Barnsley cruised into the third round of the FA Cup with a 3-0 home win over Crewe Alexandra.

Devante Cole netted after half an hour then Adam Phillips and Josh Benson, with a penalty, struck early in the second half.

In front of a crowd of 3,967, the Reds controlled the match, limited their League Two visitors to very few chances and played some good football.

Michael Duff made three changes from the last league game. Jack Walton, Benson and James Norwood came in for Brad Collins, Jordan Williams and Jack Aitchison. With nine substitutes allowed in the FA Cup, youngsters Theo Chapman and Harrison Nejman were on the bench. The Reds used 3-5-2 with Benson, usually a midfielder, playing at right wing-back.

Home captain Mads Andersen had a good chance in the second minute but headed a left-wing Luca Connell corner over from about ten yards out when unmarked. Soon after, Cole volleyed wide a tough volleyed chance eight yards out from a good left-wing cross by Nicky Cadden.

Norwood saw a long-range easily caught by visiting goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo who then made a better save to tip Phillips’ powerful 30-yard effort just over the bar.

Crewe had their first attack of note in the 28th minute with Daniel Agyei hitting the side netting from a tight angle on the right of the box.

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But it was 1-0 soon after as Andersen headed on Connell’s left-wing corner and Cole scrambled the ball home from close range.

Cole could have made it 2-0 seconds later when sliding in to meet a low Phillips cross from the right but could only get a slight touch and it went well wide.

The second goal arrived five minutes after the break when Liam Kitching surged out of defence and played a perfect throughball to Phillips who beat the goalkeeper for his fourth goal in five games.

Six minutes later it was 3-0 when, after Connell was tripped in the box by Eli King, Benson confidently stuck home the penalty.

Crewe had their first shot on target in the 61st minute when Tariq Uwakwe’s effort from just inside the box was saved by Walton getting down to his left well.

Substitute Fabio Jalo bent a shot well over the bar from about 25 yards then, at the other end, Walton easily caught an Agyei free-kick.

Walton then sprang to his left again to keep out a 20-yard effort from Lachlan Brook.

Barnsley brought 17-year-old midfielder Theo Chapman on for his professional debut in the 86th minute.

Barnsley (3-5-2): Walton; Edwards, Andersen (Cundy 60mins), Kitching; Phillips (Chapman 86), Kane, Connell, Benson, Cadden (Larkeche 71); Cole (Martin 71), Norwood (Jalo 60).

Unused: Collins, Moon, Aitchison, Nejman, Chapman.

Goals: Cole 30, Phillips 50, Benson (pen) 56.

Crewe (3-5-2): Okonkwo; Sass-Davies, McDonald, Offord; Mellor (Adebisi 79mins), Thomas, King (Tabiner 86), Uwakwe (Brook 74), Williams; Agyei, Sambou (Colkett 86).

Unused: Richards, Griffiths, Finney, Leshabela,.

