Dismal Town fell to their second home defeat in a week as Barnsley left Portman Road with a comfortable 3-1 victory. The Tykes were 2-0 in front at the break through Goran Lovre and a Márton Fülöp own goal, then Garry O’Connor made it three before Tommy Smith pulled a late goal back for the Blues.

Despite manager Roy Keane having said he was unlikely to play, Mark Kennedy returned at left-back and was given the captain’s armband. Tommy Smith moved inside to the centre of the defence alongside Damien Delaney, who took the injured Gareth McAuley’s right-central role with Tom Eastman at right-back.

In midfield, Jake Livermore and Jack Colback started in the centre with Carlos Edwards on the right and Andros Townsend on the left. Jason Scotland returned to the attack just behind Tamás Priskin.

The game’s first serious action saw Colback get his name in referee Paul Tierney’s book in the third minute for a foul on Barnsley’s Adam Hammill.

There was a major scare for the Blues on nine when Livermore allowed Hammill to break into the Town half with two unmarked players to his right. The former Liverpool trainee wasted what was a golden opportunity by running straight into Kennedy, the last Blues defender.

Town had created little danger in the penalty area up to then, other than Tykes keeper Luke Steele punching away ahead of Priskin and Scotland scuffing wide.

On 14 Priskin found the Barnsley backline wanting, running on to a ball over the top and hitting a shot which Steele did well to push on to the bar and over. From the corner, Tommy Smith won the ball but failed to get any direction on his header.

Barnsley midfielder Nathan Doyle was booked for a wild lunge at Livermore in the 16th minute, then soon after Carlos Edwards’s 25-yard strike deflected wide after more good work from Priskin.

The visitors went ahead in the 21st minute. Hammill crossed from the left, Smith’s header took it away from Garry O’Connor but Jim O’Brien cut the ball back to Goran Lovre, who slammed home from 10 yards.

Moments later the Tykes could have been two in front when O’Connor was put through on goal, slipping the ball wide of Fülöp but fortunately for Town also beyond the post.

But in the 26th minute it was two. Hammill cut in from the left and hit a low shot which caught the inside of the post, cannoned off Fülöp’s back and crossed the line, in much the same manner as Barnsley’s opening goal in the 2000 play-off final between the two sides at Wembley. The goal prompted boos from the Sir Bobby Robson Stand and chants of ‘Keano, sort it out’.

The Blues looked stunned by the goals and appeared unlikely to get back on terms until the 34th minute when good work from Townsend on the left teed up Priskin inside the area but the Hungarian’s strike was too close to Steele, who saved.

Townsend drove straight through to the keeper, then on 37 Priskin again went close, curling the ball just wide.

But Barnsley were continuing to threaten and on 41 a freekick from the outstanding Hammill deflected off Eastman and over the bar. Soon after, an O’Brien shot ricocheted over, then Hugo Colace’s strike was blocked by Fülöp, Smith clearing.

Former Canary Jason Shackell was cautioned for a foul on Tamás Priskin in the 44th minute, prior to the Hungarian putting the ball in the net, but having strayed offside before Livermore had played him in.

Town went off at the break to a chorus of boos, the Blues having been distinctly second best to a very positive Barnsley side. While the second goal may have had some element of fortune, the first was again poor defending with the Blues’ midfield overrun for the much of the half.

Even so, the game had been so open at times that Town had opportunities to grab a goal with Priskin again the main danger, although he will have been disappointed not to have taken his 34th minute chance. Barnsley though might have been even further in front, having ended the half the stronger side.

Inevitably there were changes at the break, Luke Hyam and Ronan Murray taking over from Jason Scotland and Andros Townsend as the Blues reverted to the 4-5-1 formation utilised earlier in the season.

Five minutes after the restart Barnsley went 3-0 in front. Lovre crossed low from the left and O’Connor slipped the ball past Fülöp having got free of Smith. The Sir Bobby Robson Stand immediately began a chant of ‘We’re supposed to be at home’.

Livermore was booked for a foul on Doyle in the 58th minute, moments after a frustrated Town support had cheered every pass of a long spell of Barnsley possession.

On 61 Connor Wickham was finally brought into the fray, replacing Priskin, a decision which was greeted by the loudest boos of the afternoon and shouts of ‘you don’t know what you’re doing’.

Town, having switched back to 4-4-2, were looking little better, although Wickham did well to get in a cross from the left in the 69th minute but too high for Murray.

The Blues finally hit back in the 80th minute when Tommy Smith headed home from Carlos Edwards’s corner on the right.

Doyle shot straight at Fulop in the 84th minute, then Colace scuffed wide on 87 as a late Town comeback failed to appear. Sub Paul Hayes almost made it four just before the end of normal time but shot just wide. In injury time, Colace got his name in the referee’s book for pulling back Colback.

As the game drew to a close Barnsley were looking the more likely to score, O’Connor lashing over from the right of the area after Smith had blocked from sub Butterfield.

More boos greeted the final whistle with the Blues never having looked likely to mount a serious fightback despite Smith’s goal. Town continued to battle gamely but Barnsley were comfortable for the most part, never needing to get into top gear after their first half display.

The watching Marcus Evans was presumably as unimpressed with the afternoon’s work as the rest of the 18,000 at Portman Road with the crowd showing their disapproval more vocally than at any time previously during Keane’s management. The substitution of Priskin, the Blues’ main goal threat up to then, was greeted by particularly vociferous boos.

The Town boss had hoped that two home games in a week would cement his side’s place in the top six, instead it has simply reinforced their standing as at best nothing more than a mediocre mid-table Championship side.

Town: Fülöp, Smith, Kennedy, Delaney, Colback, Livermore, Edwards, Townsend (Murray 46), Eastman, Scotland (Hyam 46), Priskin (Wickham 61). Unused: Murphy, Peters, Brown, O'Dea.

Barnsley: Steele, Trippier, Foster, Shackell, Hassell, Hammill (Butterfield 90), Doyle, Colace, O'Brien, Lovre (Hayes 71), O'Connor. Unused: Preece, Neumann, Arismendi, Gray, Wood. Referee: Paul Tierney (Lancashire). Att: 18,024 (Barnsley: 256).

Story syndicated from TWTD.co.uk

Photo: Action Images

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