Disappointing Reds lose opener

12/09/20

Barnsley made a disappointing start to their Championship season, losing 1-0 to Luton Town at Oakwell on Saturday.

A very poor match with minimal chances for either side was settled by James Collins' 71st-minute goal, the first by a visiting player at Oakwell in five matches since February.

The Reds dipped well below the standards they set in their great escape last season as well as in pre-season and the EFL Cup win over Nottingham Forest a week earlier.

Gerhard Struber played Marcel Ritzmaier at left wing-back, with Clarke Oduor not in the squad due to injury, while Elliot Simoes played behind strikers Conor Chaplin and Cauley Woodrow. New signing Michal Helik was on the bench along with fit-again Romal Palmer.

The visitors started the brighter and should have taken the lead in the 18th minute when a fine Harry Cornick cross from the right was met by Collins but, sliding in, he shot over the bar from eight yards out.

Barnsley grew into the game after a poor first 20 minutes, in which they had to defend almost constantly. Woodrow had the first shot on target of the game on 35 minutes but his weak 20-yard effort was straight at the goalkeeper while he, Alex Mowatt and Callum Styles put efforts off-target from far out.

Luke Berry – one of eight ex-Reds in the Luton matchday squad – blasted over the bar from 25 yards on the stroke of half-time after Mads Andersen was robbed of the ball and claimed he had been fouled.

Struber made changes at the start of the second half, introducing Dominik Frieser for his league debut in place of Simoes and Romal Palmer for Ritzmaier. Frieser went up front with Chaplin and Woodrow dropped back into the number ten role, while Palmer joined Mowatt in the centre and Styles moved to left wing-back.

Luton took the lead in the 71st minute when a long ball was flicked on to Collins and, from just inside the box, he blasted a shot into the top right corner.

Barnsley could have levelled four minutes later when Frieser met a cross from the left at the back post but shot wide from five yards out. Luton almost made it 2-0 when a free-kick by substitute James Bree hit another former Barnsley player Matty Pearson and trickled wide.

Woodrow saw a close-range shot blocked almost on the line by Pearson after a blocked Mowatt free-kick fell nicely for him on the right of the area.

Barnsley team: Walton; Sollbauer, Andersen, J Williams; Ludewig, Mowatt, Styles, Ritzmaier (Palmer 58mins); Simoes (Frieser 52); Chaplin (Schmidt 76), Woodrow. Unused: Collins, Helik, Schmidt, Thomas, Adeboyejo.Yellow cards: Woodrow.

Luton: Sluga; Cranie, Bradley, Pearson, Norrington-Davies; Rea; Lee (Lua Lua 62mins), Berry, Mpanzu, Cornick (Bree 81); Collins (Hylton 90+1)Unused: Shea, Tunnicliffe, Moncur, Clark. Yellow cards: Berry, Collins, Mpanzu. Goals: Collins 71.

AS IT HAPPENED

13:48pm

Good afternoon and welcome to the Chronicle’s live text coverage of Barnsley’s first Championship game of the 2020/21 season at home to Luton Town from 3pm.
13:49pm

The team news is set to be revealed at 2pm. Gerhard Struber will name his first line-up since the sale of Jacob Brown to Stoke City this week.
14:00pm

Barnsley team: Walton; Sollbauer, Andersen, J Williams; Ludewig, Mowatt, Styles, Ritzmaier; Simoes; Chaplin, Woodrow. Subs: Collins, Helik, Schmidt, Thomas, Frieser, Adeboyejo, Palmer.
14:00pm

So Marcel Ritzmaier starts at left wing-back, Clarke Oduor is not in the squad and nor is Aapo Halme. Elliot Simoes started behind Cauley Woodrow and Conor Chaplin. New signing Michael Helik is on the bench along with Romal Palmer.
14:05pm

Both clubs enjoyed remarkable runs to survival last year after, in mid-February with 14 games left, Luton were bottom and ten points from safety while Barnsley were second-bottom and nine points adrift.
14:08pm

Four ex-Reds start for Luton (Cranie, Pearson, Lee, Berry) with another four on the bench (Tunnicliffe, Clark, Moncur, Bree).
14:16pm

The Hatters – who re-appointed manager Nathan Jones in lockdown – finished two points and two places above the Reds after they lost just one of their final 12 games of the season.
14:21pm

Reds head coach Gerhard Struber said: “Luton showed me in the final games that they are a big team in the Championship. In the last nine games they were in the top eight. It is a big opponent. Their style of play with transitions is not so easy to handle.”
14:23pm

Struber added: “I hope we have the concentration and focus to be clear on our defence and it will be difficult in our set pieces as well. We hope for a good performance and a good result. Every opponent who comes to Oakwell must feel it is not easy to play Barnsley and it is sometimes painful.”
14:32pm

Struber, who collected 40 points from 30 games after being appointed in November during a 16-match winless run, is hoping to build on the survival at Brentford in July after being in the relegation zone for 311 days.
14:37pm

