Barnsley produced a deeply disappointing performance in a 1-0 loss at promotion-chasing Stevenage on Tuesday evening.
The hosts scored midway through the first half then had easily the better chances as Barnsley were extremely sloppy in defence and offered little in attack.
They slipped down a place to 13th in League One and have won one out of ten.
Conor Hourihane made four changes from Saturday’s draw with Bradford when they played for ten men for 90 minutes. Corey O’Keeffe, Josh Earl, Adam Phillips and the suspended Vimal Yoganathan dropped out with Luca Connell, Jack Shepherd, Mael de Gevigney and Reyes Cleary coming in.
The Reds started four centre-backs across the back four. Kelechi Nwakali was in the first team squad for the first time this season, on the bench along with Georgie Gent and Charlie Lennon.
Barnsley started quite brightly as Jono Bland, de Gevigney and Scott Banks had shots blocked in the Stevenage box while, at the other end, Jamie Reid shot over from 20 yards after Cleary lost the ball to Harvey White. Jordan Roberts volleyed just wide of the bottom right corner from the left of the box after a long ball dropped to him. A Marc Roberts long throw fell to Bradshaw but he handballed then saw his effort saved.
Barnsley conceded a very poor goal midway through the first half. Marc Roberts passed straight to Dan Kemp who burst into the box and found the bottom right corner from 15 yards.
Barnsley then lost the ball several more times in defence.
Shepherd was robbed by Matt Phillips who charged into the box and had a shot blocked by Eoghan O’Connell when he should have played in Kemp.
Shepherd again lost the ball to Kemp who played Reid clean through and he shot wide of the bottom left corner when he should have made it 2-0.
Owen Goodman then made an outstanding save from Reid who was put clean through by a Carl Piergianni header but the goalkeeper sprang to his left to keep out the volley.
Hourihane made a triple change at the break with makeshift full-backs de Gevigney and Shepherd replaced by O’Keeffe and Gent while Phillips came on for Banks.
Gent’s cross was headed wide by Kelly a few minutes after the break. Phillips was then played clean through by O’Connell and scored but the flag was up for offside.
At the other end, Roberts had to make a saving block from a Kemp cross after Kelly lost the ball in his half. Phillips then found Kelly in the home box but he took too many touches and was tackled.
It should have been 2-0 when Jordan Roberts easily beat O’Keeffe and crossed from the left and, after a slight touch by O’Connell, Kemp was denied three yards out by Goodman. The hosts then missed another major chance when Matt Phillips was given time to bring down a left-wing cross then turn and shoot wide of the bottom right corner from ten yards.
Stevenage then had a goal ruled out as Kemp tapped in after Goodman fumbled a Reid shot but the flag was up. Roberts then gave the ball away again just outside his box and, after it broke to Goodman, he cleared against his own player and it fell to White who missed a huge chance from close range.
Barnsley’s first shot on target arrived on 79 minutes as Gent’s swirling long-range effort was pushed away by Fillip Marshall who then easily caught Kelly’s header from a Phillips cross.
Kemp had another goal ruled out for the hosts on 82 minutes for offside. He then went clean through at the end due to a Nwakali error but could not get enough power on his shot past Goodman and O’Connell cleared.
Barnsley (4-5-1): Goodman; de Gevigney (O’Keeffe HT), O’Connell, Roberts, Shepherd (Gent HT); Banks (Phillips HT), Connell (Farrell 85), Bland (Nwakali 70), Kelly, Cleary; Bradshaw.
Unused: Flavell, Lennon.
Yellow cards: Bland.
Stevenage (4-2-3-1): Marschall; Pattenden, Piergianni, Goode, Earley; White, Thompson (Houghton 80); Kemp, Roberts, Phillips (Lubala 90+4); Reid (Campbell 85).
Unused: Ashby-Hammond, Butler, Sweeney, Phoenix.
Goals: Kemp 22.