AS IT HAPPENED
  • 1:47pm
    Good afternoon and welcome to the Chronicle’s live text coverage of Barnsley’s home FA Cup second round game with Crewe Alexandra from 3pm.
  • 1:47pm
    Team news is due at 2pm. Barnsley are expected to play a similar side to their last league game.
  • 2:01pm
    Barnsley: Walton; Edwards, Andersen, Kitching; Williams, Kane, Connell, Phillips, Larkeche; Cole, Norwood.
  • 2:01pm
    Three changes from last league game. Jack Walton, Josh Benson and James Norwood come in for Brad Collins, Jordan Williams and Jack Aitchison.
  • 2:03pm
    Subs: Collins, Martin, Moon, Cundy, Larkeche, Aitchison, Jalo, Nejman, Chapman
  • 2:06pm
    Crewe: Okonkwo, Mellor, Williams, Sass-Davies, McDonald, Offord, Thomas, Agyei, Sambou, King, Uwakwe,
  • 2:07pm
    Crewe subs: Richards, Adebisi, Griffiths, Finney, Colkett, Brook, Leshabela, Tabiner
  • 2:08pm
    The Reds triumphed 2-1 at League One rivals Bolton Wanderers in the first round earlier this month, playing a full strength team except back-up goalkeeper Jack Walton.
  • 2:10pm
    Premier League clubs enter the competition in the third round which is due to be played in January.
  • 2:15pm
    Head coach Michael Duff told the Chronicle: “We’re at home against lower league opponents. There are absolutely no guarantees. If we don’t have the right mentally, we will get beaten. “If we do, hopefully we have enough to get into the next around.
  • 2:18pm
    “We don’t look too far into the future because it trips you up. “There’s no point thinking ‘I wonder what the third round draw will be’ if you’re out.”
  • 2:24pm
    Duff added: “With the size of the squad we have, the perfect scenario would be to win this game, draw a massive team away from home, give a good performance and get knocked out then you have more money and you don’t have a backlog of fixtures. Football doesn’t work out like that but all we can do is win the game. It probably will have an impact on what we can do in January.”
  • 2:27pm
    Barnsley’s home form had been up and down but they beat League One relegation-battlers Forest Green Rovers and MK Dons in their last two matches at Oakwell.
  • 2:30pm
    Duff said: “It will be a similar challenge to our last few home games. We haven’t played any of the big boys at home. I am not being disrespectful to the teams we have played because we’ve been beaten by Lincoln and Exeter. But they have come to shut up shop and frustrate. We’ve found that difficult.
  • 2:33pm
    “But, in the last couple of games, we have taken the game to teams. I imagine the game will pan out like that so it’s whether we can get on top or we get done on the counter-attack like we have been in the past.”
  • 2:34pm
    Crewe – who finished bottom of League One last season – are currently 15th in League Two, 12 points clear of the relegation zone and six off the play-off places.
  • 2:40pm
    Their manager Alex Morris stepped down for personal reasons earlier this month and is now assistant to interim boss Lee Bell while the club consider a permanent appointment.
  • 2:40pm
    Bell has so far won all three games in charge 1-0. His first was against League Two leaders Leyton Orient at home in the first round of the FA Cup.
  • 2:46pm
    They then won at home to Colchester United, ending a seven-game winless run in the league, and also at Swindon Town on Saturday.
  • 2:46pm
    That was their first away win in all competitions in ten games since the opening day of the season at Rochdale.
  • 2:48pm
    Duff said: “They have picked up. The two managers have swapped their roles. I have watched quite a bit of them. They play 4-2-3-1.
  • 2:50pm
    “Daniel Agyei has been scoring quite a lot of goals. I know him from Burnley, he’s big strong and powerful. Conor Thomas, in the middle of the pitch, I had at Cheltenham and he’s another good footballer.
  • 2:50pm
    “They will come to us and see it as a free hit. The expectancy will be on us which is a different type of pressure. They will make it hard, they have quality in their team. But the onus is on us to get through to the third round.”
  • 2:53pm
    This will be the 58th meeting of the two clubs, with Barnsley winning 27 and losing 14.
  • 2:53pm
    The Reds beat Crewe at Oakwell in the FA Cup in 1906, 4-0 in a replay, and 6-1 in 1927, then won 3-1 away in January 2020 under Gerhard Struber thanks to goals by Jacob Brown, Conor Chaplin and Luke Thomas.
  • 2:55pm
    Crewe won five successive meetings between 2001 and 2014 but the Reds have won four of the last five, the odd one out being a 2-1 home loss in October 2015.
  • 2:57pm
    That is one of four wins in eight trips to Oakwell for Crewe in the 21st century having won just once in 20 games there in the 20th century.
  • 2:58pm
    If the game is drawn, the replay will scheduled for the week commencing December 5.
  • 3:00pm
    The players are out on the pitch and the game is about to start
  • 3:02pm
    GAME UNDERWAY
  • 3:03pm
    3-5-2 with Benson right wing-back
  • 3:03pm
    2 Connell free-kick on left headed over by Andersen. Decent chance about ten yards out
  • 3:06pm
    Around 4,000 fans here today. Only East Stand open to home fans
  • 3:07pm
    5 Benson's low cross wins a corner after a sliced clearance
  • 3:07pm
