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!

Barnsley (U21s) 2-0 Hull City (U21s)

Barnsley (U21s) 2-0 Hull City (U21s)
Professional Development League

Friday 3rd May 2024

Barnsley got the points in this game thanks to two goals by Theo Chapman.

In a game which was dominated by defenders (thus meaning there were few chances at either end), there was a very different-to-normal vibe around Oakwell for a few reasons.

For starters, the game was played on the training pitch (and not the Academy Pitch as is usually the case) because renovations on that surface have already begun. Kick-Off was brought forward a couple of hours to the earlier-than-usual time of 11.00am to allow more time to prepare for the Play-Off Semi-Final tie against Bolton Wanderers. There also happened to be no team-sheet (nor even a Barnsley line-up on Twitter) so apologies if I’ve got any names wrong, and finally there were also two trialists involved - one on either team and both of whom happened to be from Sheffield United.

Connor BARRATT (not to be confused with Connor Barrett at AFC Fylde - different player altogether) played the whole game in defence for Barnsley and his SUFC team-mate Ben Drake wore the No.6 shirt for Hull City.

Both were involved in nullifying plenty of things in their respective boxes in the early stages, but it was Barnsley who drew first blood with Theo Chapman beating Owen Foster with a low shot inside about a quarter-of-an-hour to make it 1-0.

Hull searched for an equaliser and had bits of pressure in the first half and from a set-piece, Ben Drake went close with a header that was off-target - but largely, the Tigers didn’t test Kieran Flavell too much which was down to the defending being of a high standard.

As half-time approached, Barnsley finished strongly and had a couple of chances up at the other end - one from a free-kick and another shot which wasn’t too far away, but it remained 1-0.

The Reds made altered things ahead of the second half with Charlie Hickingbottom introduced for Robbie Cundy at left centre-back and also picking up the captain’s armband in replacing him. He now played alongside Connor Barratt and as a consequence Hayden Pickard shuffled over from LCB to left-back, whilst Harrison Nejman (who began at right-back and has played a few games there recently) also moved into midfield to show what he can do in his usual role.

Initially, for a 15-20 minute spell in the second half, the Tigers looked good and were on top. Kieran Flavell was put under pressure a couple of times - including one where he used every inch of his height to pluck an attempted chip over him out of the air with his fingertips.

And then in arguably Hull’s best chance, Charlie Hickingbottom appeared to be blocked off from an inswinging free-kick, there was no whistle, which allowed Jack Leckie to get completely free in the box but the big Hull centre-back saw his free header come back off the base of the post much to his annoyance as he knew it was a golden chance.

It should have been 1-1 and as the remaining minutes passed, the determination from both teams was very evident. The intensity was good. Hayden Pickard put in a brilliant challenge to win the ball to thwart Hull which drew applause; likewise Kieran Graham (I think) made another good tackle a few minutes later which was just as impressive - and he put in a good shift in his time on the pitch, and even though it felt like Hull were on top at this point and might get an equaliser, the spirit in the Barnsley team to thwart them was evident.

The Reds still had bright moments up at the other end - none more so than when Owen Foster pulled off three strong-wristed and high quality saves within about a minute of each other, palming one effort away from Theo Chapman, then another, before a save at his near-post too.

But in the end, Barnsley beat him and got a second goal to kill the game.

Rocco Coyle tripped his man inside the box after he’d managed to get past him. The referee was left with no choice but to point to the penalty spot and Theo Chapman duly made it 2-0 and any hopes the Tigers harboured of taking something from the game were now gone.

It stayed that way but despite the result, it makes no real difference to how the final league table will look because Sheffield United and Birmingham City have already confirmed the Play-Off positions where they’ll look to become national champions.

Nevertheless, it was refreshing to watch this game because there was an alright intensity and a particular physicality about things. A few players made their presence felt (something you don’t always see in U21s football) and individually, there were five or six really strong performances from players on both teams.

Connor Barratt was very good for Barnsley - nipping in to win the ball numerous times, reading the game well and making lots of good contributions. Usually in games at Sheffield United he’s been ‘steady’ and sometimes you don’t even notice him because he goes about his business quietly, but this was 100% one of the best games I’ve seen him have and he gave a very good account of himself.

