Reds hit by 2-Iron A superb strike by Scnuthorpe substitute Cleveland Taylor gave the home side all three points after Barnsley missed a myriad of second half chances. In a cracking game at Glanford Park the Reds went ahead through former Iron star Paul Hayes before a penalty and Taylor’s second-half goal gave Scnuthorpe the win. Andy Ritchie made one enforced change to his side with Nicky Wroe coming in for the suspended Robbie Williams on the left of midfield. It was Scnuthorpe who created the early chances with Colgan having to make a smart stop from Barraclough’s 30 yard strike and Steve Torpey missing an absolute sitter when he rose unmarked eight yards from goal but put his header wide of the post. Slightly against the run of play Barnsley went ahead on 16 minutes and again it was down to a great link up between the Reds’ two strikers. Antony Kay’s long clearance was beautifully controlled by Nardiello. He turned and dinked a lovely ball over the top of the defence for Hayes to run on to. A combination of defender and goalkeeper seemed to have stopped Hayes but he got a second chance and made no mistake in scoring. It was a deserved goal for Hayes who kept his cool despite being the target of a constant stream of abuse throughout the match from the home fans. After the goal Scnuthorpe took control of the game and created the best chances for the rest of the half. First, Dale Tonge’s superb last ditch tackle denied Parton the chance to equalise then Hinds shot wide when he should have done better from a Torpey knock-down. Dale Tonge was again the Barnsley hero on 21 minutes as Barnsley failed to clear a free kick and the ball fell to Andy Butler but his goal-bound shot was well blocked by the young full-back. On 27 minutes though Scnuthorpe finally got their equaliser. The ball was flicked into the path of Mattthew Sparrow who raced into the penalty area but was brought to ground by a Matt Carbon tackle. It was a clear penalty and Andy Crosby stepped up to score from the spot, sending Nick Colgan the wrong way. The match began to drift away as half time approach with each side having one more chance before the break. Neil Austin was allowed time and space to come forward and rattled in a 25 yard shot which Musselwhite dealt with at the second attempt. Just before half-time Nick Colgan did well to push away a strike from Steve Torpey. HALF-TIME ScnutHORPE 1 BARNSLEY 1 The second half brought with it heavy rain and a substitution, with Matt Carbon being replaced by Tony Vaughan. Andy Ritchie later revealed that Carbon had suffered a back problem which had also made it difficult for the big defender to breathe properly. After Nick Colgan had been smartly off his line to save at the feet of Parton, it was Barnsley’s turn to take command of the game and they should have been out of sight before Scnuthorpe got their winner. On 55 minutes Shuker released Hayes through the centre. The defender got across but Hayes still managed to get a shot in from the edge of the box which went wide. Hayes’ strike partner Danny Nardiello was soon in the act as his 25 yard shot whistled over before Hayes had a shot well saved by Paul Musselwhite. On 63 minutes came the moment the Reds should have gone back in front. Hayes released Shuker and the diminutive winger did well to round the keeper on the edge of the area but as he struggled to keep his balance he scuffed his shot and it was cleared off the line by Marcus Williams. Williams was again in the right place at the right time three minutes later as a McPhail corner was flicked on at the near post but Williams was there to clear it off the line. Paul Musselwhite made an excellent save low to his left to deny Nardiello after the Barnsley striker had been allowed room to turn and get his shot in from the edge of the area, as Barnsley got well on top in the game. Then came the sucker punch. Less than five minutes after coming on as a substitute Cleveland Taylor broke away down the left as Neil Austin misjudged the flight of a long clearance. With two men to mark in the centre Vaughan and Kay decided to stay at home and the young winger was allowed to bear down on goal from the right wing before unleashing a powerful shot into the roof of the net. It was Scnuthorpe’s only chance of the second half but it was enough to clinch the win. Barnsley refused to throw in the towel though and kept coming forward and almost got an equaliser two minutes from time. After a spell of pressure, substitute Nathan Jarman found himself in acres of space on the right. His cross was inch perfect for Stephen McPhail and his powerful diving header was superbly kept out by Paul Musselwhite. The Scnuthorpe fans celebrated using their Get Out of Jail Free Card to win the game as if they had won promotion already, for Reds fans it was a frustrating trip back down the M180. FULL-TIME ScnutHORPE 2 BARNSLEY 1 BARNSLEY: Colgan, Tonge (Jarman 88), Kay, Carbon (Vaughan 45), Austin, Shuker, McPhail, Burns, Wroe (Conlon 73), Hayes, Nardiello. Unused subs: Flinders, Joynes. ScnutHORPE: Musselwhite, Crosby, Hinds (Beagrie 74), Byrne, Sparrow, Torpey, Baraclough, Corden (Taylor 66), Parton (Keogh 66), Butler, Williams. Unused subs: Stanton, Capp.
Paints a slightly differant complexion to that by some posters on here who 3 days after saying how well we'd done have now already consigned us to a season or 5 of struggle! The fickleness of the long-term football fan!
