Barnsley FC Reports & News
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Saturday 31st January 1998 : Chelsea 2(1) Barnsley 0(0)
Watson / Eaden, Moses, DeZeeuw, Barnard / Sheridan(Morgan), Redfearn, Bosancic (Liddell), Bullock / Fjortoft (Hendrie), Ward
Once again in London we return home second best, though today it wasn't as bad as was feared pre-match.
For a change we didn't start the game at 100 miles an hour and on top. This situation was entirely due to the fact that we were under siege. Time and again throughout the entire first hour space was available down both wings, at one stage Le Saux seemed to walk for 30 yards down the touchline and onto a pass near the edge of the eighteen yard box.
Vialli broke the deadlock after about 25 minutes with a prod home. At this point I could hear the young kids from the Chesterfield game singing his name and I thought that we were on for a tonkin. It didn't happen and the defence seemed to cope quite well what was thrown at them.
Rather than playing as a team we were playing as a back nine and two strikers. Bullock didn't seem interested as he just wandered around the centre circle. The few times he found himself in with a chance of running at defenders he bottled it and made less than inspiring passes back to the late arriving midfielders.
The second half started incredibly badly, within a few minutes Mark Hughes had bundled the ball over the line after it rebounded off the post. Again though the floodgates didn't open.
On the hour mark we had our first shot on goal, a tame effort from Fjortoft, scuffed into the floor and into DeGoey's arms. This effort along with another three only forced two good saves. One header from DeZeeuw and a rasping shot from Bullock!!
Chelsea's current redevelopment of the ground made it look very shoddy but once finished it should be okay, but nowhere near as large as it looks on tv. The biggest waist of time is the two giant video screens. Unlike spurs last week these seemed only capable of showing computer generated effects of varying quality. The worst was an advert for bloody Chelsea wine available by the caseload. If this is the future of football i'm not particularly interested. Especially at the price they are charging.
Saturday 24th January 1998 : FA Cup 4th Round Tottenham 1(1) - Barnsley 1(0)
Watson / Eaden, Moses, De Zeeuw, Barnard / Tinkler (Bosancic 45), Redfearn, Sheridan, Marcelle / Hendrie (Liddell 85) , Ward.
The enigma which is David Ginola dominated the game. Every attacking move which Tottenham created came from the frenchman. When he wasn't in it neither were they.
We lasted much longer than the stupid eighteen minute start to the December visit to White Heart Lane. The six minute barrier was passed with ease and little heart trouble. Their headed goal scored by Campbell (not Ferdinand as the clubs own tannoy stated) from a corner came from a slack piece of marking.
Our best chance came when Tinkler struck a terrific shot which was destined for the top corner until the young Tottenham keeper got a hand to it. Perhaps the first time we have seen the aledged powerful shot from the South African this season.
The second half saw us come more into the game and create more problems for the Spurs defence. Instrumental in most of the attacking play was Bosancic who replaced Tinkler at half time. The ever willing Ashley Ward was rewarded for all of his persistence by winning us a penalty for being bundled over at the edge of the six yard box. Redfearn strode up and bagged his latest goal with ease.
The worry our performance caused Spurs to take off Ferdinand after an hour and bring on a more defencivley minded player. Well done the reds. The final whistle came and I realized that more cash was to be spent. This wasn't the league it was the cup and we would have to do all this again. More bloomin expense.
The Sony jumbotron screen at the opposite end of the ground as the most impressive big screen I have seen this season. Well done Tottenham, can we have one Barnsley and i'm glad we couldn't see it for the match earlier in the season. It would have been a nightmare.
Saturday 17th January 1998 : Barnsley 1(1) Crystal Palace 0(0)
Watson / Eaden, Morgan, Markstedt, Barnard / Sheridan, Tinkler, Redfearn, Marcelle / Fjortoft(Liddell), Ward
The last game Barnsley played gave no hope of a future in the Premiership. Today was a different story and another home victory once again gave hope of a chance of survival. The Barnsley express train gave its usual flying start with a brilliant chance falling to Marcelle as he was left one on one with the Palace keeper. When the composure he showed in-front of goal early last season was needed though if let him down and the ball was blasted more or less straight at the keeper.
Despite the terrific start that we had it was Palace that had the best chance of all early on as Eaden cleared a goalbound shot. A few minutes later Ashley Ward set us away and clear. He latched onto a Redfearn pass and controlled a quickly moving ball. He made the loose ball his and lifted the ball over the advancing keeper and the ball hit the back of the net with power and accuracy.
Fjortoft on his debut created a few chances and generally made himself a nuisance. His best moment in the first half came when he took everyone by surprise and reached out a foot and struck a shot from 20 yards. The rest of the first half passed off without great incident just positive play from Barnsley.
The second half found Barnsley taking there usual breather. Palace came back into the game and Brolin nearly equalised when he hit the bar with a powerful header. Later in the second half it looked as if he had equalised by pushing in the rebounded Dyer shot. Actually at the game it looked as if the goal had been given off side but on reviewing Match of the Day's footage it certainly seemed to be a push with the arm which saw the ball over the line.