Likewise, Charlie Hickingbottom when he came on for Barnsley was good. He handled the physicality reasonably okay, produced a big headed clearance from a corner, and arguably his best contribution was his vocality - constantly talking, praising his team-mates and offering reassurance, organising things and being calm, cool and collected throughout the entirety of his 45 minutes. Never once did he look like he’d lose his head or be over-awed and that’s such a massive trait that will serve him well when he goes into men’s football which is probably the next stage now in his development. Plus I like the fact he’s good with his feet and can do a job adeptly in a CDM role too.

For Hull, Ben Drake coped well against Josiah Dyer and, despite the scoreline, won that particular battle and having not seen him play for Sheffield United for ages, it was good to see him involved in this game. He’s got a good frame and physique, wins plenty in the air, always looks up for a battle and wants to give his best and it’s why I rate him highly long before the unexpected surprise of turning up and seeing him in this game.

And Jack Leckie was decent too. Probably the best compliment I can give him is that from watching this game you could just tell he’s already played men’s football - such was his commandment and determination and how he set about things. He did well, it was noticeable for all the right reasons. It was good to watch and he was impressive. He’s got the perfect build for a centre-back - a towering figure at probably 6ft4 and a good background having spent time at Newcastle (where he’s from) and Burnley in the past. He showed glimpses of quality with his feet, was very vocal, should have scored (one of them where he didn’t - and it happens like that sometimes), but despite being on the wrong end of the scoreline he was good and I couldn’t fault his commitment or class.

All four of them stood out a mile and I’ve got every confidence that in 12 months from now (as long as they stay injury free) they’ll all be doing well in men’s football. The attributes, physicality, footballing intelligence in each of them is already present (just watching them you can see it). They need games. Having seen 270 games in the past two seasons - including about 100 youth games at various levels and having players to compare them against, I trust my own judgements, and all it needs is someone to put their belief in them and they’ll be rewarded with good quality, hard and aggressive defensive attributes.

And it’s so refreshing to see in an U21s game!

On top of that I’ll speak positively about Hayden Pickard. His tackle in the second half to win the ball, stop a Hull attack, and instantly look to get something going higher up the pitch was fantastic. Playing a part in a clean-sheet is a nice little reward for his effort, and he’s kicked on so much from where he was a couple of years ago to now look solid in this team. 

And likewise, Kieran Graham was good for Barnsley - producing another tackle where he won the ball, but showing a bit of grit and desire when Hull were getting on top but thwarting them with hard work, awareness and good positional sense to know where he needed to be. I don’t think I’ve seen him play before but that intelligence and reading of the game stood out, I think (and hope) there’s a few shades of Joe Ackroyd about him and a bit of a tenacious streak - certainly looks that way, and I’m looking forward to seeing him again because his characteristics in this short appearance were all positive and to be appreciated.

All in all, a good game, plenty of learning done, and it was worth the early start!

Ossett United 1-2 Cleethorpes Town

Ossett United 1-2 Cleethorpes Town

Northern Premier League (North-East Division)

Saturday 27th April 2024

If things had panned out differently, this defeat could have condemned Ossett United to relegation.

Instead - thanks to the brilliant 1-0 win at Hebburn Town in midweek, the pressure was off, it was all smiles, and there was something of a jovial atmosphere inside Ingfield yesterday for this end-of-season clash against Cleethorpes Town.

I’ve enjoyed watching both these teams at different points this season; Ossett to see for myself to see how Callum Hiddleston has been performing, plus Cleethorpes which has been a regular midweek haunt with them having a backlog of fixtures and playing their games mostly on Wednesday nights when it’s been a choice between either watching them or watching Coronation Street.

Needless to say I’ve not seen much of Roy Cropper lately!

As such there were lots of familiar faces involved with quite a few lads potentially playing their last games for their clubs before either leaving, returning to their parent clubs (as is the case with Harvey Tomlinson, Ben Bottomley and Max Adamson) or just going on holiday and having a relaxing summer before coming back and doing it all over again at this level next season.

