Analysis from Barnsley's 2-0 defeat at AFC Wimbledon, their first loss of the season. The hosts scored midway through each half.
UNBEATEN START DESERVEDLY ENDS
ON THE weekend of the Notting Hill Carnival, Barnsley’s party at the start of this season came to an end for now, across the capital.
The Reds deservedly suffered their first defeat in their sixth game of the campaign - with their worst performance.
Many of the 1,206 fans who filled the away end understandably left before the final whistle but perhaps more out of short-term frustration at one bad day than the lingering ill feeling of recent years.
After the relatively long midweek trip to Peterborough on Tuesday, the Reds travelled down to the capital city on Friday and an unchanged team looked leggy in Saturday’s match.
The need for more strength in depth in the transfer window was highlighted and Conor Hourihane admitted as much while saying it was ‘a game too far’ for his shallow squad. He said in hindsight he could have made changes to bring in fresh legs.
Another defender and forward are surely needed before the deadline.
This always seemed like a difficult test against a side with momentum after promotion and an awkward, direct playing style. Wimbledon played well and earned their three points.
Many expected a tight game against a side whose matches are often low-scoring but both sides had several big chances, with Wimbledon having the best and most.
REDS WEAK DEFENSIVELY
Both centre-backs had tough days.
Although Josh Earl played some superb passes to Nathanael Ogbeta to create chances, and Jack Shepherd dominated in the air early on, they each made costly errors for goals.
Earl - who gave the ball away several times - should have cleared a deflected right-wing cross but lost a header at his front post to Myles Hippolyte and Matty Stevens tapped in the opener from close range.
For the second goal, Shepherd seemed to totally get his positioning wrong as Alistair Smith’s pass went past him to Antwoine Hackford who beat Murphy Cooper one-on-one. The marking for that goal was non-existent with Hackford able to jog between the flat-footed midfield and defence with no one tracking him.
They are not the first choice centre-back pairing, with the right-footed Shepherd playing on the left of the back two, but they need to be performing better than in this game when simple balls cut them open so easily. They were not helped out by a midfield three - after a slight tweak to 4-3-3 from 4-2-3-1 - who struggled to close their counterparts down and left large gaps to pass through. Wimbledon were the more aggressive, alert and energetic in midfield for much of the game.
Full-backs also provided little protection with Ogbeta struggling to stop crosses and Tennai Watson being targeted by the home fans as a former Wimbledon loanee who then went to MK Dons.
Wimbledon dominated the first half and should have been far more than just 1-0 ahead. Once they made it 2-0, they could have added several more.
Both Stevens and Hippolyte might have had first half hat-tricks while substitutes Omar Bugiel and Hackford easily could have scored a brace apiece.
BIG MISSES BEFORE EACH GOAL
Before each of Wimbledon’s goals, Barnsley missed a big chance so the game could have been different.
David McGoldrick looked certain to turn in a few yards out from an Obgeta cross but he was denied by a remarkable full-length save by goalkeeper Nathan Bishop.
Barnsley had a decent spell at the start of the second half, with Patrick Kelly shooting wide from an Adam Phillips pull-back when he should have scored then Keillor-Dunn’s cross-come-shot was touched by Bishop out of the path of Phillips a few yards out.
The second goal killed the contest as the Reds failed to score for the first time under Hourihane.
They got in other good positions but overhit crosses, hesitated or made the wrong decision.
Phillips and Luca Connell each created chances but had quiet spells while Keillor-Dunn again struggled to make an impact on the wing.
COOPER KEEPS SCORE DOWN
While Murphy Cooper’s parent club QPR were conceding seven at Coventry City, his goalkeeping helped to prevent a thrashing for Barnsley as did Wimbledon’s poor finishing at times.
He made several excellent saves, building on his very impressive start to life between Barnsley’s sticks.
It must be pointed out that his poor kick led to the initial attack for the opening goal but he made a fine save before the ball was recycled and Earl made the vital error.
None of the other new signings were able to continue their good starts to the season.
McGoldrick missed a big chance and looked off his best for the second time in a week, while Caylan Vickers had his quietest game so far under close attention from defenders. Kelly made some brilliant runs forward but his shooting needs work and he could have protected the defence better along with the other midfielders.
OVERALL A GOOD START
One defeat from six in all competitions, unbeaten at home, and ten points from five games - the vast majority of fans would have taken that at the start of the season.
That is not to mention the injuries in defence, the fact they have not finished their recruitment, and dealing with two red cards.
The clean sheet at Peterborough and comeback win over Burton show improvements from last season and there is generally a much more positive vibe around the place.
The derby with Huddersfield on Saturday, and the end of the transfer window, will tell us more about how close this team is to challenging in the top six.
