Analysis of Barnsley's 5-2 home win over Manchester United under 21s in the EFL Trophy. The Reds fell behind then led 2-1 before conceding a leveller. David McGoldrick completed his hat-trick then the visitors had a man sent off before Neil Farrugia and Jon Russell netted.

LOWEST CROWD SINCE 1932 SEES WINLESS RUN END

THE SMALLEST crowd for a men’s first team game at Oakwell since 1932 witnessed seven goals, a hat-trick and a red card as Barnsley ended a six-game winless run in all competitions on Tuesday night.

The 1,528 people in attendance are fairly unlikely to include any of the 1,451 who watched another goal-feast in a 7-1 win against Crewe Alexandra 95 years earlier, which featured two hat-tricks and was the last time so few people attended a competitive senior match.

A night fixture in dreadful weather, which was also on TV, against an under 21s side in the much-maligned EFL Trophy group stage was always likely to attract a very low crowd.

There were less than half as many Barnsley fans at Oakwell as in the away end at Bradford on Saturday, with the midweek crowd roughly seven per cent as big as the weekend’s. The atmosphere could not have been more different and, at times, the only real noise was Conor Hourihane’s constant instructions to his team.

But this was a first win since the Reds beat Reading 38 days earlier and – although the trophy games are clearly the least important this season – netting five goals in a first home fixture in almost a month added to a sense of momentum after the battling point at Bradford going into a crucial home match with neighbours Rotherham on Saturday.

HAT-TRICK HERO IS MAN AGAINST BOYS

None of Manchester United's squad for this game had been born when David McGoldrick made his professional debut in 2004.

The 37-year-old striker ended a seven-match wait for a goal since his late winner over Burton Albion in the league in August by netting Barnsley’s first three between 43 and 62 minutes.

It was almost literally men against boys at times and he did not celebrate much, but it was important for him to get back into some sort of rhythm.

McGoldrick began the game on the left wing, where he has played a lot in the league this season, but was often dropping deep into midfield to play some nice passes. After going up front in the second half, he showed that is where he belongs – with his movement and finishing – and surely where he should be used most often in the future, potentially off the bench for now. The Reds have not quite found a way to consistently get the best out of McGoldrick and Davis Keillor-Dunn in the same team in recent weeks.

Caylan Vickers impressively assisted McGoldrick’s second and third goals in his best performance for some time, while he has started every game this season except the EFL Cup tie against parent club Brighton. He was given the ball both times by Patrick Kelly who built on his goal at the weekend with another positive performance.

The other scorers were Neil Farrugia, who netted his first goal in English football, and substitute Jon Russell who assisted Farrugia then scored his eighth goal for the Reds since mid-April despite starting just nine games in that time. They were timely boosts for Farrugia, who is yet to start in the league under Hourihane, and Russell who could play at a World Cup next summer but has not started in the third division this season and was totally left out of the squad on Saturday.

REDS IN A FIGHT FOR AN HOUR BUT CRUISE HOME AGAINST TEN

Barnsley were in a real game for an hour, going behind then being pegged back to 2-2, but the final 30 minutes was a stroll after the young visitors were dealt the double blow of falling 3-2 down then immediately having Jack Fletcher sent off for dissent. The son of former United stalwart Darren Fletcher was given a straight red card after seeming to become irate with Kelly who appeared to pull him to the ground in the build-up to the visitors’ second goal.

Barnsley were poor in the first half – their press was disorganised, they lacked intensity, they lost the ball often in dangerous areas and the experiment of playing Farrugia up front was chillingly reminiscent of some of Clement Rodrigues’ performances last season. He was much better after going back to the right wing.

The Reds were lucky to only concede once in the first half, thanks to poor away finishing from a side with barely any professional appearances between them, and good goalkeeping by Kieren Flavell who again came in and did well. Having been gifted a leveller at the end of the first half, Reds were much better after the break, going man to man with their marking and pressing more urgently. They would probably have won even without the red card, and they deserve credit for some of their passing and movement to score the four second half goals.

Hourihane rested Keillor-Dunn who, although he came on at the end, ended a 50-game run of starts in all competitions, and was without Leo Farrell who picked an injury for loan club Guiseley on Saturday. Fellow academy graduate Luke Alker, 18, came on instead for his second appearance in the trophy.

MORE POOR GOALS CONCEDED

Barnsley have conceded two goals in each of their last five games in all competitions, following the 6-0 home loss to Brighton in the EFL Cup.

They have let in 29 in 16 games so far and are on course to at least emulate last season’s alarming tally of 90.

The Reds will say they have done a lot of hard work on defending in training and they will reap the rewards of that eventually, but silly errors continue to cost them.

Vimal Yoganathan – who netted twice as a striker in this fixture last year – made a mistake for the opener, this time as a holding midfielder. After his excellent loan at Oldham then starting the first three league games of this season, a red card against Bolton in August has been followed by cameo appearances in the league and cup starts. He is still a teenager and has just started his Reds career but he has a rashness and carelessness to his game at times which needs to be eradicated if he is to let his undoubted talent thrive.

The opener was deflected in by Jake Rooney who was at fault for the second goal and also looked easy for attackers to beat in the Barnsley penalty area. The Derby County loanee is yet to play in the league for the Reds, or for anyone in more than two years, and was not in the squad at the weekend due to Mart Roberts’ return. This performance – although he actually looked more comfortable later on as a holding midfielder against ten men – will not have improved his chances of making his league debut and, unless there are injuries or dramatic losses in form, it is currently difficult to see him getting many league minutes before the January transfer window.

Both Roberts, playing for the first time since his opening day injury, and right-back Mael de Gevigney who is now on 99 appearances for the Reds, gave the visitors chances in the first half with loose passes before being rescued by Flavell, then were more solid after the break. Left-back Nathanael Ogbeta, who is almost a guaranteed starter in all competitions until Georgie Gent returns, played some fine passes including an assist for Russell.

TROPHY BEING TAKEN MORE SERIOUSLY

When Manchester United under 21s came from 2-0 down on 81 minutes to win 3-2 at Oakwell last season in the trophy, they scored those three quick goals against a Reds side made up almost totally of under 21s players who had barely played senior football for the club. This time, Barnsley’s team was much more experienced and, instead of using their bench to give out debuts, they were bringing on some of their regular league starters.

They have made eight changes for both of their trophy matches but all the players involved have been members of the first team squad who Hourihane works with every day – including some promoted from the youth teams – rather than plugging gaps with any available under 21 like he watched Darrell Clarke do last season. Although he needed to rest some players, Hourihane lifted the EFL Trophy with the Reds a decade ago next year and knows how a run deep into that competition can excite a fanbase and help towards the more important goal of competing for promotion.

This was a first win in the trophy since a 3-1 success over Manchester City under 21s in September 2023, after which they had lost six in a row in the competition.

The win put them level on points with Notts County, who beat them in September partly due to a red card for Jono Bland who was suspended for this game. If they beat leaders Lincoln City at home in their final game on November 11, they will have a good chance of going through due to their healthy goal difference. They may only need a draw if United under 21s can do them a favour against County a week earlier.