Analysis of Barnsley's 2-1 home win over Exeter. David McGoldrick and Vimal Yoganathan scored early then the visitors added a late reply.

SOME FANS SHOW FRUSTRATION WITH TENNIS BALL PROTEST

Barnsley has a history with tennis balls - a factory in the town made those used at Wimbledon for decades. On Saturday, they were the way that frustration with the club’s owners spilled over into a brief fan protest.

Possibly up to 100 of the balls were chucked onto the Oakwell pitch by a section of fans after 18 minutes of this game along with chants of ‘get of our club’ and ‘Barnsley FC is in the wrong hands’.

It was a much smaller number than seen at other grounds in what has become a common revolt for fanbases who feel their clubs are badly run. But it showed the growing animosity among some supporters towards chairman Neerav Parekh and his fellow owners after several seasons of year-on-year decline in league position.

Head coach Conor Hourihane said supporters had a right to express frustration but that the timing of the protest, minutes after the hosts went 2-0 up, was unhelpful.

But that probably showed how keenly felt the frustrations are for some - it wasn’t just a kneejerk reaction to a poor display, but a planned-out demonstration against what they feel are deeper issues at the club. It must be pointed out again that the chants that the owners are greedy are disproven totally by the club’s accounts which show they put millions in every year.

There will be a spectrum of opinions within the fanbase on this protest, but if the Reds continue to slip down the EFL under these owners, there may be more unrest as well as what is even more alarming - empty seats.

The tennis balls did not stop the Reds recording a third win in five games and moving onto nine home league victories this season. They returned to the top half of the table, increased the gap to the relegation zone to 11 points and moved to within eight of the top six with games in hand on all those above. The play-offs still feel out of reach for this inconsistent side but a shock victory over title-contenders Cardiff in a game in hand on Tuesday might start to change that.

REDS CONTROL GAME AND DESERVE WIN

This deserved win was a good response to the previous Tuesday’s deeply disappointing loss to Wycombe.

Barnsley’s fellow mid-table side Exeter were winless in eight, with six draws, but they were unbeaten in six away league games, with two wins, since December 29.

Exeter beat Barnsley 3-0 in Devon on December 20 and had won at Oakwell in each of the last three seasons.

They had no real chances in the first 70 minutes, the latest disappointing visitor to Oakwell in this sub-standard division.

Barnsley scored two good goals in the first 16 minutes then were comfortable for the remainder of a fairly low-key and uneventful match.

The visitors were much better after bringing on the tall experienced striker Josh Magennis and going more direct but, after a brief flurry of chances including a goal, the Reds regained the control they had for almost the whole game and saw out the win.

There were some stand-out performers but all home players put a good shift in.

MCGOLDRICK OUTSTANDING AS USUAL

David McGoldrick opened the scoring with a cheeky dink over the goalkeeper, which was his 11th goal in 12 games.

The striker has 13 league goals this season - the sixth most in the division - and 16 in all competitions, drawing him level as Reds top-scorer with the now Wrexham striker Davis Keillor-Dunn.

He was outstanding once again, adding an assist and still holding the ball up and winning corners deep into stoppage time.

McGoldrick played just behind Tom Bradshaw who came into the side for his 100th Barnsley appearance. He touched the ball just nine times and completed only two passes but one saw him win a header against two defenders in the lead-up to the opener. It dropped to Reyes Cleary who cleverly put McGoldrick through, registering his 14th assist of the season in all competitions.

VIMAL CAPS TOP DISPLAY WITH FINE GOAL

Vimal Yoganathan’s only start in the previous 12 league games was in the 2-2 home draw to Northampton on February 3. He missed a series of good chances then was dropped to the under 21s as he sat out several first team games.

But he worked his way back onto the bench, impressed at Leyton Orient last week and earned a start.

Yoganathan was outstanding against Exeter, scoring the second goal with a superb header and also making the most tackles and interceptions. His performance meant the Reds did not miss Patrick Kelly as much as in the previous game.

He headed into the top right corner 12 yards out from a McGoldrick cross after good work by Cleary and Luca Connell.

The Reds had previously scored the joint fewest headed goals in League One this season with three.

Yoganathan was the youngest of a midfield three, with Connell and Adam Phillips less eye-catching but still playing their part in the win.

BOLD LEFT-BACK CALL PAYS OFF

Jack Shepherd was brought back into the 11 after two games on the bench and played at left-back. It was the same approach as at Cardiff in January which was a disaster. So it was a risky move and Hourihane knew it. But this was much more successful as they were playing a worse side, had more control of the ball, midfielders protected Shepherd much better and he had a better game personally.

The Reds’ left-back generally provides a solid base for Cleary to launch off and joins a back three on the ball with Corey O’Keeffe - who had a strong game - flying forward on the right. Hourihane said they felt Shepherd would add height and physicality and that he could cope with Exeter’s right-winger Ilmari Niskanen who is more of a crosser and passer than a tricky dribbler. It was a good call by the young coach.

Shepherd eventually came off injured and was replaced by Nathanael Ogbeta.

Mael de Gevigney had another strong game. When Exeter won at Oakwell nearly a year ago, the Frenchman was at fault for the winner during a very difficult spell of red cards and errors. He has since been out of the team for most of this season but returned last week. De Gevigney made a series of important clearances and blocks, while his central defensive partner Eoghan O’Connell won eight headers.

But they both could have done better for Exeter’s goal as Magennis beat de Gevigney in the air to head down a long ball to Jayden Wareham who took advantage of an O’Connell slip to fire past the stranded Owen Goodman.