Norwood sent off early in 3-0 home cup loss

Barnsley played 70 minutes with ten men due to James Norwood’s red card in a deeply disappointing 3-0 home loss to Lincoln City in the EFL Trophy on Tuesday evening.

The visitors scored in the 15th and 17th minutes then Norwood was sent off in the 23rd for an elbow. Lincoln netted again in injury-time after missing several chances.

The Reds were very poor and could have lost by a wider margin in the first of three group games.

Michael Duff made 11 changes from the league draw at Ipswich on Saturday. Jack Walton was captain, Slobodan Tedic made his full debut and Herbie Kane returned from injury.

Youngsters Joe Ackroyd, Will Lancaster, Fabio Jalo, Danny Benson, Harrison Nejman and Hayden Pickard were on the bench, along with Brad Collins.

Head coach Duff watched the match from the West Stand, with an ear piece in, with Martin Paterson and Martin Devaney in the dugout, while the majority of the first team were also in the stands.

After a very dull first quarter of an hour, the visitors took the lead when Teddy Bishop turned in a right-wing cross from Charles Vernam seven yards out.

Bishop was gifted a second goal two minutes later when Walton rushed out of his box and made a mess of an attempted clearance, so the visiting striker could slide the ball into the empty net from 35 yards.

It got even worse for the hosts on 23 minutes when Norwood was sent off for an apparent elbow on Jay Benn.

It was nearly 3-0 when Vernam cut in from the right wing and his 15-yard shot was well tipped over by Walton, then Jack Diamond shot over from the similar distance on the left.

Kane was replaced by Ackroyd after 34 minutes.

Barnsley had been extremely poor in the first half – barely attacking, not competing in midfield and allowing their visitors to dominate.

Vernam fired over just inside the box early in the second half then, at the other end, Barnsley had their first shot when Matty Wolfe blazed high and wide on the turn 15 yards out after Jasper Moon’s long throw led to a scramble.

Barnsley brought on central midfielder Nejman, 18, left wing-back Pickard, 17, and centre-back Benson on for their professional debuts as well as 16-year-old striker Jalo.

Bishop should have completed his hat-trick when the ball fell to him in space 15 yards out after a good run and cross by Diamond but Walton rushed out to make a fine block. Regan Poole headed the following corner wide.

Walton made another fine stop when he kept out substitute Anthony Scully’s volley from point blank range.

Lincoln substitute Jovon Makama made it 3-0 in injury-time when he turned a low left-wing cross into the bottom right corner.

Barnsley (3-4-3): Walton; McCarthy, Cundy, Moon (Benson 74mins); Hondermarck, Kane, Wolfe (Nejman 62), Oduor (Pickard 62); Marsh, Tedic (Jalo 74), Norwood.

Unused: Collins, Ackroyd, Lancaster,.

Yellow cards: Hondermarck.

Red cards: Norwood.

Lincoln (4-2-3-1): Wright; Walsh (Poole , O’Connor, House (Gallagher 90mins), Robson; Sorensen, Oakley-Boothe (Makama 77); Vernam, Bishop, Diamond (Scully 77); Benn (Eyoma 77)

Unused: Rushworth, Poole, Scully, Eyoma, Roughan, Makama, Gallagher.

Goals: Bishop 15, 17, Makama 90+3.