Reds thrashed in Stoke

The Reds were 2-0 down after ten minutes and three behind following a first half in which they produced one of their worst performances of the season. The second half was much quieter but the hosts added another late on. 

After a day when Wigan Athletic – bottom once their 12-point penalty has been applied – and Luton Town also suffered heavy defeats, Barnsley are third from last and four points from safety while that gap could increase when the likes of Middlesbrough and Hull City play tomorrow.  

The loss ended a run of seven points from a possible nine, with three clean sheets, since the season re-started. 

Gerhard Struber made three changes from the side that won 2-0 at home to Blackburn Rovers on Tuesday as Conor Chaplin, Luke Thomas and Kilian Ludewig came in for Elliot Simoes, Jordan Williams and the injured Romal Palmer.

After success in the 4-2-3-1 formation, Struber reverted to his favoured 4-4-2 diamond with Alex Mowatt in front of the back four, Marcel Ritzmaier and Thomas either side of him and Cauley Woodrow behind strikers Jacob Brown and Chaplin.  

Barnsley were very poor in the first half, struggling to attack or even string passes together and could easily have been 6-0 down at the break.  

The hosts took the lead in the eighth minute when Sam Vokes got above Ben Williams to send a flicked header from a right-wing Sam Clucas corner into the left side of Barnsley’s net. Two minutes later, after a speculative ball into the Barnsley box down the left, Andersen’s weak header went straight to James McClean in the six-yard box who squared to Tyrese Campbell to double the lead with a cheeky backheel finish. 

Barnsley tried to get back into the game with Kilian Ludewig forcing former Reds goalkeeper Jack Butland into a save from 15 yards out on the right of the box midway through the first half. Stoke’s Nick Powell thought he should have a penalty after colliding with Andersen just inside the box but the referee booked him for diving. 

A quick, low free-kick from the left allowed Campbell to have a cross-shot that was blocked by Walton then Ben Williams also blocked. Barnsley did not learn as, on 38 minutes, a low corner from the same side by McClean was met by the unmarked Campbell 15 yards out to find the bottom right corner. 

Clucas should have made it 4-0 before the break but blasted over from ten yards out after Vokes headed down a long ball. Walton then threw the ball out straight to a Stoke player but made a good save, down to his right, from a close-range header by Vokes who met a Clucas cross.  

Struber made three changes at half-time. Ritzmaier, Ben Williams and Brown came off for Jordan Williams, Callum Styles and Simoes. Clarke Oduor came off the bench early in the second half for Ludewig as he made his first appearance since lockdown. 

Cauley Woodrow curled a 25-yard free-kick over the bar after an hour then, ten minutes later, was replaced by Patrick Schmidt. Mowatt saw a free-kick saved by Butland, who had to dive to his right, then Walton tipped a Powell effort around his bottom right corner. 

The fourth goal arrived in the 88th minute when right-back Tommy Smith ran down the flank and pulled the ball back for the unmarked substitute Tom Ince who found the top left corner from 12 yards. 

Barnsley (4-4-2 diamond): Walton: Sollbauer, Andersen, B Williams (J Williams HT); Ludewig (Oduor 54mins), Thomas, Mowatt, Ritzmaier (Styles HT); Woodrow (Schmidt 71); Chaplin, Brown (Simoes HT).  Unused: Collins, Bahre, Halme, Marsh.

Stoke (4-4-2): Butland; Smith, Batth, Chester, Martins Indi; Clucas (Thompson 89mins), Cousins, Powell (Sorenson 85), McClean (Diouf 89); Vokes (Ince 71mins), Campbell (Gregory 71). Subs: Davies, Ward, Shawcross, Collins.  Yellow cards: Powell, Campbell.  Goals: Vokes 8, Campbell 10, 38, Ince 88.