Barnsley 0-0 Bristol Rovers (FA Cup Round Two) *3-4 pens aet
Interesting fact: Bristol Rovers manager Matt Taylor actually started out as a goalkeeper where he played for several non-league clubs including a couple local to me in Matlock Town and Hucknall Town, but whilst studying at Sheffield University in 2006 he was spotted playing pretty well at centre half, so stepped into an outfield role at Team Bath, before joining Exeter City where he did pretty well as a player in over 160 games, before leading them to League Two promotion as Manager in 2022.
Barnsley manager Darrell Clarke also made his name locally to me, a player at his hometown club Mansfield between 1995 & 2001, he managed Bristol Rovers for four years between 2014 & 2018.
It’s the FA Cup, the world’s oldest and most famous KO comp. The one that gives David the chance to go toe to toe with Goliath, but not today, as a couple of League One clubs are disappointingly drawn together, I’m keen to give this a watch though for a number of reasons, I’ve never seen Bristol Rovers play, Barnsley is just an hour up the road, and with a crowd of under 5,000 I’m hoping I can pretty much park outside, and avoid any traffic, that a bigger and tastier tie may bring.
So, with that in mind, I’m out the door for midday, dropping the dog off at the in-laws, a quick brew and I’m up the M1 before coming off at J36. I’m through the town of Bidwell and Worsbrough where I notice the most stunning Miners Welfare football ground on my left, I’m up and down the Yorkshire hills before coming into Barnsley, parking up on a terraced street a five-minute walk from Oakwell.
The Venue
I’m down the steep sloped Oakwell Lane and through the huge club car park where the stadium sits on the hill all alone, the Norman Rimmington Stand is straight in front and has a club shop, so with plenty of time I head inside to take a look, it feels like a 1980’s high street sports retailer, carpeted, the smell of nylon, thick Yorkshire accents behind the counter, no music or other ambience, there’s not much inside bar a bit of clubwear, I like the look of a Barnsley badged grandad hat at £18 whilst there’s a very attractive 1988 retro shirt with the sponsor Lyons Cakes across it.
Nothing for me though, I’m down the slope and through the huge East Stand turnstile to get some food instead, the two-tiered stand is eery and spacious inside its carcass; to get to the upper tiers you head up some steps in the corner and through to a tight concourse which at little before 2pm has nobody around bar a steward or two.
One of which points me to the kiosk, the only one open at the far side of the stand, I’m told “they’re not all serving as we’ve only sold three and half thousand tickets.” I order a meat & potato pukka pie, cup of tea and a bag of mini minted aeros for £11.50 and walk up towards my seat, at the top of the stand officially RR, but what you and I might know as row Z.
It's a great view, the two stands left and right behind each goal identical, this one I’m in is a similar looking but a bigger version, separated by executive boxes across the only telling difference, but I’m really in love with the old West Stand opposite me, the apexed roof and racecourse like feel to it, it’s been in place since the early 1900’s and should be listed in my opinion, an Archibald Leith built stand it has been ruined slightly by a TV gantry in front of its piece du resistance which is a triangular centre piece which used to bare the logo ‘Barnsley Football Club’ across it.
My one plea to the Barnsley bosses, please get this stand looking back to its best and let’s have it listed, too many great football stadiums and stands have been lost over the years, I think Oakwell is a great football venue, but if this stand is ever replaced, it will lose all of its unique identity for me.
The Game
As the two teams come out there’s little in attendance, a few scattered in each stand, the few Rovers fans high up behind the goal to my right, a couple of thousand in the stand I’m in, I’m intrigued to see how the game will go, who wants it more? For two League One teams playing each other is it seen as a burden or does either team really want to go out and win it?
Of the two sides it’s Rovers who start better, Gatlin O’Donkor races through, he’s a player I was impressed with on loan at Barnet last season from Oxford United, the Barnsley back three can’t catch him, but the striker from a wide angle smashes the ball against the outside of the post.
Barnsley grow into the game, they have more possession, controlled, Rovers sit back and allow it, look to get the Tykes on the break, but the home side have chances, the best from Humphrys who unleashes from distance and hits the woodwork, the big striker is a constant menace, blonde hair with 44 on his back he has quick feet and is always looking to shoot, no matter how far from goal out he is.
