Rotherham 1 - 2 Barnsley

The super reds moved within two points of the playoffs after yet another 2-1 win this time away at South Yorkshire rivals Rotherham. First-half goals from Cauley Woodrow and Alex Mowatt were enough to see Barnsley take all three points.

Rotherham rallied after the break and Michael Smith a former Barnsley loanee headed in a Dan Barlarser corner but the reds managed to hold on and record yet another win under Valerien Ismael. 

The game was in doubt due to a COVID outbreak within the Rotherham camp which had seen the last two games postponed. The home side under threat of a point’s deduction or possible fine were seemingly forced to go ahead with the game and couldn’t even name a full complement of subs on the bench. The team they did put out however did contain the majority of their strongest 11.

In recent weeks Barnsley have been guilty of falling behind early on and almost did the same again in this game. Within the first few minutes, a long ball forward found Vassell free down the left and he struck towards the near post. Jack Walton however was alert to the danger and he tipped it wide for a corner.

This match it was the turn of Barnsley to score early goals.

Inside the first ten minutes, the reds took the lead, a rarity indeed despite the recent winning run. Mowatt picked up the ball in the middle of the park and then played a lovely left-footed pass through to the advancing Woodrow.  The Tykes top scorer controlled the ball well got it out of his feet well and curled the ball with his weaker left foot into the far corner when through with just the keeper to beat.

Just seven minutes later things got even better for the in-form away side when Alex Mowatt finished a lovely team move to double the lead. Woodrow had the ball on the right; he looked up and played a cross-field ball to Callum Styles who broke towards the box. He slid the ball into Alex Mowatt who curled the ball first time into the far corner.

At this point the reds looked to be cruising and you could have been forgiven for thinking that this would be a 4 or 5 nil drubbing.

Mowatt was excellent and for me had his best game of the season. His pass to Woodrow for his goal was exceptional and he was involved in the game a lot more than in a lot of previous matches. That is not a criticism of him but sometimes how we play means that the midfield doesn’t see a lot of the ball at times.

I did still feel that James struggled to impose himself on the game despite us having more of the ball in the midfield in this one and I think his place could be under threat in the next match. I know I bark on about this but I would still like to see Odour come in at LWB with Styles moving in to midfield, even though Styles has been excellent at wing back and it is also probably just game after game after game that James needs to recapture his top form.

Barnsley started the second half as they left off in the first but it wasn’t long until Rotherham became the more dominant team as they searched for a goal to get back in to the game.

The goal did come as Smith headed in from a corner. Rotherham had a good spell of being the better side and creating chances and will have perhaps have been disappointed that they didn’t find an equaliser.

Barnsley managed to weather the storm and should have made it 3 – 1 when Adeboyejo missed a sitter after doing all the hard work to get himself in that position.

He showed the strength he has and overall I think he had a good game and our front three is better with him starting as he gives the strength and hold up play that we lack at times.

I felt Frieser was poor and I would bring Chaplin in for him when available again and keep Victor in the team.

Barnsley sit in the dizzy heights of 8^th after this and play leaders Norwich next. We have struggled so far against the genuine automatic promotion contenders such as Swansea and Bournemouth but I’m hopeful that we can really give Norwich a game if we can avoid conceding an early goal.

COYR