The Reds boss said: “I hope for a good start. The last few weeks, the boys showed me in the friendlies and in the cup game that we are ready. We don’t want to wait 16 games for a good season, we start on Saturday with a good performance of high aggression and intensity. We wish to be better at taking chances and to score more goals.”
14:37pm

Barnsley striker Cauley Woodrow began his career at Luton and played in the FA Trophy before moving to Fulham aged 16 while Town have eight former Barnsley players in their squad.
14:39pm

Two of their signings this summer were former Oakwell academy graduates in Jordan Clark, who joined from Accrington Stanley, and James Bree who joined permanently after a loan from Aston Villa.
14:41pm

Midfielder Clark, from Hoyland, made seven appearances for the Reds while right-back Bree, 22, played 61 games before his move to Aston Villa in January 2017. Luton also have Martin Cranie, Ryan Tunnicliffe, Elliot Lee, George Moncur, Luke Berry and Matty Pearson.
14:46pm

Bree told the Chronicle: “I love Barnsley FC and I still follow them to this day. The first text I get after every game is from my dad and he will talk about my performance but also tell me the Barnsley result. The end of last season was unbelievable. I watched the Barnsley game against Nottingham Forest and, when they scored in the last minute, I was half-celebrating then I thought: ‘Oh God, what if they finish above us?’”
14:47pm

Bree added: “It didn’t look like they would get out of it with the three games they had at the end of the season but they did amazingly well, like we did. The season finished perfectly for me with both Barnsley and Luton staying up.”
14:49pm

Luton have released formeer Barnsley captain Jacob Butterfield who scored after a minute when Luton won 3-1 at Oakwell in August of last year, ending the Reds’ 29-game unbeaten run in home league games. The visitors doubled the lead after four minutes then scored another after 31 minutes before Mallik Wilks replied.
14:51pm

Bree said: ““I enjoyed going back last season which was the first time that I played there as an away player. It was a strange experience but it’s always nice to go back home. We’re expecting a much tougher challenge this time. We just showed up that day and had a really good start. The game was quite open but we took our chances. Barnsley showed when we played them at Kenilworth Road that they are a good team.”
14:52pm

The reverse fixture saw Barnsley draw 1-1 at Kenilworth Road in July, with Aapo Halme levelling in the 84th minute after Berry netted.
14:52pm

Barnsley defender Michael Sollbauer said: “It was a tough game, we have a lot of pressure for both teams. We played a good game, we had a lot of control. They scored but we fought until the end. We had good moments to create chances. This new game will not be easy because Luton showed very good performances last season. We have watched the clips and we know it will be a tough game. But it is not easy to beat Barnsley at the moment.”
14:53pm

Luton won 3-1 at home to Norwich in the EFL Cup on Saturday, with a hat-trick for James Collins.
14:53pm

The clubs have met 61 times, with Barnsley winning 27 and losing 24. The Hatters have not lost any of the last three meetings while they have a good recent record at Oakwell.
14:53pm

In their last 12 visits to Barnsley in the 20th century, they lost 11 and drawn one, but since 2003 they have won four of six games there while the Reds have an identical recent record at Kenilworth Road.
14:55pm

Barnsley have won their first league game of the last two seasons, beating Fulham 1-0 last campaign a year after a 4-0 thrashing of Oxford United.
14:56pm

Barnsley could equal a club record today as they look to keep a sixth successive clean sheet at Oakwell. The Reds did not concede in any of their final four home games of last season or last week in the EFL Cup against Nottingham Forest.
14:56pm

It is the first run of five clean sheets at home since March 1994 under Viv Anderson. The only times the Reds have kept six straight clean sheets at Oakwell were in 1989 under Allan Clarke and in the 1912 with three of the games being the early rounds of the run to FA Cup glory.
14:57pm

The last away player to score at Oakwell was Cardiff’s Callum Paterson on March 7 – the final game before lockdown. The Reds have kept nine clean sheets in their last 15 games.
14:59pm

This is Jordan Williams’ 50th game for Barnsley today, having made his debut in 2018 after signing from Huddersfield Town.
15:00pm

GAME UNDERWAY
15:04pm

4 Cauley Woodrow has the first shot of the match. After some good work on the right wing he fires wide from a tight angle
15:07pm

YELLOW CARD

Cauley Woodrow has been booked for a foul on Matty Pearson
15:10pm

10 Alex Mowatt shoots over from 30 yards
15:12pm

11 Ex-Red Elliot Lee wins a free-kick on the left wing for a foul by Sollbauer. It is headed away by Mowatt. The ball is recycled and Harry Cornick's cross is headed behind by Andersen but the whistle has gone for the ball being out
15:13pm

Luton on top at the moment, they are having most of the ball – regularly in the home half
15:16pm

15 Luton seem to be targeting the gaps between the centre-backs and wing-backs (a classic weak spot in the formation Barnsley are playing). They are playing plenty of balls into those channels with the likes of Lee and Cornick looking lively without creating a chance so far
15:17pm

16 Luton corner from the left is taken by Berry and headed well clear by Andersen
15:19pm

18 The first big chance of the game is missed by Luton's James Collins. Cornick gets the ball on the right wing and plays a fine ball behind the home defence but Collins fires over sliding in about eight yards out
15:21pm