The Score
Barnsley were on top in the first half and that trend continues into the second 45. Adam Phillips heading onto the crossbar within a minute of the restart. Rovers keeper Griffiths is in sublime form, everything hit at him he holds, but he does have a couple of scary moments, one he rolls the ball out to his defender which Barnsley striker Humphrys intercepts, the strikers effort saved again, the best chance of the match missed, I’m thinking this game can go on all night, neither team have it in them to score.
The home team dominate, once or twice caught on the break, but they have the chances and possession to win two matches, let alone one, but Rovers aren’t out of it and you start to fancy them more in extra time, the last half hour swings both ways but neither side can win it outright, so penalties are to decide the outcome.
Barnsley miss their first, but just as I think even the shootout could end goalless, Rovers score through Chris Martin, from then on all spot kicks are perfect before Josh Earl steps up with Barnsley’s fifth, he has to score to keep them in it, his shot saved by man of the match Griffiths, the home side had fifteen corners and thirty shots in the game, but it was the Gas goalkeeper who stood tall all afternoon to send Matt Taylor’s side through into the hat for the third round draw.
The Stars
Josh Griffiths is on loan from West Bromwich Albion and is certainly a young goalkeeper that has shot stopping ability from what I saw. Impressing outfield was left back Clinton Mola an athletic defender whilst at centre half, moving to right back late on, Taylor Moore gave a solid account of himself (I’ve been told he’s been like that all season).
Kamil Conteh in midfield also did well, Shaq Forde out right a threat, whilst O’Donkor, often isolated, certainly had pace, but was well handled by the Barnsley back three.
Home team man of the match was French defender Mael De Gevigney and he’s a good player who reads things well, neat on the ball, not your natural League One defender but he has a calming assurance and can bring the ball out of defence.
Besides De Gevigney, Marc Roberts is your more blood and guts typical English style centre half, he and Josh Earl making up a decent defence in front of Ben Killip who is a very capable goalkeeper.
In midfield I liked young Kelechi Nwakili who sat in and did things simple, he has an interesting past playing in Holland, Spain and Portugal. Georgie Gent a 21-year-old left winger who signed in the summer from Blackburn, looked sharp with good quality, as did Corey O’Keefe down the right, a player I remember from a short spell at Mansfield a few years back.
In fairness Barnsley had a lot of the ball, had a lot of chances and a lot of their players did well, Stephen Humphrys I really liked despite not having it his way on the day, whilst Fabio Jalo and Barry Cotter, both off the bench, injected a bit of pace and determination all be it all in hopeless vain.
The Verdict
Barnsley won’t lose too much sleep over losing an FA Cup match on penalties but depending on the draw Bristol Rovers get, they may or may not rue some missed opportunities on the day.
The Tykes are certainly good enough to focus ambition towards a continued playoff push this season whilst the Gas will be hoping to avoid slipping into relegation fodder, they are only six points above the drop zone, they look to lack goals, but I’m sure they’ll have enough to survive, they'll also be hopeful of an exciting draw and some further progression in the cup, where I'm hopeful they'll get a better attendance than this sparse crowd, in the next round.
The Teams
Barnsley: Ben Killip, Marc Roberts, Mael De Gevigney, Corey O’Keeffe (Kyran Lofthouse 80), Adam Phillips, Georgie Gent (Barry Cotter 85), Josh Earl, Davis Keillor-Dunn (Fabio Jaló 67), Stephen Humphrys (Sam Cosgrove 90), Luca Connell, Kelechi Nwakali (Jonathan Russell 67).
Bristol Rovers: Josh Griffiths, Joel Senior (James Wilson 46), Taylor Moore, Michael Forbes, Clinton Mola, Jamie Lindsay (Grant Ward 66), Kamil Conteh (Scott Sinclair 116), Luke McCormick, Shaqaui Forde, Isaac Hutchinson (Ruel Sotiriou 60), Gatlin O’Donkor (Chris Martin 60).
3:00pm Kick Off. Saturday 30th November 2024, Oakwell, Barnsley (att 4,801).
Commentaires