Valerien Ismael enjoyed a fine first game as Barnsley head coach as his side beat ten man Queens Park Rangers 3-0 at Oakwell on Tuesday night to register their first league win of the season.
Hoops defender Rob Dickie was sent off after 26 minutes for hauling back Cauley Woodrow who was through on goal but got up to smash in the penalty, which was followed ten minutes later by a Conor Chaplin strike. Yoann Barbet scored a baffling own goal midway through the second half.
The hosts could easily have doubled their tally, at least, while the visitors did not have a shot on target until injury-time.
Ismael made two changes from the team that drew at Millwall on Saturday under caretaker Adam Murray. Fit-again Woodrow and Callum Styles came in for Matty James and Elliot Simoes. Romal Palmer and Luke Thomas were not in the squad but George Miller was on the bench. Barnsley played 3-4-3 with Chaplin on the left on the front three and Dominik Frieser on the right while Woodrow was in the centre.
Very little happened in the first quarter of the match, as QPR started the brighter but the Reds grew into the game with Clarke Oduor having the first shot on target when his 20-yard poor effort skewed up into the air and was caught by the goalkeeper.
The game changed when Styles' pass was not cut out by two defenders on the edge of the box and travelled through to Woodrow who was clean through eight yards out when he was pulled back by Dickie. The referee David Webb sent the defender off and Woodrow blasted in his fourth goal of the season, and third in the league which have all been penalties.
Woodrow forced a save from Senny Dieng with a low shot from just outside the box which the goalkeeper dived to his right to save. Seconds later, it was 2-0 as Frieser received the ball on the left wing and found Chaplin in the box who produced a fine finish into the bottom left corner for his first goal of the season.
Ismael brought Matty James on at half-time for Oduor, with Styles moving to left wing-back. Chaplin should have scored a second on 50 minutes when Alex Mowatt's excellent low cross from the left was met by a diving header but, unmarked five yards out, he nodded into the ground and it looped up for Dieng to catch easily.
At the other end, Dominic Ball headed over a left-wing corner after being left unmarked 12 yards out.
The third goal saw Mowatt's excellent pass release Frieser on the right wing and he impressively picked out Woodrow who took a poor touch which gifted the ball to Barbet but the centre-back inexplicably passed the ball from 12 yards out past his 'keeper into the net.
Mowatt nearly made it 4-0 after a good move saw him shoot from the right of the box but Dieng made an outstanding save to stop the ball flying into the bottom left corner.
Substitute Patrick Schmidt missed a fine chance when he shot straight at Dieng from the left of the box after being played in by Chaplin. Schmidt then headed an Elliot Simoes cross straight at the goalkeeper. Impressive substitute Simoes almost netted after a fine run from near halfway to the edge of the box but his shot was well saved by the legs of the goalkeeper.
Dieng also denied Schmidt with a good block after the Austrian ran onto a fine chipped past by Chaplin who then curled wide from 15 yards on the right of the box after being well found by Styles.
Ball had QPR's first shot on target in injury-time, attempting to lob Walton who easily caught the 30-yard effort.
Barnsley (3-4-3): Walton; Sollbauer, Helik, Andersen; Brittain, Mowatt, Styles, Oduor (James HT); Chaplin, Woodrow (Schmidt 67mins), Frieser (Simoes 75). Unused: Collins, Halme, Schmidt, Miller, Kane. Goals: Woodrow 27 (pen), Chaplin 37, Barbet OG 65.
QPR: Dieng; Kakay, Rickie, Barbet, Hamalainen; Ball, Carroll, Adomah (Kane 54mins), Chair (Masterson 29); Bonne (Willock 63), Dykes. Unused: Kelly, Cameron, Bettache, Kelman.
AS IT HAPPENED
  • 7:01pm
    GAME UNDERWAY
  • 7:01pm
    1 QPR on the attack straight away and Styles has to block in his box
  • 7:02pm
    1 Now QPR fire over from 25 yards. It was a sloppy first minute for the hosts
  • 7:03pm
    3 Callum Brittain puts the ball behind for a corner
  • 7:03pm
    3 Adomah's corner is headed clear
  • 7:04pm
    Barnsley are playing 3-4-3 as expected with Conor Chaplin on the left and Dominik Frieser on the right of Cauley Woodrow
  • 7:07pm
    All QPR in the first 7 minutes, they are putting a few crosses into the box and the hosts cannot get out of their half so far
  • 7:10pm
    The last few minutes have been more even, with Barnsley getting on the ball more and settling down
  • 7:12pm
    11 'Head it Clarkey, head it!' screams Jack Walton but Oduor does not and QPR see one shot blocked then the next easily caught by the goalkeeper
  • 7:15pm
    Into the 15th minute now, very little action so far but QPR have been the more threatening side with most of the possession
  • 7:15pm
    15 Some nice interplay between Kakay and Adomah and Styles concedes a corner
  • 7:16pm
    16 Corner headed by Dykes onto Styles and over
  • 7:16pm
    16 The next corner is headed out by Helik
  • 7:18pm
    Clarke Oduor is under examination by one of the most experienced wingers in the Championship Albert Adomah. He had a few difficult moments early on but is starting to hold his own
  • 7:20pm
    20 minutes in and Barnsley are yet to launch an attack. The closest they came was just now when a long ball over the top went straight to the goalkeeper
  • 7:21pm
    21 Better from Barnsley, a fine cross field pass by Styles is brought down in the box by Brittain but he is tackled. Oduor's shot goes high up in the air and is caught by the goalkeeper, It will count as first shot on target
  • 7:24pm
    Barnsley have been much much better in the last five minutes - passing the ball around comfortably in the QPR half. They haven't broken through the defence yet though
  • 7:26pm
    Penalty to Barnsley and red card for QPR
  • 7:26pm
    RED CARD
    Rob Dickie sent off
  • 7:27pm
    GOAL!
