<div class="article"><div class="articleText"><h3 id="headline" class="headline">BARNSLEY SEASON </h3><div id="articleBody" class="articleBody"> </p><p align="center"></p> <span>BARNSLEY</span><span> began life back in the Championshipafter promotion from League One with a home game which, in hindsight,was a seriously tough baptism.</span></p> <span>Current runaway leaders Cardiff City were the visitors toOakwell on the opening day and the Welshmen cam away with a 2-1victory, despite a stunning strike from </span><span>Barnsley</span><span>'s Brian Howard.</span></p><p align="center"><span></span></p> <span>Ten minutes into their second game and it was alreadybeginning to look like a long, tough season ahead for the Tykes. Theytrailed 2-0 at </span><span>Hull</span><span> thanks to an early brace from Jon Parkin.</span></p> <span>However, a goal from new signing Michael McIndoe on the strokeof half-time gave them hope and they came out for the second-halffiring. </span><span>Marc Richards grabbed the equaliser withinminutes of the restart and striker Paul Hayes scored a third on 73minutes to complete a dramatic fight-back by Andy Ritchie's men.</span></p> <span>Up next was a trip to Colchester, another club promoted from League One, and </span><span>Barnsley</span><span> again came from behind to steal all the points with Richards and Howard on target for the Tykes.</span></p> <span>Goals from Richards and Hayes gave Barnsley a commendable 2-2draw with highly fancied Southampton in their next game and the Tykescould be satisfied with their start, but it was all about to gohorribly wrong at </span><span>Norwich</span><span>. </span></p> <span>Anthony Kay was sent off after just 12 minutes at </span><span>Carrow Road</span><span> and the home side tore </span><span>Barnsley</span><span> apart with five goals. Paul Hayes did manage a consolation for </span><span>Barnsley</span><span> but it was still a tough loss to take.</span></p> <span>Stoke were the next visitors to Oakwell and Barnsley quicklyfell 2-0 behind but this team is certainly not lacking in character asthey, once again, battled their way back into a game with Hayes andTommy Wright earning them a point.</span></p><p align="center"><span></span></p> <span>The shoe would soon be on the other foot as Barnsley travelled up to high-flying </span><span>Burnley</span><span>. A McIndoe double gave them a 2-0 first-half lead but the Clarets staged a wonderful comeback to win the game 4-2.</span></p> <span>The Tykes responded well in their next match as a solitarygoal from Richards on ten minutes gave them all the points in the homegame with Wolves but </span><span>Barnsley</span><span> went on to lose their next three games.</span></p> <span>Firstly, they went down 1-0 </span><span>Preston</span><span>, which was not a terrible result considering they had 'keeper Nick Colgan sent-off after just eight minutes.</span></p> <span>They were then unfortunate to lose in the last minute to </span><span>Luton</span><span>Town</span><span>at Oakwell. Howard had cancelled out the opener from Carlos Edwards butlittle Croat Ahmet Brkovic stole the points for the Hatters with thelast kick of the game.</span></p><p align="center"><span></span></p> <span>Another strike from Howard looked to have given Barnsley the share of the spoils last weekend but Sheffield Wednesday won the </span><span>Yorkshire</span><span> derby with an injury-time winner after the Tykes had played most of the game without the dismissed Paul Heckingbottom.</span></p> <span>Barnsley go into the game with Argyle five places off thebottom but with a goals column that reads 16 for and 23 against,suggesting plenty of goals at Oakwell tonight.</span> </p></div></div></div>
