horrible memories of the Simon Davey reign flooding back. Sensing that unless Plymouth attacked this game was destined to finish 1-0, the Pilgrims, with nothing to lose, poured forward. Fallon nearly got the equaliser on 51 minutes when his towering 6ft 2in frame got above Stephen Foster and he planted a perfect header that Luke Steele did magnificiently to claw away from the top corner, but with The Reds refusing to leave their own half, Plymouth didn’t have to wait much longer to grab the equaliser which arrived just after the hour.

 

Darren Moore failed to deal with a long ball pumped into the Reds area and as Steele slipped on the line, Carl Fletcher was able to crack a beauty into the top corner. That was the goal Plymouth needed to give them belief and just like the Reds battered Leicester here two weeks ago, they were on the receiving end. Fletcher was inches away from putting Plymouth infront when his dipping shot clipped the top of the crossbar but with 15 minutes remaining, a side who had failed to come from behind to win since December 2008 and had only scored more than once on their travels on one occasion this season grabbed their second goal.

Yannick Bolasie, who was making his first appearance for Plymouth since joining two years ago, ripped Kieran Trippier to shreds after his introduction on 54 minutes (although he should have been sent off for an ugly lunge on the Manchester City youngster towards the end of the game) and he set up the goal when his corner was headed towards goal by an unmarked Fallon and powered into the net by Jamie Mackie- who man who hit two on his Plymouth debut against The Reds three years ago. It was a sweet moment for Mackie, after being ridiculed by Reds supporters for throwing a major five minute hissy fit in the first half for being denied a penalty after a challenge from Foster.

 

For all Plymouth’s second half dominace, The Reds should have been level within seconds, but were guilty of a second sitter. Subsitiute Adam Hammill’s corner was flicked on by Foster and Dickinson was stood just three yards out but somehow scooped his effort over the bar.

 

It killed Barnsley’s chances and Fallon (who else) secured the points with a stunner seven minutes from the end. His incredible overhead goal for Swansea against his former employers in the Play-Off Final in 2006 proved in vain, his 35 yard effort at Oakwell secured Plymouth’s biggest away win since January 2007. Foster cleared the ball from the Reds area, but in an audicaious effort Fallon smacked it straight back and it flew over a startled Steele and into the back of the net. It was a goal fitting to win any game and after looking up at the top six just seven days ago, The Reds now find themselves looking at the chasing pack in the bottom half. Still, if offered 12th place in mid February when Mark Robins took over EVERY Barnsley supporter would have bitten your entire arm off, never mind your hand. Theres no need to panic just yet…. But three points at Glanford Park on Tuesday- a place where Barnsley have never won, would be nice indeed!

 

Player Ratings:

Luke Steele: Has again seen the finger pointed at him after a defeat, but despite slipping in the build up to Plymouth’s equaliser, he cannot be blamed for this result. Made a cracking stop from Fallon that only a good goal-keeper would have saved. 7

Carl Dickinson: I said after the Watford game I couldn’t imagine him after having a bad game. Well here it was. Played well in the first half but very hap-hazard after the break. Was nutmegged on a couple of occasions and missed an absolute sitter to equalise. 5

Stephen Foster: Couldn’t deal with the height and strength of Fallon, but was his 100% self. Booked. 6

Darren Moore: Was the only one who seemed able to deal with Fallon, but surprisingly that was left to Foster. Completely lost Mackie for the second goal. 6

Kieran Trippier: Had a terrific first half and looked very assured on the ball. But after Yannick Bolasie came on, he struggled. The Congo man seemed to beat him every time. 6

Felipe Teixeira: Again Barnsley’s best player and was causing Plymouth problems with his pace and trickery. That’s why it was a major shock to see him withdrawn with 20 minutes remaining and the score at 1-1. Subbed. 7

Nathan Doyle: Does seem to be getting better with every game, but he took a step back in that second half. Every time he got the ball he just thumped it forward and never found a Barnsley shirt with them. He just gifted Plymouth possession by doing this. Booked.6

 Hugo Colace: Whilst he keeps popping up with a goal here and there he cannot be criticised too severely but he looked completely lost in that second half as Plymouth poured forward. We need a ball player in that midfield. Jacob Butterfield is one, Colace is not. 6

Emil Hallfredsson: Missed an open net in the first half and that seemed to affect him. Not his usual composed self and should have been withdrawn instead of Teixeira. 5

 Andy Gray: The contrast with Fallon was obvious. Whereas Fallon won everything in the air and was a constant handful, Gray was the complete opposite. Never won a header and was never a threat. His worst game so far. 4

Jay Rodriguez: Looks like a player with real potential and he caused problems in the first half. Tired in the second half in what was his first start since August. Subbed. 7

 Substitutes:

Adam Hammill (for Teixeira 69) Usually performs better when coming off the bench and he offered a more direct route to goal, by being prepared to run at the Plymouth defence. His corners were poor though. 7

Daniel Bogdanovic (for Rodriguez 69) Failed to get into the game and wasn’t anticipating situations early enough. 5

iHisUnused Substitutes:

David Preece, Luke Potter, Jacob Butterfield, Anderson De Silva, Jon Macken.