    6 Benson corner on the right. Headed out at the front post
  • 3:08pm
    7 Cadden wins a corner on the left. Connell takes. Andersen gets something on it but it floats away from goal and is cleared
  • 3:10pm
    Barnsley have had the better of the opener exchanges, mainly threatening from set pieces
  • 3:11pm
    9 Another chance for the Reds. Cadden swings in a good cross from the left, Cole sticks out his leg and volleys it wide from, about eight yards
  • 3:12pm
    10 Crewe corner on the left. Their first. Headed out by Cole
  • 3:14pm
    Another Barnsley corner cleared. The Reds look pretty comfortable here but will want to get in front early of course
  • 3:18pm
    Both sides playing 3-5-2 here. Crewe having changed from their usual 4-2-3-1
  • 3:20pm
    18 First shot on target for the Reds. Norwood shoots from about 25 yards but the low effort is straight at the goalkeeper who catches easily
  • 3:22pm
    This is. pretty flat. Not much atmosphere and like an attack v defence training exercise with Barnsley so far unable to break Crewe down
  • 3:26pm
    Barnsley need to move the ball quicker and find a bit more creativity going forward to make all their possession count
  • 3:28pm
    26 Phillips shot from 30 yards goes over. Very powerful. Corner given so must have been a save
  • 3:29pm
    26 Scramble from the following corners sees shots by Benson and Phillips blocked
  • 3:30pm
    29 Daniel Agyei hits the side netting from a tight angle on the right of the box. Crewe's first real chance
  • 3:31pm
    GOAL!
    Devante Cole opens the scoring
  • 3:32pm
    Connell swings in a corner from the left, Andersen wins a header and Cole scrambles it home from a few yards out
  • 3:34pm
    Almost two goals in two minutes for Cole as he just gets a toe on a. low Phillips cross from the right but not enough to send it in while sliding
  • 3:38pm
    That's Cole's sixth of the season. He has been excellent hold the ball up today as well
  • 3:41pm
    40 A long throw from Edwards on the left causes a bit of a scramble but is cleared
  • 3:43pm
    41 Connell's left wing corner is low and easily cleared
  • 3:44pm
    Overall this has been a positive half for the Reds. They've been the only side creating chances and, although not at their absolute best, have got the goal, controlled the game and played some decent football at times. Now just to see out a few minutes before the break
  • 3:46pm
    44 Benson corner on the right. Goes all the way to the left of the box where Cadden scoops it back in but the goalkeeper catches
  • 3:47pm
    One added minute
  • 3:48pm
    HALF-TIME: Barnsley 1, Crewe 0. The Reds have been on top and lead through Devante Cole's sixth of the season
  • 4:06pm
    SECOND HALF UNDERWAY
  • 4:08pm
    Barnsley will want to maintain the control they had before the break, limit Crewe's chances and of course get that second goal to hopefully kill the game off
  • 4:09pm
    49 Herbie Kane beats a man and hits a low shot from about 30 yards which Arthur Okonkwo fumbles but then gathers
  • 4:10pm
    GOAL!
    Adam Phillips
  • 4:12pm
    Liam Kitching surges forwards out of defence and plays Phillips clean through. He smashes a shot hit into the roof of the net.
  • 4:15pm
    Phillips now has four goals this month
  • 4:16pm
    Penalty to Barnsley. Eli King brings down Connell
  • 4:17pm
    GOAL!
    Josh Benson nets a penalty after a foul on Luca Connell by Eli King
  • 4:19pm
    Benson has looked good out of position today and tucks away the penalty comfortably. Reds in total control
  • 4:20pm
    Benson onto five goals this season
  • 4:22pm
    Fabio Jalo and Robbie Cundy replace James Norwood and Mads Andersen
  • 4:23pm
    62 Walton has to make his first save of the game. Tariq Uwakwe shoots from just inside the box and the goalkeeper gets down to his left to save
  • 4:28pm
    Midway through the second half now. Barnsley still totally in control. Almost a case of how many they want to score
  • 4:29pm
    Teenage Jalo bends a shot well over from 25 yards
  • 4:31pm
    Larkeche and Martin about to come on
  • 4:31pm
    Martin comes on for Cole and Larkeche for Cadden
  • 4:34pm
    Crewe's Lachlan Brook replaces Tariq Uwakwe
  • 4:34pm
    74 Crewe corner on the left. Headed out by Benson
  • 4:36pm
    The game has been very quiet in the last 15 minutes or so, with Barnsley happy to see the win out
  • 4:37pm
    77 Daniel Agyei's 25-yard free-kick is caught by Walton easily
  • 4:39pm
    Crewe replace Kelvin Mellor with Rio Adebisi
  • 4:42pm
    Looks like 17-year-old Theo Chapman is about to come on for his Barnsley debut
  • 4:43pm
    82 Another save from Walton, who dives down to his left top keep out a 20-yard effort from Brook
  • 4:45pm
    Crewe bring Tabiner and Colkett for Sambou and King
  • 4:46pm
    Debutant Chapman comes on for Phillips
  • 4:46pm
    Two 17-year-olds on the pitch for the Reds in Jalo and Chapman
  • 4:48pm
    Attendance: 3967 (460 away fans)
  • 4:51pm
    Three added minutes
  • 4:53pm
    Barnsley have done their job well today. It's as routine a win as you get and they have outclassed their lower league visitors
  • 4:54pm
    FULL-TIME: Barnsley 3, Crewe 0. The Reds are in the third round of the FA Cup after as routine win