Barnsley 0 Plymouth Argyle 3: Worries intensify for Conor Hourihane after grim Oakwell defeat
UNLIKE Barnsley’s previous home game, there were no chants of ‘You’re not fit to wear the shirt’ or ‘sacked in the morning’ from agitated home supporters.
The mood remains very tetchy, that said. Understandably so. These are stressful times for Reds followers, although a number have already clocked off for 2025-26, in fairness.
Alongside anger – there were justifiable boos from the few who managed to display stoicism and tough it out until the final whistle - there is something just as damning. A growing sense of apathy and resignation among significant sections of the club’s fanbase.
This was an abysmal performance from those in red. And a worrying one too, with fourth-from-bottom Exeter City’s victory being an added concern.
On this display, it is hard to see where Barnsley’s next three points are coming from.
Judging by the number of Plymouth Argyle supporters milling around Oakwell waiting for the turnstiles to open well before kick-off, it clearly assumed more importance for one fanbase as opposed to the other.
Some 1,242 travelling fans had braved the Bank Holiday traffic to embark upon the long 600-mile round trip to South Yorkshire from Devon and came with expectation. They were royally rewarded.
The game was a classic case of a side having plenty to play for against one who are going through the motions.
It was all in marked contrast to the previous time Plymouth visited in March 2023.
Anything seemed possible for the Reds back there. A 3-0 win over second-placed Argyle was their fifth on the spin on home turf and extended the promotion-chasing hosts’ unbeaten sequence to 10 matches. How times have sadly changed.
Barnsley’s backline was rough, once again. Further forward, the hosts almost exclusively relied upon David McGoldrick - the club’s best player at 38 - pulling a rabbit or two out of the hat.
And when McGoldrick doesn’t excel, Barnsley don’t have too much else at the minute. He still got the sponsors’ man-of-the-match award on a day when the Reds’ winless run extended to six games.
The opening period saw the hosts, as many of a home persuasion inwardly feared, make unwanted history as their run without a clean sheet extended to a 25th game.
You have to go way back to the 1950s for the previous time that happened.
The backline’s litany of poor concessions continued. Jack Shepherd and returning keeper Owen Goodman did not cover themselves in glory.
Shepherd had a horrendous afternoon in particular and was culpable for all three goals.
Plymouth’s talismanic striker Lorent Tolaj showed he is more than a goalscorer as he set up Owen Oseni, who rammed a shot home at the near post.
A few minutes earlier, Argyle defender Alex Mitchell couldn’t cash in on hesitancy from Goodman, who stayed at home following Conor Hazard’s long free-kick and fired over when well placed. The lively Oseni wasn’t so wasteful.
Barnsley’s best moment arrived late in the half following sloppiness from Plymouth at the back. Patrick Kelly couldn’t cash in when presented with a sight at goal and Mitchell made a saving block. It summed up Barnsley’s half.
Argyle looked the more likely against a Barnsley backline who continually give opponents a chance, with the dangerous Oseni seeing a goalbound effort deflected for a corner. The visitors sensed the hosts’ uncertainty and were right to.
In early November, Barnsley were eight points above Plymouth. Now they are 11 points behind them.
The visitors sealed it three minutes before the hour mark as Oseni turned provider and returned Tolaj’s earlier favour.
Oseni shrugged off Shepherd too easily and set up the Argyle top-scorer, whose low finish was unerring - his 18th goal of a productive campaign.
Plymouth weren’t earth-shattering on the day. They didn’t have to be in all honesty.
Oseni scored his second, from the penalty spot, on 79 minutes after a ridiculous push on him by Shepherd.
Goodman guessed right, but couldn’t keep out the spot-kick.
Thankfully, the keeper did rather better to prevent the game ending in a rout as he denied Amaechi and Dale.
Barnsley: Goodman; Bland (Banks 67), de Gevigney, O’Connell, Shepherd; Yoganathan (Farrell 78), Connell; Kelly, McGoldrick, Cleary; Bradshaw (Phillips HT). Substitutes unused: Flavell, M Roberts, Lennon, Watson.
Plymouth Argyle: Hazard; Edwards (Galloway 85), Ross, Mitchell, Harding; Curtis, Boateng, Paterson (C Roberts 65), Dale; Oseni (Amaechi 81), Tolaj (Watts 84). Substitutes unused: Ashby-Hammond, MacKenzie, Benarous.
Referee: T Reeves (Warwickshire)