Barnsley 0 Charlton Athletic 6: Flitcroft facing his biggest test to lift Reds from the drop zone

BARNSLEY manager David Flitcroft has proved a master at getting his players’ mind-set right after demoralising defeats.
Barnsley's Tom Kennedy reacts as he is sent off by referee Geoff EltringhamBarnsley's Tom Kennedy reacts as he is sent off by referee Geoff Eltringham
Barnsley's Tom Kennedy reacts as he is sent off by referee Geoff Eltringham

A 5-0 FA Cup trouncing at Manchester City and a more recent derby loss at Sheffield Wednesday were followed by victories, but the task facing the Reds after their heaviest defeat of the season is greater than anything they have faced before under Flitcroft.

What he can not control is the lack of players at his disposal and the Barnsley defensive department looks threadbare ahead of tomorrow’s visit of mid-table Derby County.

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Left-back Tom Kennedy and central midfield man Stephen Dawson are suspended after seeing red against Charlton and central defender Stephen Foster is almost certainly out with a calf problem.

The one glimmer of bright news is that the man Foster replaced as Barnsley secured draws at Crystal Palace and champions-elect Cardiff, Martin Cranie, is expected to have recovered from his hamstring injury.

The manner of the Reds’ defeat to Charlton was the most worrying as they ended back in the bottom three after conceding six for the first time at Oakwell since their one stint in the Premiership.

Then, Gianluca Vialli added four goals to earlier strikes from Dan Petrescu and Gus Poyet as Chelsea overcame early assaults from their hosts to win 6-0.

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Charlton are no Chelsea yet Barnsley were overrun, outplayed and outmuscled throughout Saturday’s encounter and not one Reds player emerged with credit even though their manager shouldered some of the blame for “chasing the game too soon”.

Flitcroft was never going to hide behind the two red cards, awarded in the 62nd minute when Dawson lost control and lunged at Yann Kermorgant in a vain attempt to retrieve possession and then in the 86th when Kennedy felled Ricardo Fuller as he bore down on goal.

Nor was he going to accept fatigue as a reason. “Tiredness and exhaustion are just words that victims use if they don’t feel they’ve had a good day at the office,” said Flitcroft.

“Charlton were good and we could not cope with them and me chasing the game too soon opened us up and it’s something I can look at and learn from.

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“I think the whole events of the day really are a shock to the system. To go down so early in the game, have two sendings off and six goals against before coming back in and seeing the results of those around you then, yeah, it’s been a tough day but it’s a day that will end and tomorrow we begin again.

“I am looking forward to trying to galvanise a group of players that are hurting.

“It’s about regrouping a gang of players who do want to stay in this league.

“We will go to the drawing board and see where the boys are mentally really because that will have emotionally put a scar on some of the players. It’s not scarred me and it’s not scarred what we are trying to do and we can move on from this.

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“We have had some tough Saturday-Tuesdays and we have come through them before. We really bounced back well so we will get a bounce from this, there is no doubt about that. We are going to have to ride through the pain and become strong.”

Flitcroft thanked the fans for sticking by them, stating: “They were the best they have been in the two years I have been here. They have had to endure some hard moments in that game. It was heartbreaking at times but they stayed with us right through and their support was fantastic.

“They want to stay in this league and we want to stay in this league and out of the hurt I am sure that something positive will be around the corner.”

“The players have the experience of bouncing back and we want to fill them with a postiive vibe on Tuesday.”

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Defeat left Barnsley third from bottom and a point from safety and, for their sakes, it is to be hoped that they have got this dreadful display out of their system. After all, they had recorded seven wins from their last eight games at Oakwell.

Against Charlton, though, captain Luke Steele had an out-of-character shaky game in goal, though England coaching staff member David Watson will be sympathising as he was between the posts when Chelsea cut loose.

Even when Steele made a top-class save to deny Kermorgant in the fifth minute, Bradley Pritchard was there to pounce on the rebound and set Charlton on their way.

Captain Johnnie Jackson made it 2-0 in the 19th, taking two defenders out of the equation by shaping to shoot but engineering space to drill the ball down the middle between Steele’s legs.

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Flitcroft reacted by throwing on striker Jason Scotland to operate behind Chris Dagnall and Chris O’Grady but it was effectively game over by the 48th minute when Rhoys Wiggins produced a brilliant cross which Kermorgant only had to nod in as he followed the ball into the net.

A blunder by Steele which allowed the ball to go under his body as Callum Harriott let fly from the left corner of the area made it 4-0 and after Dawson had got his marching orders and Charlton had used all their replacements, a clever back-heel from one of them, Jonathan Obika, set up another, Salim Kerkar, for the fifth.

With Foster a passenger in an advanced role, Fuller completed the rout in stoppage time, curling the ball beyond Steele, after his first attempt had been blocked.

Barnsley: Steele, Wiseman, Foster, Hassell, Kennedy; Mellis (O’Brien 59), Dawson, Perkins, Cywka (Scotland 29); Dagnall, O’Grady (Harewood 57). Unused substitutes: Alnwick, Jones, Rose, Cranie.

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Charlton Athletic: Hamer, Solly, Morrison, Dervite, Wiggins; Pritchard, Hughes, Jackson (Gower 67), Harriott (Kerkar 78); Fuller, Kermorgant (Obika 67). Unused substitutes: Burton, Taylor, Green, Wilson.

Referee: G Eltringham (Tyne & Wear).