Marcelle according to the club's officials was the announced man of the match and he certainly had the chance to make it so. Along with the first half chance twice he found himself in a position to be able to put the game away. Both though saw the ball shooting off in wildly inacurrate directions. One chance coming from a terrific turn and cutback from Fjortoft. Morgan who along with Fjortoft was making his home debut certainly seemed to have settled down quite a bit, playing a mistake free game and on a number of occasions making vital interceptions headers and tackles.
Just a little note the ref went mad with his card at the end of the game booking three Palace players in the last five minutes this despite watching Ashley Ward getting mugged for the entire game. What is it with the last five minutes when we are in-front. Is it that the other team realise that they are losing to us and try belatedly to do something about it who knows but it certainly takes up some time.
With this win we have only lose 1 in the last 7 at home, a terrific record. Can we take this form on the road? A tough double ahead and with once again the teams within reach winning were still at the bottom but there is hope again. One slight dampener on all this optimism though is the game did look much more like a first division game than many others this season. Lets hope we don't see too many like that next season.
Thursday 15th January 1998 : Jan Arge Fjortoft Signed from Sheffield United for £850,000
Saturday 10th January 1998 : West Ham 6(2)Barnsley 0(0)
Watson / Eaden, Appleby(Marcelle), Krizan(Markstedt), Morgan, Barnard / Sheridan, Tinkler, Redfearn / Hristov(Hendrie), Ward
The surprise of the day was in the team selection, young Chris Morgan got his first start of the season. The first player through from the youth team since I don't know how long.
Wes Ham started well and created a few chances, and after what seemed like no time at all Frank Lampard was all alone in the box and placed his header neatly in the corner and the hammers were out infront. Abou, a constant threat throughout was the next to score when he latched onto an knockon from Hartson. The goal sneaked in under Watson who got some part of his body to it but it still ended up in goal.
Once again in a match Hristov had the best chance. With the goal gaping and a free header for him the ball just dropped into the hands of Forrest in the Hammers goal. No other chances of note in the first half for the reds, this was despite making a double substitution soon after the West Ham second went in. Appleby and Krizan came off to be replaced by Markstedt and Marcelle.
At half time there was still hope, only two down and much to play for. Ward had a looping header which from my vantage point seemed to be going over the keeper but unfortunately was nowhere near. Then what followed made my heart sink and had me thinking once again of West Brom away. Think of the worst half of football you can that the reds played and your in the region. Four goals went in, I couldn't tell you who scored them and quite frankly I don't care. I sat with a mate who is a Hammers fan in amongst the home supporters. Throughout the game I had no danger of ever being beaten up. Nothing happend for me to get excited about.
At least we still have Spurs for company as they lost too, an Everton victory though leaves us a little bit more marooned at the bottom. It could be worse though, according to the West Ham programme at this stage when Swindon were in the premiership they only had 14 points after 21 games.
Monday January 5th 1998 : It's Tottenham for the Cup 4th Round as they beat Fulham.
Sunday January 4th 1998 : F.A. Cup 4th Round Draw
Fulham OR Tottenham Vs BARNSLEY
Saturday January 3rd 1998 : F.A. Cup 3rd Round : Barnsley 1(1) Bolton Wanderers 0(0)
Watson / Eaden, Moses, DeZeeuw, Barnard / Tinkler, Sheridan, Redfearn / Marcelle (Bullock) , Hristov (Liddell), Ward
Happy New Year? You bet ya! I saw the new year start in Glasgow, all I could really think about was getting back to the Well for the next game in this momentous season. Good finish to the last year and a good start to this one.
Marcelle and Hristov retained their places and by the end of the game they both had well deserved them as once again Bolton found it difficult to deal with them. I bet they wish we played them every week, as despite not scoring against them for the first time this season Hristov still got the "A1 ACE TAXI'S" man of the match.
Barnsley got the lead deservedly from some clever play and thinking from Darren Barnard, while Bolton were lining up the wall and everyone was waiting for another Redfearn blaster he thought quickly and stuck a brilliant free kick into the bottom corner of the Bolton goal. Keeper Ward floundering in a despairing dive after it. Lets make sure that both Redfearn and him share the freekick's in future.
For most of the rest of the first half Bolton were nowhere to be found, and we ran the show enough openings should have been created to put the game away, unfortunately though we couldn't get that second goal. Bolton way to try and get into the game was to try and kick and pull their way through the tie.
Bolton had more chances to take the game to a replay in the second half, but Redfearn had the very best chance when he was all alone on the edge of the six yard box following a cross from Tinkler. The ball somehow rebounded off his shin and onto the Bolton post. (That's now three times in two games). Indeed he had thought he scored direct from a corner as the ball blew in from the Wind over the head of Ward in goal but the referee adjudged Ward of the Ashley variety to have pushed the keeper.
In the last few minutes of the game a fight started in-front of the Barnsley bench as Jamie Pollock pushed aside Ward then tried to dive in there to get the ball out. A bit of pushing started and many of the players got involved. The only real outcome of he whole thing though seemed to be a steward getting escorted out of the ground by the police.
So long let our cup runeth over.