I had to laugh that since Tuesday’s game where he got loads of stick from Hebburn’s ‘yoof’ element - ranging from his pink ‘keeper strip to his hairstyle, Callum Hiddleston has bowed to peer pressure and had a ‘mop chop’, but in this game he put in another good shift to underline his value - even though it wasn’t enough to prevent Cleethorpes from coming behind and grabbing the points thanks to Sam Kay’s last-minute winner.

On the whole, Clee Town were the better team and the scoreline was a fair outcome.

In the first half, the visitors looked alright and played as well as I’ve seen at any point in their general play, without particularly finding that cutting edge or killer instinct in front of goal. They had more possession but struggled to convert territory into chances - Harvey Tomlinson was probably the liveliest player in a red shirt and he had a couple of efforts which were routine and easily dealt with by Callum Hiddleston, as well as stubbing his foot on the ground when he went to let fly with another effort. 

Ossett’s No.1 again showed his capabilities with clean-catching, good handling (including grabbing this ball from a corner), strong communication and coping well under pressure when being closed down and even had a coming together with Josh Walker which led to a bit of needle between the pair for the remainder of the game.

Ben Bottomley up at the other end didn’t have much to do in goal for Cleethorpes and with a proper ‘lull’ in the game occurring as the half-time break approached, it seemed like a typical end of season game that might finish 0-0.

Thankfully, the second half did get a bit better and not long after the re-start, Ossett struck first as Sam Tingle found space and beat Ben Bottomley with a low drive. A shame for Botts not to get another clean-sheet but he can draw confidence in the fact this has been a good loan for him, he had big shoes to fill when he replaced Heath Richardson, yet with four clean-sheets in seven appearances, he’s given a good account of himself and what he can do - and he ticks the box for another good, young ‘keeper in this area who can do a good job at this level.

Had the circumstances been different, there might have been a few folk chomping ferociously on their fingernails and willing Ossett to hold onto the lead to avoid relegation at this point.

Instead, there was more of a competition in the Cleethorpes Town team with a few lads all vying to be top scorer for the season - and on 75 minutes, they leveled things up when Alex Flett was afforded the space for a run, got to the edge of the box and unleashed a well-struck low drive that just went beyond the dive of Callum Hiddleston and into the bottom corner.

Again, a shame that Callum couldn’t finish the season with a clean-sheet (one of those things) but the confidence he’s regained, plaudits he’s received and performances he’s put in since being at Ossett are all reasons why I rate him and he’s another ‘keeper with so much to feel proud about right now.

At 1-1, it wasn’t quite over because in the latter stages Ossett began to drop back deeper and deeper to the point where they struggled to get out of their own half. It looked as if they’d run out of steam. It invited pressure and in the last minute of normal-time, Sam Kay - probably one of Clee’s shrewdest pieces of recruitment when they picked him up from Tadcaster Albion a couple of months ago, hooked the ball into the net from a yard out to give the Owls three points! 

The result doesn’t affect the table too much but there were a few smiles in the clubhouse at full-time when news came through that Brighouse Town (sinking like a ship in recent weeks) finished in the bottom two?

Will they actually be relegated or will they get a reprieve given the vast number of teams at Step 3 and 4 who’ve either folded, gone bust or accepted voluntary relegation? That remains to be seen and, personally, I think they’ll get a reprieve but it was good to see that Bridlington Town stayed up because it's always a good away trip.

As for Ossett and Cleethorpes then Ossett end the season in 16th; Cleethorpes in 9th - and nine points outside the play-offs which will be contested between Stockton Town, Dunston, Pontefract Collieries and Carlton Town.

And at the very top of the table, Hebburn Town’s 3-0 win at Sheffield (which sounds more comfortable than it actually was because it was 0-0 until past the hour mark) means they’re champions and get to celebrate at last having experienced a nerve-jangling rollercoaster juggernaut of emotions in the past week.

My season isn’t quite done yet as I’ll find a few more games to go to, but to all the lads mentioned above who are out-of-contract this summer, good luck with things and I look forward to seeing you play football next season, wherever you end up!

