Barnsley 0 Luton Town 1: Reds fail to muster a solution at Oakwell

There was no shortage of effort, but ultimately the answer was no.

Lacking a cutting edge up front with Belgian signings Obbi Oulare and Aaron Iseka still not considered fit enough for the 18-man squad, with Carlton Morris injured and Clarke Oduor and Dominik Frieser substituted after ineffective displays, the Reds just did not quite have enough despite the best efforts of Romal Palmer, Callum Styles, Josh Benson and Callum Brittain in midfield.

Like it or as they often did, lump it, under Schopp’s predecessor Valerien Ismael, Barnsley had a very defined way of playing. They spent a good 20 minutes or so trying to work out how they would deal with Luton and by the time they had, the Hatters were ahead.

Nathan Jones sent his side out in a 3-4-1-2 formation and although it was not vastly different to Barnsley’s 3-4-3, it gave them an extra man in midfield.

With Ben Williams dropped to the bench, Schopp seemingly unconvinced he is sturdy enough to play twice a week, Styles was nominally pushed out to left wing-back as Benson made his full league debut for the Reds, but he very soon spent as much time to the right of the centre spot as the left, effectively tucking in as an extra central midfielder. As the game went on, there was more emphasis on left-sided centre-back Liam Kitching to provide the width.

For a spell Caukey Woodrow dropped from centre-forward to become yet another central midfielder as the Reds struggled to get to grips with the game.

Luton had started much more decisively, taking the lead with their first meaningful attack as Elijah Adebayo peeled to the right and puled the ball back for Amari Bell to convert.

They might have had a second when Brad Collins was caught on the right edge of his penalty area but when the ball fell nicely on the volley for James Bree he went easy on his old side, putting his shot about 16 yards wide.

Palmer was leading the way for Barnsley at that stage, and in the 22nd minute he burst onto a Styles pass but the angle was too tight and the goalkeeper too close to force the ball in.

A lovely Styles pass picked out Oduor in the 28th minute but Tom Lockyer slid in brilliantly to deny him.

Not that Luton’s threat had ended, Cameron Jerome nodding into the path of Admiral Muskwe, and Barnsley glad of some Lockyer-style heroics from Toby Sibbick, coming across to snuff out the danger. Collins was the next man who had to be on his toes to deal with the striker after he muscled his way through.

The frustration of the home fans spilled out as they tried to overplay in their own area. Ismael would not have stood for that.

Barnsley finished the half stronger, Brittain forcing a save after popping up inside. Peter Kioso narrowly won the three-man race with goalkeeper Simon Sluga for the rebound. Benson shot wide.

Although the sprightly Cameron Jerome was quick out of the blocks for the second half – over-eager, in fact, false-starting at the kick-off – and had a chance almost straight away, most of the second half action was played in front of Luton’s goal but Sluga was not overworked in it.

Brittain was picked out a couple of times but his cross was cut out, his shot just wide.

He played a lovely ball down the line and although Woodrow could not make anything of it, he returned the compliment with a gorgeous reverse pass. The cross was begging to be converted, but there was no-one in red sufficiently switched on.

Sibbick recovered well after seemingly being beaten for pace by Jerome and Collins had to get down low to bat away a fierce Henri Lansbury shot but it was Barnsley on top, with Benson growing in influence at the base of midfield.

There was great anticipation as he chested the ball in the 69th minute, but his volley went wide.

Styles forced a low save, Muskwe blocked a Brittain shot and when Barnsley used the very Ismael tactic of smashing the ball into the danger area to cause confusion, Styles was unable to get over his shot as the ball bounced in front of him.

Found wanting, Barnsley will be hoping their Belgian additions can make the difference when up to speed. There will be a lot of expectation on their shoulders.

Barnsley: Collins; Helik, Kitching, Sibbick; Brittain, Benson, Palmer, Styles; Oduor (Cole 57), Woodrow, Frieser (Adeboyejo 75) . Unused substitutes: Walton, B Williams, Moon, Halme, Miller.

Luton Town: Sluga; Kioso, Lockyer (Osha 88), Naismith; Bree, Lansbury, Ruddock, Bell; Muskwe (Rea 89); Jerome (Cornick 69), Adebayo. Unused substitutes: Istead, Lee, Mendes-Gomes, Campbell.

Referee: O Langford (West Midlands).