Reds relegated after loss in Huddersfield

Barnsley have been relegated to League One following a very tame performance in a 2-1 loss at Huddersfield Town on Friday evening, which capped an utterly miserable season.

The Reds had to win to avoid relegation for at least tonight but the hosts scored near the start and end of the first half then the teams played out a dull second half before Callum Styles netted deep in injury-time.

The Reds remain last in the table, 11 points off safety, with three matches to play, while Huddersfield are in the play-offs.

Barnsley badly lacked urgency and did not show the desire or fight you would expect from a side trying to avoid relegation.

Poya Asbaghi made two changes from the side that lost at home to Peterborough on Monday. Cauley Woodrow made his first start since returning from injury and replaced Callum Styles while Matty Wolfe came in for the ill Claudio Gomes. Carlton Morris played on the right wing in a 4-2-3-1 with Woodrow up front.

The hosts took the lead in the fourth minute when a right-wing corner deflected off Mads Andersen and fell to Jordan Rhodes to head in from two yards out. The linesman initially ruled it out for offside, thinking the touch was off a home player, but he was overruled by the referee.

Amine Bassi saw a series of corners cleared before he was played in on the left of the box by a Woodrow header but his 15-yard volley, from a tight angle, was straight at the goalkeeper who caught it. It was Barnsley’s only effort on target until the very late goal.

Huddersfield’s Harry Toffolo then saw a low shot from the edge of the box on the left pushed by Jack Walton out of his bottom right corner. Toffolo’s left-wing cross was headed by Jon Russell ten yards out but the looping effort was easily caught by Walton.

The second goal arrived just before the break when Danel Sinani’s right-wing cross was met at the back post by Toffolo who slid in to guide the ball past Walton from seven yards out. Toffolo had terrorised Callum Brittain all game but should have been tracked by Domingos Quina who left him totally unmarked.

In the second half, Rhodes scuffed a shot wide from a Toffolo pull-back then Romal Palmer and Woodrow fired well off-target from just outside the box.

Poya Asbaghi made a treble change on 70 minutes. Isaac Christie-Davies came on for his Barnsley debut and first appearance in English league football with Styles and Aaron Leya Iseka also introduced. Wolfe, Quina and Woodrow came off.

Rhodes sent an acrobatic volleyed effort straight at Walton late on.

Barnsley (4-2-3-1): Walton; Brittain, Andersen, Kitching, Vita; Wolfe (Christie-Davies 70mins), Palmer; Bassi, Quina (Styles 70), Morris; Woodrow (Iseka 70).

Unused: Jinadu, Moon, Hondermarck, Adeboyejo.

Yellow cards: Wolfe, Palmer.

Goals: Styles 90+7.

Huddersfield (4-3-3): Nicholls; Turton, Sarr, Lees, Toffolo (Ruffels 83mins); O’Brien, Russell, Hogg; Holmes (Campbell 89), Rhodes, Sinani (High HT).

Unused: Blackman, Pipa, Anjorin, Eiting.

Goals: Rhodes 4, Toffolo 45.