CONOR Hourihane's Barnsley side showed real intent as they beat Harrogate Town 3-0 at the Exercise Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

Barring the obvious omission of captain Luca Connell - who trained at Oakwell on Saturday morning due to injury - the 11 that started this game is likely to be the side that starts the League One season against Plymouth Argyle on August 2.

The return of Jon Russell from international duty is huge for the Reds and if he does stay at Oakwell he'll have a big part to play in the upcoming campaign.

Hourihane's Reds were impressive in this game and started the first half well.

Jack Shepherd - off the back of a successful loan spell at Bradford City last season - scored the opening goal as he headed in a Nathanael Ogbeta corner just eight minutes in.

The Plymouth loanee was on set piece duty for most of the game and looked a real threat running down the left wing.

Barnsley continued to dominate with Adam Phillips having a number of half chances that came close to doubling the Reds' lead.

Harrogate came back into the game towards the end of the half but it was Barnsley who got the second goal.

David McGoldrick, who the Barnsley faithful were seeing in person for the first time, was played through by Davis Keillor-Dunn and made no mistake as he calmly chipped the ball over Mark Oxley in the Harrogate goal.

It was a fairly slow second half with the game becoming scrappy as the hosts started to become frustrated.

Tackles were flying in that you wouldn't usually see in pre-season - much to the annoyance of Hourihane who was spoken to by the referee over his actions on the sideline.

Neil Farrugia, who had played well on the right wing, was forced to come off after being pushed into the advertising boards by a Harrogate defender.

He was seen walking straight down the tunnel with a bloody head.

But there was still time for the Reds to grab a third and it was youngster Vimal Yoganathan who curled in a wonderful strike from 25 yards out after a good piece of play by DKD.

Admittedly it's only pre-season and against a side in the league below, but there's no doubting the improvement from the back end of last season.

If Barnsley can hold onto their star players and strengthen in a number of positions before the transfer window slams shut then there's no reason they shouldn't be fighting towards the top end of the table.

McGoldrick could be the difference maker

At 37 years old McGoldrick is obviously one of the older heads in the squad.

Some fans had expressed some concerns over that factor but he certainly looks the real deal in this Barnsley side.

He had played with Hourihane at Derby before dropping down to League Two with hometown club Notts County in 2023 and scored 13 then 17 goals in the last two seasons before leaving this summer.

He has 180 career goals in more than 600 games, including 77 in the Championship and 47 at League One level in 94 games.

And he grabbed his first in the red of Barnsley on Saturday and his overall play was sublime.

He looks a real leader on the pitch and his footballing IQ is obviously fantastic.

Whether he plays out wide or in a front two he certainly compliments the rest of the Barnsley frontline well.

He combined well with DKD throughout the match and if they can continue that partnership they'll be a force to be reckoned with in League One next year.

Attacking formation could be the way forward

Hourihane had been lining up in a 4-3-3 formation during pre-season but it's fair to say the Reds were very fluid in their structure during this game.

They were lining up in a 4-2-4 formation when attacking with Phillips dropping back into a midfield three when tracking back.

It gives the side real versatility when in possession and the attacking nature is the first step in bringing back the exciting football Hourihane is so keen to do.

Ogbeta, playing on the left, often came into midfield while also running down the wing.

Mael de Gevigney played at right-back and didn't go forward as much as his left-back counterpart but the structure seemed to work well.

At times last season there seemed to be no real structure or game plan and although this is just pre-season, there's a clear style of play which will be music to fans' ears.

Youngsters shine off the bench but signings needed for depth.

Barnsley's business in the transfer window has been sporadic but the signings they have made so far have all improved the team.

But if they're going to be pushing towards the top six - which is surely their aim - then they'll need more squad depth.

In the next few weeks the recruitment team will need to look at bringing in new wingers to compliment their current set up.

Farrugia and Reyes Cleary do look the part out wide, but without Jalo from the start of the season they'll need new faces through the door.

At the moment, the Reds are relying on youngsters to fill up the bench due to injuries.

Admittedly a lot of them will be staking a claim to be in the set-up for the upcoming season.

Youngsters like Kieran Graham and Leo Farrell came on and played well.

As did Yoganathan who will surely be pushing for a starting place this campaign.

His goal was well taken and he looks to have come on leaps and bounds since returning from his loan spell at Oldham Athletic last year.

Piece of Barnsley FC history

Time wasting is a part of the sport that no fan likes to see - especially when it's coming from the opposition.

Rules were approved in March to ensure that referees can help stop it.

If a goalkeeper holds the ball for longer than eight seconds then a corner is given to the opposition.

And that's what happened in this game - and it's fair to say all four stands were confused.

It was a piece of Barnsley history as it was the first time that had happened in a Reds game.

But it'll be interesting to see how often that rule is held up during the upcoming season.

It was especially confusing when it seemed that Murphy Cooper held the ball for the exact amount of time as his counterpart but no corner was given.

It's something to keep an eye on next season.

Barnsley (4-2-4): Cooper; de Gevigney, Roberts, Shepherd (Barratt 67), Ogbeta; Russell (Clearly 46), Bland (Woodcock 84); Phillips (Yoganathan 61) Farrugia (Farrell 56), McGoldrick (Graham 61), Keillor-Dunn.

Unused subs: Flavell, Lofthouse.

Goals: Shepherd, McGoldrick, Yoganathan.

Harrogate: Oxley, Asare, Morris, Bennett, Duke-McKenna, O’Connor (Bradbury 65), Hill (Evans 60), Faulkner, Taylor (Smith 60), Cass, Cursons (McCoulsky 60).

Unused subs: Etherington, Barnes, Trialist.

Referee: Tom Nield