Barnsley 1-3 Bolton Wanderers

Barnsley 1-3 Bolton Wanderers

Sky Bet League One Play-Off Semi-Final First Leg

Friday 3rd May 2024

At half-time, as the two teams were trudging back towards the players tunnel, ‘Don’t Stop Believing’ started blazing out over the PA system.

Well… some Barnsley fans might have done so by now!

Randell Williams’ injury-time goal straight from a corner restored Bolton Wanderers’ two-goal advantage on the night and gave them huge momentum going into Tuesday’s second leg at the Reebok Stadium (will always be called that to me) on a night when the Trotters looked slick, sharp and a cut above Barnsley for long spells.

Ricardo Santos was a man-mountain at the back; a colossus - winning balls, blocking everything that came his way and just being tremendous to watch. I can’t recall seeing a defensive performance like it. Dion Charles offered the quality and bagged two goals either side of half-time which took his tally for the season past 20. Corey O’Keefe and Paris Maghoma provided the class with piercing crosses in the first half that cut Barnsley apart. Aaron Collins did the running and was a pleasure to watch as he so often is (him and DC work well together). Nathan Baxter made vital saves, including that flying fingertip one from a header, when he was called upon at a crucial period in the game.

And right throughout the Wanderers team, the spirit, the togetherness, the willingness to give everything, do the Play-Offs and fight for each other stood out a mile. Plus the glowing confidence and the overwhelming sense of determination and the self-belief they’ve got in each other was so evident. Right now BWFC have a special group of players - that is absolutely obvious!

Compare and contrast - and any Barnsley fans who’ve stumbled upon this blog might want to stop reading at this point because I don’t quite know what they were trying to achieve at times. Playing about at the back before launching long and often over-hit balls forward to John McAtee who was isolated. Devante Cole offering zero support, playing like he couldn’t be bothered in the biggest game of the season, barely moving to get into the right areas and putting in the type of performance that is akin to throwing a manager under the bus. Neill Collins has already gone? This performance definitely didn’t help Martin Devaney’s chances of getting the job on a permanent basis!

For 60-65 minutes, bar a few flashes, it wasn’t good from the Reds. 2-0 down at home, it was limp and lacklustre - and no wonder there was ironic applause from quite a few sections of the ground when Devante Cole was eventually substituted.

It says a lot that Sam Cosgrove then came on, completely changed the game, scored, gave the home fans genuine hope when it seemed lost, single-handedly pulled the Reds to within a whisker of an equaliser and got the ‘Man Of The Match’ award (cue some more ironic cheers). He has to start the second leg and it’s the most obvious change a team will ever make!

The tie isn’t over - and Barnsley’s ‘comeback’ (of sorts) from adversity in this game offers hope, but Randell Williams corner in injury-time which bounced up and beat Liam Roberts - just moments after he pulled off a brilliant save in a one-on-one, will still be spinning through plenty of minds as I write this and that goal certainly given Bolton all the momentum and impetus ahead of the second leg, and will feel like a dagger through the heart of the Reds’ chances.

It might have been 2-2 had it not been for two outstanding saves by Nathan Baxter when Barnsley were piling on the pressure, yet instead it’s ‘chasing two goals’ again. It could have been different. Maybe it should have been. A sliding doors moment for Barnsley’s chances of promotion which will mean they’re off to Mansfield next season rather than Wembley in a few weeks? We’ll see!

The first goal in the second leg is now going to be so important. If Bolton get it then it might well be ‘Goodnight Vienna’ but the Reds know they’re going to have to put in the performance of the season to somehow haul themselves back level and give themselves a chance again.

At least they’ll have Sam Cosgrove starting!