Barnsley 4-3 Derby County (Friendly)
The last time I was in Barnsley, One Show Presenter Jermaine Jenas was scoring for Nottingham Forest in a 4-1 thumping from Sean O’Driscoll’s side. A lot has changed since, but this is a proper football town. Why? Because you wouldn’t come here for any reason at all, unless you’re coming to watch football.
Size-wise, the town is actually smaller than Mansfield, which is testament to the success the club has had in once, reaching the Premier League in 1997/98, but more frequently, playing second tier football in the English football league since election from the Midland League in 1898.
These days the Tykes are in League One and have a new Manager at the helm in Darrell Clarke, last season they fell in the playoffs to Bolton, as tonight’s opponents Derby County gained promotion from the very same division.
The Rams have former Rotherham boss Paul Warne at the helm these days, a two-time champion of the English elite, back in the seventies, they’re a long way off where they need to be and have lost against Chesterfield (4-0) and Shrewsbury Town (2-1) in the last week, which has caused some annoyance with fans.
I’m out the door for five, up the M1 and coming off at what I was once told is the longest slip road in the country, Junction 37, within minutes I’m in Barnsley town centre and pulling up outside some terraced houses on Oakwell Lane, it’s a short walk through the car park to the stadium.
The Venue
Sat proudly on a hill as I walk through the huge grey tarmac car park, the stadium feels like a real centre of community to this small town, to the left terrace housing, to the right trees and wasteland, far in front is the clubs training ground which backs on to the stadium.
I’m walking around to the East Stand, a huge stand built in 1993 and one that matches the two either end, large red seated stands all separate and classical looking, but the piece du resistance is the original West Stand, apex roofed like what you would see at a racecourse, stunning, gorgeous, old, propped up by posts, the tunnel in the centre could hardly fit a young Neil Redfearn through it (certainly not an old one).
That thin narrow tunnel is no longer used, these days the players come out of the corner of the North Stand waved in by child flag bearers, but this place has real character, as my seat at the back of the stand allows me to view the town and hills in the distance, this venue often gets overlooked as great classical English football homes, but Oakwell is up there with one of the best for me.
The Game
It soon becomes apparent that neither side can defend. After a good start by Barnsley full backs Callum Styles and Corey O’Keefe they are too often exposed by Derby’s balls over the back-line, the Rams look organised and solid early doors but Conor Hourihane, on his Oakwell debut, against his old club, lets fly from 25 or more yards away, he trickles a daisy cutter low into the corner of the net, it travels an age before passing Vickers in the Rams goal, you can’t help feel he should have kept it out.
At the other end Derby are looking dangerous down their right as Kane Wilson and Kaden Jackson often link up to similar wavelength, the latter crosses low to Yates who looks to be offside, the ball half cleared to the feet of Mendez-Laing who makes no mistake from the edge of the area to level up the scores ahead of half time.
The Score
Derby take an early lead in the second half with perhaps the goal of the game, Mendez-Laing bursting down the left is set free by Jerry Yates who sends the striker one on one, that cool, calm goal sparks a number of substitutions before Adam Phillips levels up at the other end, bundling the ball over the line after a harmless looking cross into the box.
More subs lead perhaps to more confusion, Barnsley’s high fragile defensive line is again exposed out wide as they are done on the counter-attack, this time two subs combine for Derby, Barkhuizen set free down the left beats Goalkeeper Killip to the ball, he crosses into an empty area where James Collins is standing to nod into an equally empty net.
That should be it, but Derby’s own fragile defence fails to see the game out, a minute later Kyran Lofthouse heads unmarked through the goalkeepers failed sprawling arms, then as Barnsley Manager Darrell Clarke decides not to replace injured winger Jalo Fabio, his ten men go find a winner, with one minute left Aidan Marsh heads home and inflicts another painful defeat to lower league opposition on the Rams this summer.
The Stars
For long periods Derby looked the better of the two teams and they have a real gem in young midfielder David Ozoh, who they have recently signed from Crystal Palace. Just nineteen, he was strong and solid in midfield, kept his positional shape well and his ball use sensible, Kane Wilson also impressing from right back whilst Nathanial Mendez-Laing was a niggly threat up top.
Despite the win, Barnsley didn’t have too many stand out performers, Corey O’Keefe put a lovely whipped ball in from the right, but his defending wasn’t brilliant, Luca Connell or Adam Phillips perhaps the pick from midfield, Sam Cosgrove working hard up front without much service.
The Verdict
Derby look to have goals in them but they look to be flaky enough to concede just as many, they’ll play forward thinking direct football and will catch a few out with their slightly niggly nature and naughty tactical nuances from their Manager, whilst Barnsley should win more than they lose at the level, their defence against Championship attackers too often exposed, which they might get away with more in League One?
Is Oakwell a stadium that you should chalk off? 100% it’s a fabulous true football home, not sure if there’s anything else to do in Barnsley? It’s certainly not a club where you would expect any Chinese or American tourists any time soon, that in itself probably makes it worth coming here, one for the football purists.
The Teams
Barnsley: Jackson Smith (Ben Killip 46), Corey O’Keeffe (Barry Cotter 58), Callum Styles, Mael De Gevigny (Kacper Lopata 71), Marc Roberts (Conor McCarthy 71), Josh Earl (Aidan Marsh 71), Luca Connell (Matty Craig 58), Conor Hourihane (Jon Russell 58), Adam Phillips, Max Watters (Kyran Lofthouse 71), Sam Cosgrove (Jalo Fabio 46).
Derby County: Josh Vickers, Kane Wilson (Ryan Nyambe 60), David Ozoh (Liam Thompson 60), Sonny Bradley (Corey Blackett-Taylor 60), Eiran Cashin (Ben Osborn 60), Jerry Yates, Nathaniel Mendez-Laing (James Collins 60), Kenzo Goudmijn (Dajuane Brown 60), Kayden Jackson (Tom Barkhuizen 60), Callum Elder (Craig Forsyth 60), Ebou Adams.
7:45pm Kick Off. Wednesday 31st July 2024, Oakwell, Barnsley (att 3,138).
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