could it really have been this one-sided?

If so it's the strikers that want to be questioned...

SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY 2 (Whelan 4, Brunt 90)
BARNSLEY 1 (Howard 56)

SIX thousands Reds fans sang their hearts out as ten man Barnsley took Sheffield Wednesday to the cleaners at Hillsborough but were left cursing their luck as Chris Brunt volleyed a superb last minute winner that the home side in no way deserved.

Reds boss Andy Ritchie brought back Nick Colgan to boost his side after the Irish star missed the Luton Town defeat through suspension. Daniel Nardiello's inclusion on the bench was another plus point as Barnsley looked to end 23 years of league pain at Hillsborough.

Barnsley-born Paul Heckingbottom was handed the armband on his return to his former club.

Wednesday had former Reds trialist Steven MacLean and ex-Oakwell youngster Andrew Talbot in attack. The Owls also named former Barnsley loan star (HA HA HA!!) Deon Burton amongst their substitutes.

The Reds started the brighter but were undone spectacularly in the fourth minute when Glenn Whelan smashed a low free kick round the way and into the bottom corner past Colgan. Whelan's effort somehow managed to evade the Barnsley wall and Colgan's outstretched arm to give Wednesday a dream start.

Barnsley never let their heads dropped and almost got back into the game on eight minutes as Paul Hayes rose highest to meet Michael McIndoe's excellent cross and his effort cannoned back off the crossbar and into the six yards box but Marc Richards just could not get near enough to turn it into the net.

Again the Reds pushed forward two minutes later with Martin Devaney finding a great pass to send Richards clear down the right. Richards pulled the ball back but Brian Howard just could not stretch far enough to get his toe to it.

McIndoe pulled the strings again on 12 minutes as his fine pass found Howard in the area and the midfielder did well to swivel and volley but his effort flew inches over the bar.

The Reds had the ball in the back of the net on 15 minutes as Richards flicked Bobby Hassell's free kick over the top for Hayes to slot into the net but an offside flag denied the striker an equaliser.

A game which had threatened to boil over in the opening stages erupted on 17 minutes as Whelan went straight through McIndoe to earn a booking. Two minutes later Heckingbottom followed Whelan into the book after handling the ball as he challenged Wade Small.

Wednesday were redundant as an attacking force although Yoann Folly did managed to get a shot away on 19 minutes after a scramble in the Reds area but he fired well wide of the target.

The Reds had it all to do on 24 minutes after Small drew a foul from Heckingbottom on the half way line. It was clumsy more than anything but the referee brandished a second yellow card and sent the Barnsley skipper for an early bath.

Barnsley responded brilliantly with Devaney forcing Brad Jones into a fine, fine save with a great curling effort from 25 yards. From the corner Antony Kay saw his effort headed off the line by Frank Simek.

It was Barnsley who looked like they were a man up as they continued to pulverise and totally dominate Wednesday in the first half. Again Howard was given acres of space on 34 minutes and allowed to get a shot away but the midfielder dragged his effort well wide.

Barnsley went close yet again on 37 minutes as Richards rose highest to meet McIndoe's corner but just could not direct his header under the crossbar.

Wednesday were simply woeful and, with the Reds continuing to run riot, Richards went close once more on 42 minutes as his neat turn found a yard of space on the edge of the area but his shot cannoned off Hayes and over the bar.

Wednesday's only chance from open play came in stoppage time as Talbot broke quickly from a Reds corner before shooting straight at Colgan from 25 yards.

After being given a footballing hiding in the first half, Wednesday had to improve after the break and Paul Sturrock hauled off the unimpressive Whelan at half time and replaced him with Burton O'Brien as he looked to shore up the Owls' outgunned midfield.

Wednesday broke quickly again with Small running on past the defence on 49 minutes before going in heavily on Colgan. The ball bounced out to Brunt but the Owls winger could not direct his shot on goal although it took a deflection on its way through.

John Hills was next to try his luck on 53 minutes as he broke in from the left touch line and saw his shot deflected over the bar.

The Barnsley goal finally came on 56 minutes and it was all about Howard, who Wednesday just could not contain whatsoever. The Reds midfielder fed Richards in the area and when Jones parried the strikers' initial effort, Howard was on hand to hammer the ball into the empty net.

Colgan came to the Reds rescue in spectacular fashion on the hour mark as he pulled off a world class save to turn Talbot's point blank header away. A minute later Talbot went up again and ended up in agony on the floor. It ended the former Reds' game and Talbot left the field on a stretcher with his leg in a brace.

The Irish keeper went one better on 70 minutes to palm Folly's volley somehow over the bar when it looked to everybody that the ball was heading into the back of the net.

Substitute Nardiello almost made himself a hero as he dragged a shot inches wide of the target on 79 minutes after neat play between Howard and McIndoe deep inside the Owls half.

Nardiello got in again on 81 minutes as he raced clear onto Howard's wonderful pass but dragged his shot agonisingly wide of the post with Jones well beaten.

With the Wednesday crowd baying for blood, the Owls tried to lift their game with Marcus Tudgay heading wide from Brunt's corner on 83 minutes but the Hillsborough natives were leaving their team in no doubt just what they thought of their abject performance.

Wednesday stole all three points deep in stoppage time as they finally did something of quality and it came from the left boot of Brunt who volleyed home from 25 yards after Tudgay had caused problems on the edge of the area.

SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY: Jones, Simek, Bougherra, Spurr, Brunt, Whelan (O'Brien 45), MacLean (Burton 69), Hills, Small, Folly, Talbot (Tudgay 62).
Subs: Bullen, Adamson.

BARNSLEY: Colgan, Hassell, Heckingbottom, Togwell, Hayes (Williams 71), McIndoe, Howard, Austin, Kay, Richards (Nardiello 78), Devaney (Healy 76).
Subs: Mannone, Wright.

 

Bloody Hell Knowles.....

can you do a more biased report ? If Wednesday were so woeful then what were we to lose to a woeful team ? And when was Burton ever a star at Barnsley ?

 

probably not and i get sick of reading stuff like that.fact is the fowls won the game and again we lost due to lack of composure and experience

 

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That is actually a fair reflection!

 

RE: That is actually a fair reflection!

so we must be the unluckiest team in the league to play such brilliant football and usually lose

 

that's good to know

however it doesn't make a difference to the points tally, and we've gotta stop doing this.

better than being told we were ***** though

 

My point was....

That usually RK normally is in for some real hammer....

How anyone can get at him for this though when it is probably one of the most accurate reflections he has ever given is beyond me...

He is not the one to have a pop at for the result is what I was getting across before anyone actually started on him..

 

a fair report

But he left out the fact that Heckingbottom let the side and the fans down,what a tw@t