POST MATCH REACTION FROM OAKWELL

FULL TIME FROM OAKWELL

BARNSLEY 4 (Nardiello 8; Davaney 12; Shuker 14, 55)

OLDHAM ATHLETIC 0

A BARNSTORMING display by a rejuvenated and brilliant Barnsley destroyed a lacklustre Latics side at Oakwell this afternoon.

Reds boss Andy Ritchie rang the changes in the wake of Tuesday night's defeat at Ashton Gate and handed a debut to Brian Howard in midfield as well as bringing back Matt Carbon and Daniel Nardiello. Dale Tonge and Nicky Wroe missed out and had to be content with sitting on the bench, while Barry Conlon sat out the game altogether.

The Reds started brightly with Paul Hayes holding the ball up well on the edge of the area on four minutes and laying it off well for Nardiello but the striker could only force Chris Day into a save from 18 yards. Chris Killen managed to earn himself a yellow card on eight minutes for cynically stopping a quick free kick.

The Oldham striker paid the ultimate price for his unsporting display less that a minute later as from the free kick Jacob Burns found space to cross and Nardiello was in the right place to head home.

Things got even better on 12 minutes as another lightening break down the field found Martin Devaney in a great position and the winger took a great first touch before burying a low drive past Day's despairing drive.

Oldham were shellshocked and two minutes later more cataclysmic defending saw Chris Shuker find space on the edge of the area and the Reds star despatched an inch perfect drive past Day and into the bottom corner.

The visitors simply could not believe it and although Killen did well to cross on 16 minutes a dispirited David Eyres could only threaten to break the windows of the Corner Stand with a wild volley from 18 yards.

Barnsley got in again on 18 minutes as Robbie Williams pass beat the Oldham defence and both Hayes and Nardiello raced in but were denied by an offside flag.

Howard managed to earn himself a yellow card on 22 minutes more for intent then anything after he totally missed Rob Scott with a lunging tackle. Scott made the most of it and his insistence on unnecessary treatment meant the impressive Reds debutant was cautioned.

Howard was then on then receiving end six minutes later as a clumsy foul gave the Reds a shooting chance 30 yards from goal. Williams stepped up but could only test Day with a curling effort. At the other end Nick Colgan had to be alert to tip Killen's header comfortably over the top from Andy Liddell's right wing cross.

Gareth Owen's involvement in the game ended on 38 minutes after he picked up an injury following Howard's hefty challenge on the right. The referee gave a free kick following the Reds midfielder's tackle from 20 yards away even though the linesman, stood almost on top of the players, never even raised his flag. Oldham responded with Killen taking his frustrations out on the ball by hammering a volley high over the top of Colgan's goal.

The Reds should have had a penalty on 43 minutes as Terrell Forbes hammered Nardiello to the ground as the pair went for Shuker's cross. Hayes almost got in at the back post but his header came back off the cross bar with his strike partner pole-axed on the ground.

Devaney almost capped a fine 45 minutes with a fourth goal deep into stoppage time as he shot inches over the top after the Latics defence had struggled to clear Howard's right wing corner.

The Reds again came out of the blocks flying after the interval with Hayes playing in Howard through the middle but this time keeper Day managed to claw the ball away for a corner. A minute later Shuker did well to find Nardiello in space but this time the striker hammered a shot against Guy Branston and away from danger.

A great start to the half was capped brilliantly by Shuker on 55 minutes as the winger beat Branston to Nardiello's cross and struck the ball low past Day to make it four.

Oldham were simply awful all over the park although substitute Paul Warne managed to get a shot away on 64 minutes after the Reds defence had struggled to clear a Scott throw but Colgan made his first real test of the afternoon look comfortable.

A free kick 30 yards out gave Oldham a rare sight of goal on 77 minutes but this time veteran David Eyres sent an effort well, well wide of the target in front of an unhappy Latics following who were quick to vent their anger.

More patient build up play pulled Oldham all over the park on 83 minutes with Devaney, Burns, Marc Richards and Nicky Wroe all involved before Nardiello brought a fine save from Day with a vicious shot from the edge of the box.

Warne again got in a decent position on 86 minutes as he raced onto Liddell's cross but put his weak effort well into the sidenetting after breaking free. The Latics managed to get an effort into the back of the net seconds later after some head-tennis in the area but the strike was ruled out for offside.

It was Devaney again who could have put the icing on the cake in stoppage time as he raced clear onto Wroe's through ball but fires well wide with only Day to beat.

BARNSLEY: Colgan, Hassell, Reid, Carbon (Tonge 45), Burns, Hayes (Richards 73), Howard (Wroe 65), Shuker, Williams, Nardiello, Devaney.

Subs: Flinders, Jarman.

OLDHAM ATHLETIC: Day, Eyres, Scott, Wellens, Branston, Killen, Forbes, Beckett (Warne 60), Liddell, Owen (Tierney 38), Butcher.

Subs: Porter, Hughes, Smith.




POST MATCH REACTION FROM OAKWELL

REDS boss Andy Ritchie gave his thoughts after today's head turning victory over Oldham Athletic.

He said: "I do not think that is the best we have played this season but we did really well in the first half particularly. We got the ball down and passed it around quickly but to score three in 15 minutes always knocks the stuffing out of the opposition.

"We knew we had to calm down at half time and start again because Ronnie (Moore) would have been peeling the paint off the walls in the dressing room. We had to take the wind out of Oldham's sails again and I thought we did that.

"We were good all game even though we probable ran out of a bit of steam at the end. We had worked hard all week on closing people down, playing at a higher tempo and upping our work rate and I think we could see that this afternoon. There are still some things we have to iron out but we will work again on those this week.

"Daniel (Nardiello) is always going to get you a goal and I think he has been a little unlucky so far this season. He had a bit of a neural problem that caused a hamstring injury and that kept him out for a while but he has done well today.

"We have goals throughout this team but I wanted our forwards to work more on the defensive side of their game and that really helped the team today.

"Chris (Shuker) took his goal well although it looked as though it bounced about a dozen times before it reached the back of the net. Chris is all out energy all game and his work rate for the team is always phenomenal".