Sponsor’s Man of the Match: Felipe Teixeira

BarnsleyBoy's Man of the Match: Felipe Teixeira: Again in total agreement with the sponsors. He was taken off far too early and Barnsley’s chances went with him.

PLYMOUTH ARGYLE: Stockdale, Duguid, Fletcher, Clark, D Johnson, Mackie, Arnason, Fallon, Barker, Noone (Bolasie 54), R. Johnson.

Subs: Larrieu, Sawyer, Summerfield, Judge, Mason, Cooper.

Most Impressed by Plymouth’s: Rory Fallon/ Yannick Bolasie: Every time Fallon plays against The Reds he proves how foolish letting him go to Swindon seven years ago seems. Won everything in the air and hit yet another wonder goal against The Reds- his second against the side with whom he scored 11 times in 34 starts. Also a special mention to Bolasie. Signed by Plymouth in 2008, he has spent time on loan at Barnet and Forest Green before making his Pilgrims bow in the 54th minute. He changed the game for them and was a danger every time he got on the ball.

Ref Watch: Karl Evans: Wrongly booked Foster and then only showed Bolasie a yellow card for an ugly lunge on Trippier- that looked far worse than Shotton’s challenge against Watford last weekend, but not the worst referee we’ve seen. 6

 Coca Cola Championship Results Saturday 13th February 2010:

BARNSLEY 1-3 Plymouth

Coventry 1-0 QPR

Doncaster 1-0 Nottingham Forest

Leicester 5-1 Scunthorpe

Middlesbrough 1-0 Peterborough

Preston 0-0 Blackpool

Sheffield United 2-0 Bristol City

Swansea 1-1 Newcastle

Barnsley lie in 12th place in the Coca-Cola Championship with 39 points from 30 games.

 We are 7 points off the Play-Offs, 20 points off the Automatic Promotion Places, 21

 Points off First place and 7 points above the Relegation Zone.

Up to 14/2/10

 Next Up:

  On The Road:

Coca-Cola Championship Matchday Thirty One: Scunthorpe United v Barnsley Tuesday 16th February 2010 Kick-Off 7:45pm.

Tickets:

ADULTS - £18.00
SENIOR CITIZENS (OVER 60) - £11.00
YOUNG ADULTS (UNDER 21) - £11.00
JUVENILES (UNDER 16) - £5.00

Coca-Cola Championship Matchday Thirty Two: Cardiff City v Barnsley Saturday 20th February 2010 Kick-Off 7:45pm

Tickets:

ADULTS - £26.00
SENIOR CITIZENS (OVER 60) - £15.00
STUDENTS - £15.00
JUVENILES (UNDER 16) - £15.00

Barnsley FC have also been allocated tickets in the Family Area at the Cardiff City Stadium, priced at:

ADULTS - £18.00
JUVENILES (UNDER 16) - £5.00
FAMILY TICKET (TWO ADULTS AND TWO JUVENILES) - £40.00

At Oakwell:

Coca-Cola Championship Matchday Thirty Three: Barnsley v Blackpool Saturday 27th February 2010 Kick-Off: 3pm

East Stand and West Stand Upper Tiers
Adults £22.00
OAP/Juvenile £12.00
Juveniles (U12) £6.00

Family Area
Adults £22.00
OAP £13.00
Juvenile £13.00
Juveniles (U12) £7.00

East Stand Lower and West Stand Lower
Adults £21.00
OAP/Juveniles £12.00
Juveniles (U12) £6.00

CK Beckett Stand (Pontefract Road End)
Adults £20.00
OAP/Juveniles £12.00
Juveniles (U12) £6.00

All Disabled Areas £20.00
Helpers FREE OF CHARGE

Please note that Juvenile U12 tickets must be purchased in advance from the Oakwell Box Office and this price will not be on sale on the turnstiles under any circumstances.