Reds end poor run with easy win

Barnsley ended their poor recent run with a comfortable 2-0 home win over Forest Green.

Devante Cole opened the scoring early on then substitute Josh Martin got a late second.

The Reds – who had not won or scored in four – dominated the match and missed a series of chances, while their lowly visitors barely threatened.

They moved up a place to eighth and cut the gap to the top six from five points to three.

Michael Duff made two changes from the side who lost at home to Lincoln City on Tuesday. Jordan Williams returned from injury and Luca Connell was back in the side, with Robbie Cundy and Jordan Martin dropping onto the bench.

The Reds changed formation from 3-4-3 to 3-5-2.

Connell joined Herbie Kane and Josh Benson in midfield, Cole was up front with James Norwood and Williams at right wing-back with Tom Edwards moving into the back three.

The first half was fairly dull but Barnsley were the better side as their visitors had no chances of note.

Norwood saw a goal ruled off for offside in the sixth minute after latching onto a pass by Williams, dinking the ball over the goalkeeper and tapping in.

Cole opened the scoring in the 15th minute, sending a fine header into the right side of the net from a lofted right-wing cross by Williams.

Kane had a difficult chance for 2-0 but volleyed just over the bar on the edge of the box after Norwood headed a good high Benson pass down.

Barnsley created more regular chances after the break.

Liam Kitching was played in on the left of the box and pulled the ball back for Benson whose weak ten-yard shot was easily saved but he believed he had been pulled back.

Kitching then headed a Nicky Cadden corner into the ground and over the bar eight yards out after doing well to get away from his marker.

Williams saw a volley from 12 yards out deflect just wide of the bottom left corner after Cadden sent in a fine cross following a good move. From the resulting corner, Kitching saw a shot cleared off the line.

Norwood blazed over just inside the box after a fine run down the left wing which saw him cut past a defender.

Cole nearly scored a similar goal to his opener but his close-range header from a Cadden cross was well-saved by Lewis Thomas diving down to his right. Kitching then headed a Williams cross just wide of the bottom right corner.

The most glaring miss came on 71 minutes when Norwood slid in five yards out to meet a fine Cadden cross but shot straight at the goalkeeper who also gathered after the rebound hit his own player.

Forest Green had their first chance of 76 minutes when Brad Collins’ punch from corner reached Armani Little who volleyed well wide 15 yards out.

The second goal saw Williams win the ball near halfway and set up a counter-attack featuring clever passes by Benson, Cadden then Slobodan Tedic who squared for Martin to fire in from close range. Tedic and Martin had come on minutes earlier as part of a quadruple change.

Tedic should have made it 3-0 when he robbed Baily Cargill of the ball and went clean through but was denied one-on-one.

Barnsley (3-5-2): Collins; Edwards, Andersen, Kitching; Williams, (Cundy 78mins), Kane (Phillips 78), Connell, Benson (Jalo 86) Cadden; Cole (Martin 78), Norwood (Tedic 78).

Unused: Walton, Larkeche.

Yellow cards: Kitching.

Goals: Cole 15, Martin 84.

Forest Green (3-5-2): Thomas; Bernard, Cargill, Marques; O’Keefe, Boyes (Fiabema 68), Hendry, Peart-Harris (Little 58mins), Bunker (McAllister 58); Wickham (Matt 68), March.

Unused: Burnett, Casey, Robertson.