    Barnsley 1, QPR 0. Woodrow penalty after he is brought down by Dickie who gets a straight red card
  • 7:29pm
    It was a horrible mix-up by the away side, two of their defenders failed to clear the ball on the edge of their box from a Styles pass, Woodrow went through and Dickie hauled him down
  • 7:30pm
    Conor Masterson comes on for Ilias Chair
  • 7:32pm
    So that is Woodrow's 39th goal for the Reds and fourth of the season. All three in the league have been penalties.
  • 7:36pm
    Barnsley the more attacking side now, as you would expect with the extra man. They are yet to create a chance for 2-0
  • 7:37pm
    37 Woodrow shoots low from about 22 yards, Dieng dives to his right to save
  • 7:37pm
    GOAL!
    Conor Chaplin doubles the lead!
  • 7:39pm
    It's a first goal of the season for the striker who fires in from the left of the six-yard box after receiving the ball from Frieser who did well on the left wing
  • 7:42pm
    Barnsley totally in control of this game now. Surely this has to be their first win of the season, 2-0 up against ten men
  • 7:44pm
    44 QPR win a corner after Niko Hamalainen's shot is deflected over
  • 7:45pm
    44 The corner is cleared than Dominik Frieser puts in his second impressive tackle of the game to stop another QPR attack
  • 7:45pm
    Two added minutes
  • 7:46pm
    Now Barnsley win a corner after Niko Hamalainen heads a Mowatt cross behind
  • 7:46pm
    45+1 Styles' right-wing corner is short to Woodrow but cleared
  • 7:48pm
    HALF-TIME: Barnsley 2, QPR 0. Cauley Woodrow and Conor Chaplin net after Rob Dickie is sent off for the Hoops
  • 8:04pm
    SECOND HALF UNDERWAY
  • 8:04pm
    Matty James has replaced Clarke Oduor with Callum Styles going to left wing-back
  • 8:07pm
    It was a tough first half for Oduor up against Adomah. James should be the perfect player to manage Barnsley through this second half
  • 8:10pm
    50 Big chance for 3-0. Mowatt's excellent left wing cross is met by Chaplin with a diving header five yards out but, unmarked, he sends it into the ground and it loops up for Dieng to catch
  • 8:12pm
    QPR take off their most dangerous player so far Adomah with Todd Kane coming on
  • 8:13pm
    54 QPR's Dominic Ball is left free to head over a left-wing corner
  • 8:17pm
    The game had settled down a bit in the last few minutes, which will suit the Reds just fine as they look to hold onto their advantage
  • 8:18pm
    The ten men will have to take risks which should give the hosts plenty of opportunity to counter-attack
  • 8:19pm
    An hour gone at Oakwell, Barnsley 2-0 up against ten men. Matty James smashes over a 25-yard shot
  • 8:21pm
    QPR make their third change. Chris Willock replaces Macauley Bonne
  • 8:23pm
    3-0. A horrendous own goal by Yoann Barbet
  • 8:25pm
    A superb pass down the right by Mowatt releases Frieser whose low cross is perfect for Woodrow who takes a poor touch but Barbet inexplicably he passes past his goalkeeper into the bottom left corner
  • 8:26pm
    Woodrow is replaced by Patrick Schmidt. A sensible decision after his injury and with lots of games coming up
  • 8:32pm
    73 Another good chance for the Reds. A well-worked move ends with Styles passing to Mowatt on the right of the box and his powerful effort is very well saved by Dieng's right hand
  • 8:34pm
    Barnsley's last chance sees Simoes come on for Frieser who has played very well tonight
  • 8:38pm
    78 Another big chance for the hosts. Chaplin plays in Schmidt on the left of the box but the substitute fires straight at Dieng
  • 8:41pm
    Just eight minutes to go. Barnsley absolutely bossing it. They have had every shot on target so far and look by far the most likely to score
  • 8:43pm
    84 Another good chance for Schmidt but he heads a nice Simoes cross from the right straight at the goalkeeper
  • 8:44pm
    84 Another chance for the Reds, this time Simoes runs from near halfway past the exhausted away defenders to the edge of the box but his low shot is saved by the legs of Dieng
  • 8:48pm
    89 Patrick Schmidt could have had a hat-trick as a substitute. He is put clean through on the right of the box by a ball over the top and his powerful shot is blocked by the goalkeeper who is now in double figures for saves and has been the only away man to impress
  • 8:49pm
    90 Another big chance for Barnsley who could easily have double their tally tonight. A fine pass by Styles plays in Chaplin on the right but his curling shot is wide from 15 yards
  • 8:52pm
    FULL-TIME: Barnsley 3, QPR 0. The Reds absolutely dominate their ten man visitors. An excellent start to the Valerien Ismael era

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