Analysis of Barnsley's 3-2 home win over Leyton Orient. The Reds took the lead through Reyes Cleary then two mistakes left them 2-1 down at the break. Jon Russell levelled before Davis Keillor-Dunn won it.

MADCAP GAME SUMS UP SEASON SO FAR

IF THERE was one game that could sum up Barnsley’s ambivalent, unpredictable, confusing but often promising season so far, it was this madcap match in which the quality was not always high but the entertainment levels were.

For 28 minutes, the Reds were easily the better side - they dominated the ball, winning it off their badly struggling opponents, moving it well and creating several chances. It felt like a continuation of the 5-0 thrashing of Luton in the previous home game.

But they conceded a farcical equaliser then totally lost their way, reeling until half-time and soon letting in an equally poor second. It was eerily similar to Lincoln four days earlier and showed the defensive frailty of this team who find bizarre ways to self-destruct.

But this time they had the break to steady themselves and were the better side again in the second half, creating regular chances before finding two late goals - the opposite of what has happened to them in the recent past.

They were lucky. Their first goal took a huge deflection, their last was a ridiculous error by a defender and they should have conceded an injury-time equaliser for 3-3 but it was controversially ruled out for an alleged foul on Jack Shepherd who had just been outmuscled. But they showed character and deserved the win overall.

Last year’s losing play-off finalists Orient were next to Barnsley in mid-table and unbeaten in four but without several of their star players due to injury. They looked vulnerable defensively throughout and only really created chances due to dodgy defending by their hosts.

A year previously, Barnsley had been thrashed 4-0 by Orient in their final game of a dismal 2024 which saw them win just six league games at Oakwell, four of which were in January and February. Now they have five wins in the league there this season, just one fewer than last season with 15 to play. They have won two in a row at home, three weeks apart during four straight away games. They are four points off the top six with at least one game in hand on all the teams above. It is not yet clear if they are consistent enough to go higher but the five games in 15 days from Saturday will tell us more.

BAFFLING GOALS CONCEDED AGAIN

Barnsley have conceded 46 goals this season - 22 in cups and 24 in the league - so are on course to let in more than the 90 they shipped last season.

No side has kept fewer league sheets in League One than them with two.

With Marc Roberts and Josh Earl only fit enough for the bench, Mael de Gevigney and Jack Shepherd were the centre-backs and again were unconvincing, both lucky to get away with huge errors at the end.

With Jono Bland needed at right-back and captain Luca Connell suspended, the two holding midfield roles were taken by Adam Phillips and Vimal Yoganathan who are naturally more attacking and each made a mistake for the goals.

Last time Orient visited Oakwell, Phillips did not play after having emergency dental treatment. It almost looked like his goalkeeper Murphy Cooper might need the same after Phillips smashed a head-height pass towards him in the 28th-minute. Whether it was over-confidence after such a dominant start and some good previous passes, or just poor execution of a crossfield switch to the right-back, it was a bizarre ball from deep in his own half after Barnsley played a short free-kick. Cooper could have ducked under it or headed it out to the flank but he tried to control it and the ball bounced off his face and straight to Ollie O’Neill who the goalkeeper tried to tackle but tripped him then Dom Ballard sent him the wrong way from the penalty spot. That totally changed the momentum until half-time, as if Barnsley could not believe what they had done.

For the second goal, Yoganathan received a risky pass from Mael de Gevigney and was robbed of the ball by Jack Moorhouse who sprinted forward, beat de Gevigney and found O’Neill whose shot found the bottom left corner. Cooper dived the wrong way, completing a poor game for him. His foul for the penalty earned him a fourth booking of the season so he will be banned for a match if he gets another in either of the next two games.

CLEARY CONTINUES REMARKABLE START TO CAREER

Reyes Cleary’s first eight starts in professional league football have seen him score four goals and add six assists.

He opened the scoring in this game then set up Barnsley’s other two goals.

No player in the division has assisted more goals this season and he could have had four in this game. His impact has been remarkable and clubs must surely be weighing up bids for the 21-year-old but will likely need to find several million as he is contracted until 2029.

Cleary’s physical attributes of pace and strength, plus the ability to beat players on either foot, are matched by a consistent end product well beyond his years.

Hourihane said afterwards that Cleary messaged him following the previous game in Lincoln, when he was double-marked and fairly quiet, asking for an extra meeting to discuss how to combat that.

Orient gave him much more space than than the Imps, such as for his goal which saw a deflected cross by Patrick Kelly after a nice run fall to Cleary and his shot hit Michael Craig then span into the bottom left corner.

After Cleary, Kelly was the second best player on the pitch - setting up the opener and other chances while he was only denied a goal by a superb block. He is growing in the number ten role, this time often drifting wide and beating defenders with real skill. He put Cleary clean through to hit the right post at 2-1 down early in the second half.

RUSSELL MAKES MOST OF RARE GAMETIME

The previous substitute to score for Barnsley in the league at Oakwell was Jon Lewis against Cambridge in March - Hourihane’s first home game in charge.

But Jon Russell made it 2-2 with his first league goal of the season.

The Jamaica midfielder has not started in the league this season and only come on in one of the previous seven league games, sometimes not being on the bench.

But he has four goals in all competitions this season and 11 in 2025.

Russell is a goal threat and a clever footballer who played some fine passes, although he did gift Orient the ball in injury-time which led to a big chance which O’Neill missed.

Russell, with his contract up at the end of the season and World Cup play-offs in March, had looked likely to leave in next month’s transfer window - but this performance suggests he could still play a part for the Reds. Hourihane said he might have started the match had he not missed training due to personal reasons.

It was an excellent set piece goal off the training ground, with Phillips’ free-kick to the left of the box volleyed across goal by Cleary and swept into the bottom right corner by Russell from 15 yards.

LUCKY 13 FOR KEILLOR-DUNN

It was not just Barnsley’s substitutes who made an impact for the Reds. Orient replacement Tom James totally misjudged a backpass and put Cleary through to nudge the ball past the goalkeeper into the path of Davis Keillor-Dunn who tapped into the empty net for the winner.

Kelly did not see the goal go in as he was on the floor having been struck by Omar Beckles off the ball.

Keillor-Dunn now has 13 goals for the season in all competitions and ten in the division which makes him joint top-scorer. He was captain for the day in the absence of Connell and Roberts and, although he had a quiet game overall, once again found the net.

Neil Farrugia started for the first time in the league under Hourihane and played quite well, coming close to scoring twice.