Barnsley were edged out 2-1 at promotion-chasing Luton Town on Saturday afternoon as Conor Hourihane’s final week as head coach began with defeat.
The Hatters netted an early penalty then Adam Phillips levelled within ten minutes. The hosts struck again late on.
The Reds competed well against one of the division’s form sides but have now one just one of their last 11 matches.
Conor Hourihane made three changes from the midweek loss at Stevenage. Adam Phillips, Corey O’Keeffe and Josh Earl replaced Marc Roberts, Jack Shepherd and Scott Banks while David McGoldrick was back on the bench after injury.
The hosts nearly took the lead in the second minute when, after Barnsley lost the ball in the middle of the pitch, Emilio Lawrence was played in in the box and forced Owen Goodman to make a sharp save. Davy van den Berg then scuffed a shot seven yards out after Kasey Palmer played in Nakhi Wells on the left of the box and he pulled the ball back.
Adam Phillips was put through by Eoghan O’Connell in the box but Kal Naismith made a fine last-ditch tackle. Soon after, Phillips headed an O’Keeffe corner just over.
But Luton were given a penalty when, after a corner from the right dropped at the back post, Luca Connell was judged to have fouled Hakeem Odoffin and Nakhi Wells scored from the spot.
Wells then whistled a cross-come-shot across goal and wide from the left after Eoghan O’Connell fell over trying to challenge him for a long ball.
But the Reds levelled when, after a fine run by Patrick Kelly, Reyes Cleary’s shot from the left of the box was pushed away by goalkeeper Josh Keeley but Phillips headed in.
Another fine pass by Palmer put Lawrence in on the left but he shot over from a tight angle. The same two players combined again with Lawrence’s low cross being inexplicably turned wide by Wells five out from an open goal. Owen Goodman then dropped an Isiah Jones cross but Jono Bland cleared a few yards in front of his goal.
In the second half, Phillips tried to redirect a Connell shot with his head but it looped just over the unguarded net with the goalkeeper wrong-footed.
McGoldrick came on and, after Keeley pushed away a Cleary cross-come-shot, he saw one shot blocked and another skewed wide. Cleary was then denied in the box by a superb Jones block. Phillips then went clean through and rounded the goalkeeper then felt he was fouled by Odoffin but no penalty was given.
Luton barely created a second half chance until they retook the lead on 79 minutes. Liam Walsh’s corner was headed across goal by former Reds captain Mads Andersen and Palmer smashed in from close range having lost his marker substitute Kelechi Nwakali.
After a good run and pass on the right by Banks, McGoldrick shot over from 15 yards. He also shot over in injury-time from further out.
Barnsley (4-5-1): Goodman; O’Keeffe, de Gevigney, O’Connell, Earl (Gent 56mins); Phillips (Farrell 76), Bland (Nwakali 70), Connell, Kelly, Cleary (Banks 76); Bradshaw (McGoldrick 56).
Unused: Flavell, Shepherd.
Yellow cards: O’Keeffe, Earl, Connell, Bland, O’Connell.
Goals: Phillips 27.
Luton (4-2-3-1): Keeley; Jones, Odoffin, Andersen, Naismith; Van den Berg (Richards 65mins), Walsh; Lawrence (Kodua 65), Palmer, Morris (Lonwijk 90+3); Wells (Cole 65).
Unused: Shea, Al Hamadi.
Goals: Wells 16 (pen).
