One of the most miserable seasons in Barnsley Football Club history concluded with another harrowing defeat – their 28th of the season, more than any other team in the Championship in 2021-2022, whilst only Crewe in League One (31) lost more in the EFL.
Only once before have Barnsley lost more league games in a season, back in the 1952/1953 second tier season when they lost 29, another season they finished bottom and actually won less games (5)
They finish with just 30 points which is their lowest ever in the three points for a win era and if you adjust the tallies from seasons prior to this change their lowest since the aforementioned 1952/1953 campaign – if you adjusted that season they would have finished with 23 points however they played only 42 matches that season.
This was Barnsley’s heaviest final day defeat since another trip to the Hawthorns back in 2006-2007 when after securing Championship survival the previous week they were thumped 7-0.
It is the fourth time the Reds have conceded four goals in a game this season, the most in a season since 2019-2020 (also four occasions)
This defeat means Barnsley won just ONE away game all season, their lowest amount since the third tier season of 1964-1965 (also 1) – another season in which Barnsley finished bottom.
This defeat coupled with the home loss to Preston last weekend means Barnsley have lost both their final home and away game of a season for the first time since 2013-2014 when they were also relegated to League One.
They finish with the worst away record in the Championship collecting only eight points and indeed the worst away record in the EFL in 2021-2022.
It could have been 5-0 however Karlan Grant was denied a hat-trick by a fine penalty save from Jack Walton, the third penalty save by a Barnsley keeper this season after Brad Collins against Coventry in the first home game of the season and against Stoke in September. Prior to this season you had to go back to February 2019 for the last time a Barnsley keeper saved a penalty.
Barnsley have failed to win any of the last five meetings with West Brom however this defeat ends a run of four successive draws.
Barnsley have failed to win on any of their last seven visits to the Hawthorns, losing five and conceding 17 goals in those defeats.
They have won only two of the last 13 visits and at the end of those seasons they either won promotion to the Premier League (1996/1997) or reached the play-off final to get there (1999-2000)
There were only seven corners awarded in the game, the lowest in 15 Barnsley matches.
Only one was awarded to Barnsley, the fourth time this season they have won only one corner – they have had none on five occasions.
Barnsley Team:
1. Jack Walton
15. Jasper Moon
32. Jason Sraha
5. Liam Kitching
23. Will Hondermarck
33. Matty Wolfe
38. Jordan Helliwell
4. Callum Styles
22. Clarke Oduor
9. Cauley Woodrow
37. Aiden Marsh
Substitutes:
53. Danny Benson (for Hondermarck 55)
42. David Bremang (for Oduor 61)
29. Victor Adeboyejo (for Woodrow 72)
Unused Substitutes:
18. Isaac Christie-Davies, 39. Amir Arielly, 44. Devante Cole, 51. Kieren Flavell
West Brom Team:
25. David Button
2. Darnell Furlong
6. Semi Ajayi
4. Dara O’Shea
16. Matthew Clarke
10. Matt Phillips
8. Jake Livermore
14. Jayson Molumby
20. Adam Reach
11. Grady Diangana
18. Karlan Grant
Substitutions:
33. Caleb Taylor (for Ajayi 62)
35. Zachary Ashworth (for Clarke 67)
7. Callum Robinson (for Livermore 71)
Unused Substitutes:
32. Quevin De Castro, 29. Taylor Gardner-Hickman, 21. Cedric Kipre, 36. Alex Palmer.
West Brom manager Steve Bruce said:
"This season has not been good enough. Looking back on the three months, it was the first month where I didn't make the impact I would have liked.
"We didn't get anywhere near the results that we needed to give us a chance. I couldn't address the slide quickly enough and that is the overriding feeling I have at this moment in time.
"We finished OK. We've given a glimpse of how we want to try and approach it next year. But it was a little bit too late.
"We have got good players in the club and my challenge is to put a squad together that is capable of getting us to where we want to get to. We've got a big summer ahead."
Match Reports:
Sky Bet Championship Results
SATURDAY 7TH MAY 2022
Birmingham City (20th) 1-2 Blackburn Rovers (8th)
Buckley 29
Brereton Diaz 45
Pedersen 78
AFC Bournemouth (2nd) 1-0 Millwall (9th)
Moore 81
Derby County (23rd) 0-1 Cardiff City (18th)
Hugill 55
Huddersfield Town (3rd) 2-0 Bristol City (17th)
Toffolo 33
Ward 44
Hull City (19th) 1-1 Nottingham Forest (4th)
Johnson pen 90+2
Lewis-Potter 90+4
Luton Town (6th) 1-0 Reading (21st)
Cornick 45+1
Peterborough United (22nd) 5-0 Blackpool (16th)
Clarke-Harris 36
Szmodics 62
Szmodics 70
Marriott 85
Taylor 89
Preston North End (13th) 4-1 Middlesbrough (7th)
Browne 24
Fry og 35
Tavernier 48
Riis 53
Riis pen 74
Sheffield United (5th) 4-0 Fulham (1st)
Gibbs-White 10
Ndiaye 21
Berge 25
Stevens 49
Stoke City (14th) 1-1 Coventry City (12th)
Gyokeres 14
Clucas 43
Swansea City (15th) 0-1 Queens Park Rangers (11th)
Gray 80
West Bromwich Albion (10th) 4-0 BARNSLEY (24th)
Grant pen 37
Reach 40
Clarke 52
Grant 60
Barnsley finish in 24th place in the Sky Bet Championship with 30 points from 46 games. We finish 45 points off the Play-Offs, 58 points off the Automatic Promotion Places, 60 points off First Place and 11 points inside the Relegation Zone.
Up to 07/05/22
Final Permutations:
Promoted:
Fulham (Champions)
Record v Barnsley: 20/11/2021 won 4-1, 12/03/22 drew 1-1 = 4 points
Bournemouth (Runners-Up)
Record v Barnsley: 11/09/2021 won 3-0, 29/01/22 won 1-0 = 6 points
Play-Offs:
Huddersfield
Record v Barnsley: 04/12/2021 drew 1-1, 22/04/22 won 2-1 = 4 points
Nottingham Forest
Record v Barnsley: 29/09/2021 won 3-1, 25/01/2022 won 3-0 = 6 points
Sheffield United
Record v Barnsley: 24/10/2021 won 3-2, 19/03/2022 won 2-0 = 6 points
Luton
Record v Barnsley: 17/08/2021 won 1-0, 08/02/2022 won 2-1 = 6 points
Relegated:
Peterborough
Record v Barnsley: 27/11/2021 drew 0-0, 18/04/2022 won 2-0 = 4 points
Derby
Record v Barnsley: 03/11/2021 lost 2-1, 05/03/2022 won 2-0 = 3 points
Next Up:
On The Road:
League One 2022/2023
At Oakwell:
League One 2022/2023