Sheffield 1-2 Grantham Town

Sheffield 1-2 Grantham Town

Northern Premier League (Division One-East) 

Wednesday 24th April 2024

Two nights ago, it was Ossett United who secured their survival in the Northern Premier League.

Last night, it was the turn of Grantham Town - playing their second away game in the space of three days, who put in an absolute shift to beat Sheffield FC and pull off a remarkable ‘Great Escape’.

Only a few weeks ago, Grantham looked dead and buried. Languishing at the bottom of the table with Winterton Rangers, it seemed a case of when, and not if, the proverbial ‘Fat Lady’ would start belting out a few songs and the Gingerbreads relegation would be confirmed. The gap between them and safety was significant, the task seemed insurmountable and matches were fast-running out. 

Where were the points needed going to come from? With just one away win all season - and plenty of away games left, it certainly didn’t look like it would be on the road!

But if there’s one thing about this Grantham Town team, it’s that they’ve got spirit and don’t give up - even when the odds appeared to be stacked against them. They won at Ashington. They won at Liversedge.

And on a night which will be remembered for a while, those in grey shirts became the ultimate heroes to the 100 or so traveling fans who witnessed something special as they won this game too!

Despite having nothing to play for other than pride, Sheffield didn’t just lie down and get easily beaten. Ryan Cresswell’s team wanted to spoil a possible party - it was evident, so Grantham had to work hard to achieve this victory!

On a night when the Gingerbreads knew that three more points would GUARANTEE survival with a game to spare (something which seemed incomprehensible not so long ago), they drew first blood just past the half-hour mark when Sisa Tuntulwana flicked the ball home off a long-throw to put them on the brink of achieving their mission - thus also causing Sheffield’s PA announcer a whole heap of problems in trying to pronounce his name as the scorer!

With the lead established, big Matty Doyle - who knows a thing or two about dramatic games after he scored in this one for Barnsley’s U18s at the end of last season, went close just after half-time when a ball dropped to him inside the box and he forced a near-post save. Close. But no cigar!

There were other half-chances too, and then on 65 minutes came a special moment that Harry Olivant will never, ever forget as he scored probably the best goal of his life by slaloming his way through the Sheffield defence on a counter-attack with some neat and nimble footwork, reaching the edge of the box and then producing the perfect finish by slamming a low drive past Edd Hall before being mobbed by his jubilant team-mates.

At 2-0, this was ecstasy. Survival felt so tantalizingly close with the impossible dream so close to fruition.

However, Sheffield weren’t about to just chuck the towel in and let Grantham have it so comfortably and when their attacker was sent sprawling in the area, the referee had no option but to give a penalty. Up stepped Cameron Johnson to send Curtis Hall the wrong way and bring them back to within one goal of an equaliser.

The game was on again. It was tense. It was tight. It was nerve-wracking. The proverbial cat was amongst the pigeons with many counting down the seconds. And those nerves weren’t helped by the fact the referee added on five extra minutes and proceeded to play 12 before FINALLY blowing her whistle to spark joyous scenes between Grantham’s players and fans who knew they’d just achieved the impossible SURVIVAL. And what a feeling!

Nobody would have predicted this a few weeks ago!

The irony about the result is that, barring a 15-goal swing, Saturday’s game away at Winterton Rangers is now effectively meaningless - because this win for Grantham effectively sends Winterton down. Saturday’s game has been talked about for weeks as being a potential decider. A game which was meant to have so much riding on it but now, instead, it’ll be a nerve-free day for everyone associated with Grantham Town because the job is done!

And what credit the team deserves for what they’ve pulled off with a game to spare!

Sheffield could yet still be party-poopers as they host Hebburn Town on Saturday who, at the opposite end of the table, know they need to win that game to clinch the title. And judging on how bland Hebburn looked on Tuesday in their defeat to Ossett, plus how fired up, determined and ‘rattled’ Sheffield looked at times in this game, it certainly won’t be an easy game.

What a battle that could be!

But what an occasion this was for Grantham Town!