Analysis of Barnsley's 6-0 home loss to Brighton and Hove Albion in the EFL Cup third round on Tuesday. Diego Gomez scored four then Harry Howell and Yasin Ayari completed the rout for the Premier League club.
REDS HIT FOR SIX AFTER TOUCHING TRIBUTE TO DICKIE
BARNSLEY were hit for six on the day they honoured one of their most famous fans and a cricketing icon.
There was a minute’s applause for Dickie Bird before the game, after his death aged 92 had been announced earlier in the day.
He had been at the previous home match against Reading, just ten days earlier, spotted as so often among the rickety wooden chairs next to the press box in the West Stand. He had also been in the press room, perched at the manager’s seat before the game talking to anyone and everyone as usual.
Dickie, with that typical Barnsley bluntness, would probably have grimaced at his beloved Reds conceding six goals to any side. Although that childlike wonder of a sport-lover may have come over his expressive face when discussing some of Brighton’s goals including a 'four' from Diego Gomez as well-struck as any Dickie witnessed on the cricket fields around the world.
GOMEZ EMULATES VIALLI AND JEVONS WITH FOUR GOALS
Gomez became the 26th player to score four goals in a game against Barnsley, with the most recent being Phil Jevons in a 6-1 loss at Grimsby in 2004 while possibly the most famous is Gianluca Vialli for Chelsea in the Premiership.
What was maybe even more rare was what looked like hundreds of Barnsley fans rising to their feet to applaud off an opposition player when he was substituted.
The Paraguayan international midfielder had only netted two previous goals in 24 games for the Seagulls since moving from Inter Miami where he played with Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez.
Either of those two greats would have been proud of Gomez’s magnificent second and third goals, smashing home from outside the box to complete a 23-minute first half hat-trick.
Gomez's reported £11million move was during last season when Brighton were the biggest spenders in European football with £200million shelled out, showing the obscene wealth of even mid-table sides in the Premier League which is now on the other side of a greater-than-ever chasm from the level Barnsley are at.
Despite making eight changes from their Premier League draw with Tottenham on Saturday, their 11 had still been put together for about £100m.
Their squad contained 11 internationals, including England players James Milner, Danny Welbeck and Lewis Dunk while Italy centre-back Diego Coppola and Netherlands full-back Joel Veltman were in their back four.
Brighton’s midfielders were 39-year-old Milner – who played against Barnsley for Swindon in 2003 before several of the current Reds team were born and who is likely to break Gareth Barry’s all-time record of Premier League appearances this season – and Carlos Baleba who they reportedly value at £100m. That will have been a learning experience for teenage Reds midfielders Vimal Yoganathan and substitute Jono Bland but also captain Luca Connell who is still developing.
When Jack Shepherd was working as a kitchen-fitter and playing for Athersley Rec he must have only dreamt of facing players like 42-cap England striker Danny Welbeck but Shepherd and solid debutant Jake Rooney kept him fairly quiet. Rooney was initially thought to be cup-tied but a recent change in the rules meant he could play despite featuring for Derby in previous rounds. Shepherd brilliantly headed off the line at 3-0.
PREMIER LEAGUE CLASS TELLS
To lose 6-0 is always hard to take, and the two goals right at the end turned the scoreline into a real drubbing.
But this did not feel like a year ago when Barnsley were thrashed 7-0 at Manchester United in the same round and – albeit in a much more daunting surroundings – conceded some very poor goals as they seemed to collapse.
This time they battled until the end but were undone by a team who are obviously better than them and scored some fantastic goals, even if there were bits and pieces the Reds could have done better defensively.
It is not nice to think about, but that is simply where Barnsley are in the footballing foodchain. They would have needed everything to go their way, which it didn’t, against a Brighton side who were off their game, which they weren’t.
Barnsley did not have a shot on target but did hit the woodwork three times.
The Seagulls had thrashed Championship Oxford by the same scoreline in the previous round, with arguably a weaker team.
The attendance at Oakwell was 7,790, well down on league games. Brighton are a fine team and well-run club but not a ‘name’ that would draw a big crowd for a midweek cup tie as, until recent years, they were next to or below the Reds in the EFL.
This was always the least important game of the week as clearly the priority is the league and players were rested for Saturday’s clash with Port Vale in which the Reds need to bounce back from a tough few days and retain some momentum.
The EFL Cup has served its purpose for Barnsley this season. They won at home to Fleetwood and Rotherham which was part of a very positive start to the campaign at Oakwell that was much-needed, while they have given minutes to squad players who may now have to focus on the EFL Trophy which starts next Tuesday at Notts County.
Conor Hourihane – who made six changes to Saturday’s league game – wanted to rest more players but, due to a lack of depth at left-back and up front in particular, he had to start the usual starters before playing Mael de Gevigney and Jon Russell out of position.
De Gevigney performed reasonably well on the right then left and will be glad Brighton did not play their star wingers Yankuba Minteh and Kaoru Mitoma.
REDS CLOSE TO STUNNERS OF THEIR OWN
While all Brighton’s sensational strikes seemed to find the net, Barnsley were incredibly close to scoring some goals of their own which would have thrilled the home fans and probably gone viral on social media.
At 3-0, Davis Keillor-Dunn – who had worked hard but struggled to get into the game – lobbed 2012 Olympian Jason Steele, who was totally beaten and fell over, with a remarkable 40-yard effort which hit the crossbar. It would have even eclipsed Gomez’s goals and been among the best scored by a Barnsley player in recent memory.
Also at 3-0, substitute Jono Bland was inches away from his first professional goal as his curling strike from just outside the box hit the inside of the left post, just under the bar, and bounced away.
If one, or ideally both, of those had gone in Barnsley would have felt back in the game and at least had something to cheer but, seconds after Bland’s shot, Gomez scored his fourth and the game was definitely over.
Barnsley’s other good spell was after they went 1-0 down and won a series of free-kicks, trying several training ground routines before an unmarked de Gevigney headed over from a Luca Connell cross.
REYES STAND-OUT PLAYER
The most problems Barnsley caused Brighton were on the Reds’ left flank where Reyes Cleary gave a torrid time to Ferdi Kadioglu – a £25million signing who played for Turkey at last year’s Euros.
Kadioglu was taken off at half-time after being beaten on several occasions by Cleary who attacked him with pace, power and skill. He continued to provide pockets of enjoyment in what was often a tough watch for the Reds fans, and hit the post with basically the final kick of the match.
Cleary has so far played just 39 league minutes for the Reds, fewer than Marc Roberts who got injured on the opening day. He has been in every matchday squad but, after coming on in the first four league games, he has been an unused substitute in the last four.
David McGoldrick – left out for this match – has been starting on the left wing with Jon Russell coming off the bench ahead of Cleary, as Hourihane favours someone who can drift into central areas.
Hourihane said Cleary’s off-the-ball work needed to improve in training before he could be trusted regularly in the league, and the 21-year-old was always a signing for the long-term.
But surely his dynamism is a weapon that could be used more.
Russell, playing as a number ten then a striker, had a poor night and there was derision from some in the stands when he was named man of the match over the loud-speakers.
On the right, Neil Farrugia – in for Caylan Vickers who is on loan from Brighton – made some good runs but struggled for end product and lost the ball in risky areas, leading to chances.
Other than Cleary, Yoganathan was probably the stand-out player for the Reds as he too tried to burst forward and showed some good skill as well as plenty of grit although he struggled to track the runs of Brighton’s midfielders at times.