20 Luton well on top at the moment, They win a corner on the right. Berry takes and Mowatt heads clear
15:22pm

21 Berry takes a free-kick on the left but it is over everyone and out for a goal kick
15:23pm

22 A rare break from Barnsley sees Simoes play in Chaplin on the right of the box and Pearson heads his cross behind for a corner
15:23pm

23 Barnsley's first corner of the season is taken by Styles from the right but Chaplin unsurprisingly loses a header and Luton clear
15:25pm

24 This is better for the Reds. Mowatt gets in a good position on the left of the box but his low cross is cleared
15:26pm

25 Styles' corner is cleared but the ball comes back to him on the left corner of the box and he screws a shot wide
15:28pm

26 Good move by the hosts sees Mowatt and Chaplin pass the ball on to Ludewig on the right of the box but his cross is caught by goalkeeper Sluga
15:28pm

27 Now Pearson heads behind for another corner. The last five minutes have been much much better for Barnsley
15:29pm

28 Styles' corner is played short then his cross is deep to Simoes tries to play it back in but eventually is tackled
15:31pm

30 Ritzmaier penalised for fouling Matty Pearson. He would have been free on the left of the box. 'I didn't do nothing' he screams at the referee
15:32pm

YELLOW CARD

Luke Berry is the first Luton player booked
15:35pm

35 First shot on target of the game. It's from Cauley Woodrow who scuffs a shot straight at the goalkeeper from just outside the box after another decent Barnsley move
15:40pm

40 Callum Styles takes a corner from the left. It is headed clear then Mowatt heads the ball back into the box from the edge of the box but it goes just over the bar
15:43pm

Just a few minutes left in this half. It has been far from a classic.
15:44pm

44 Berry's corner kicked away by Styles
15:46pm

45 Andersen is robbed of the ball on the edge of his box, he believes he's been fouled but it gifts the ball to Berry 25 yards out but he shoots over the bar
15:46pm

One extra minute
15:47pm

HALF-TIME: Barnsley 0, Luton 0
16:04pm

SECOND HALF UNDERWAY
16:08pm

A couple of minutes into the second half. Luton again seeing most of the ball but struggling to break through their hosts
16:11pm

Barnsley's first change comes seven minutes into the second half. Simoes is replaced by Dominik Frieser who makes his Championship debut
16:13pm

Frieser goes up front with Chaplin. Woodrow is just behind them
16:14pm

Romal Palmer is about to come on as well
16:16pm

YELLOW CARD

James Collins booked for sliding in late on Walton
16:17pm

Palmer for Ritzmaier. Styles goes to left wing-back
16:21pm

62 Luton bring on Kazenga Lua Lua for Elliot Lee
16:23pm

This is an extremely scrappy and uninspiring game. There have been no chances for either sides in the second half
16:25pm

67 Luton win a corner on the right. Luke Berry takes it. It is headed away by Mads Andersen who has been dominant in the air today
16:28pm

Barnsley have been better in the last few minutes. Trying to pass their way into Luton's box, with Ludewig and Woodrow prominent, but with no real progress
16:30pm

GOAL!

James Collins opens the scoring for the visitors
16:31pm

The striker gets the ball in the luton box and blasts into the top right corner
16:34pm

75 Good chance for Frieser to level as he meets a left-wing cross at the back post about five yards out but fires wide
16:36pm

Last Reds change sees Schmidt come on for Chaplin
16:39pm

Approaching the final ten minutes here. It has been a sluggish performance from the Reds, all the way from the goal kicks they passed out of the six yard box but to their lack of flair in the final third
16:39pm

James Bree is coming on for Harry Cornick
16:40pm

81 Bree takes a free-kick on the right and Matty Pearson turns it wide. It just seemed to hit the former Reds player
16:42pm

YELLOW CARD

Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu scythes down Ludewig 25 yards from goal and is booked
16:44pm

84 Barnsley have a chance. Mowatt's free-kick is blocked but falls nicely to Woodrow who slides to shoot on the right of the box but Pearson blocks almost on the line
16:46pm

86 James Bree smashes a corner from the left over everyone and out
16:49pm

Into the 90th minute. The Reds are having most of the ball but struggle to create chances
16:49pm

Four added minutes
16:50pm

Mads Andersen is playing up front for Barnsley
16:50pm

Goal-scorer Collins is replaced by Danny Hylton
16:53pm

90+3 Barnsley win a corner. Styles takes it on the right, It is headed out then Ludewig shoots wide from 25 yards out
16:54pm

FULL-TIME: Barnsley 0, Luton 1.

Show your support…

We have been at the heart of our community, every week, since 1858. The town and its people have changed dramatically since then but the Chronicle has been a constant.

It’s our belief that news should be available to everyone regardless of their circumstance. But we need a little helping hand to do so.

Production Editor, Ashley Ball, said: "In an ever changing media world, it’s important that news is reported correctly and without any hidden agenda.
Your support allows us to keep holding decision-makers to account and report on everything that happens in the town, good or bad, fairly."

Don't Miss: