Analysis of Barnsley's 1-0 loss to Doncaster Rovers at Oakwell. The visitors scored a penalty midway through the second half.

GRIM AFTERNOON ENDS TINY PLAY-OFF CHANCE

THIS was Barnsley’s last game for nearly a fortnight and it felt like everyone involved needed a break from the place and each other after one of the most grim afternoons of a tough season.

There were chants of ‘sacked in the morning’ from the home fans late on then ‘you’re not fit to wear the shirt’ to the home players after the final whistle, while boos rang out loudly towards the end.

Conor Hourihane used the word ‘obscene’ post-match when talking about a lack of squad depth and repeatedly said the Reds had never been ready to challenge for the play-offs. They have not looked likely to finish higher than mid-table all season but their top six chances are now realistically over after this dismal display.

It was the final game of seven in 21 days in which they collected nine points, winning none of the last four. Even though Doncaster had the same schedule, and were missing important players through injury, Barnsley appeared to have less energy and no real quality.

The Reds played five home games out of six in 18 days - a chance to build momentum and climb the table. But they collected just five points, beating Exeter, drawing with Cardiff and needing a last-gasp leveller to draw with Wigan as well as 1-0 losses to Wycombe and Doncaster.

The crowd of 13,026 – bolstered by nearly 3,000 away fans – was the biggest since the win over Huddersfield in August, after a series of eight games in which the official attendance figures did not pass 10,000 and some were the lowest in a decade for a league game. Barnsley now only have three home games left this season – Plymouth on Easter Monday, Bradford on April 18 and Stockport on the first weekend of May. All three of those opponents are in the hunt for play-off places.

REDS SECOND BEST IN POOR MATCH

With this win, Donny increased the gap between them and the relegation zone from three to five points and extended their unbeaten run to four games. Former Red Grant McCann has now won his last four games at Oakwell as a manager.

Barnsley have generally impressed going forward this season but have scored just six goals in six games - with this being a particular poor attacking performance.

Doncaster had conceded as many league goals as Barnsley, the joint third worst record in the division, but the Reds only really came close to scoring against them in the 90th minute.

The first half was extremely boring with very little quality or chances. Doncaster had more of the ball and played slightly better but lacked quality with the final pass and cross, whereas it was not fully clear what the Reds were trying to do in attack as they barely threatened.

McCann said he was surprised by how much the Reds ‘sat off’ his side.

After switching to 4-2-3-1, Barnsley actually started the second half quite well, and created a couple of half-chances, but could only keep it up for about 15 minutes then conceded a decisive penalty.

After going behind, the Reds did nothing for 25 minutes before Patrick Kelly forced a fine save.

The Barnsley display was summed up by a throw slipping out of Tennai Watson’s hands then him blasting the ball down the pitch and being booked. He was one of several players out of position in a disjointed Reds performance.

‘OBSCENE’ LACK OF DEPTH UP FRONT

The fears since deadline day that one of Barnsley’s two veteran forwards, the only strikers in the squad, would get injured during this gruelling run of games were finally realised when Tom Bradshaw felt his hamstring in training on Friday. He was left out - with the hope it will be the only game he misses - which meant David McGoldrick was the only forward in the squad. The 38-year-old has played every minute of six games in 18 days which Hourihane dubbed ‘obscene’.

Not getting another striker in was a serious failure which was bound to cost them.

With Bradshaw out, Hourihane chose to move Reyes Cleary from the left wing to up front. He looked lost as he only had nine touches in the first half and completed two passes, never having the chance to run at former Barnsley defender Matty Pearson who happily cleared the few aimless long balls and crosses pumped towards his goal.

McGoldrick looked off his best as he dropped very deep in the first half but occasionally lost the ball, then struggled to make much impact as the only striker after the break.

Scott Banks played on the left then was taken off at the break for central midfielder Jono Bland, with Cleary moving back to the left but not causing the chaos he did in the reverse fixture.

Adam Phillips came back in for Vimal Yoganathan but he, Kelly and Luca Connell did not dictate the game in the way players of their quality can.

WEAK DEFENDING ALL-ROUND FOR PENALTY

Referee David Rock took charge of a Reds game for the time since the opening home match of the season when he gave Burton Albion a penalty in the second minute for a foul by David McGoldrick defending a corner.

This time it was a cross from the right just after the hour from which Corey O’Keeffe pulled down Hakeeb Adelakun and Rock pointed to the spot. O’Keeffe appeared to be outmuscled then panic.

Elliot Lee - who never started in the league when a Barnsley player in the 2016/17 season and a team-mate of Hourihane’s - beat Owen Goodman from the spot.

In the build-up to the goal, Jamie Sterry was given plenty of space between Kelly and Cleary to take a throw-in then get the ball back from Owen Bailey and send in a cross which went over Eoghan O’Connell.

Doncaster felt they should have had second penalty minutes later when, after a poor pass by Bland, Bailey put Brandon Hanlan through before Jack Shepherd made a last-ditch tackle - possibly just catching the man before getting the ball.

REDS CLOSE TO UNWANTED CLUB RECORD

The Reds have not kept a clean sheet in 23 games, two short of a club record in the same season. It is simply impossible to achieve anything more than mid-table mediocrity with stats like that.

No side in the division had conceded more goals at home than the Reds after this game while they have shipped 86 in all competitions.

Doncaster’s Luke Molyneux missed the game through injury having terrorised Jake Rooney at left-back last time Barnsley. Perhaps fearing Molyneux’s skill, Jack Shepherd, another centre-back playing at left-back although better than Rooney, moved into central defence with Watson coming in at left-back. Mael de Gevigney dropped out, quite harshly after playing well recently. Shepherd and O’Connell were given a tough time by Hanlan - with Billy Sharp injured - but the centre-back selection was not why Barnsley lost.