Barnsley do not help themselves as they are picked off by Championship parachute regiment

As Jack Walton watched his save from Sam Surridge trickle into the net, Barnsley could reflect that it really was not their net.
AERIAL: Barnsley's Victor Adeboyejo challenges Adam SmithAERIAL: Barnsley's Victor Adeboyejo challenges Adam Smith
AERIAL: Barnsley's Victor Adeboyejo challenges Adam Smith

With more than 20 minutes to go, Bournemouth had gone 4-0 up at Oakwell. Fortunately for the Reds, that was where they declared, having well and truly done their damage.

Surridge has been sent clean through by a Herbie Kane pass meant for Michael Sollbauer and although Walton got his hands to it, his wrists were not strong enough.

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The three-strong parachute squadron relegated from last season's Premier League look very well placed to yo-yo back in the summer. Bournemouth were simply a class apart from their hosts in the teeming rain at Oakwell.

Yorkshire football fans do not need reminding of the qualities the likes of David Brooks, Lewis Cook and Phillip Billing bring, and it was the latter who opened the scoring with his first goal of the season.

Right wing-back Adam Smith picked up the ball and ran inside with opposite number Callum Styles at his back, laying the ball off just before tumbling to the turf. From outside the area Billing measured a precise shot which left Jack Walton no chance.

It capped off 12 minutes of strong pressure from the visitors who had picked up just one point from their trips to Sheffield and Rotherham.

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In truth, the Cherries ought to have been ahead after about 95 seconds, Walton sprinting off his line and screaming for Michal Helik to leave the ball to him. The Pole did as he was told, but Surridge did not and even from his tight angle, he should not have rolled the ball wide of the empty net.

Ironically, Barnsley were just settling into the game when they fell behind, Asmir Begovic making a “one for the cameras” save from Alex Mowatt and no one anticipating Cauley Woodrow's flick-on at a corner.

Once in front, Bournemouth flexed their muscles and Barnsley looked poor, Callum Brittain delivering a dismal cross and many a pass going astray.

Mowatt produced a couple of excellent passes in quick succession to start the final 10 minutes of the half, but the first went through Victor Adeboyejo. The second found Conor Chaplin, whose movement was very good. The forward played a reverse pass across the area but there was no one sprinting onto it.

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When Chaplin was released again, this time by a brilliant Kane pass, Helik tried to turn the deep cross back in but it hit Mads Anderson and bounced safe. Mowatt got a shot away under pressure at the edge of the area, but put it wide.

Just as it looked like Barnsley might have hope after all, Dominic Solanke extinguished it, robbing Helik and finding the net with the final touch of the half.

Walton was at fault for the third goal early in the second half, wrongly assuming as many did that Diego Rico would cross his free-kick from out wide and leaving the near post open for him to thrash into it.

Within minutes Valerien Ismael had made a triple substitution, a fourth following before Begovic made a low save from Kane in the 65th minute.

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Substitute Luke Thomas curled a shot wide but the game had long been decided before Kane and Walton's calamities produced the fourth.

Anderson was fortunate only to receive a yellow card for a reckless lunging tackle after 76 minutes but the flow of substitutes and the decisiveness of the scoreline ensured little of consequence happened thereafter.

By then it was just about preserving energy for the battles to come. They, at least, might be more even contests, starting with Wednesday's visit of Wycombe Wanderers.

Barnsley: Walton; Sollbauer, Helik (Halme 64), Andersen; Brittain, Mowatt, Kane (Palmer 82), Styles (Odour 58); Adeboyejo (Thomas 58), Woodrow, Chaplin (Frieser 58).

Unused substitutes: Schmidt, Miller, James, Collins.

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Bournemouth: Begovic; Mepham, S Cook, Kelly; Rico, Brooks (Gosling 72), L Cook (Riquelme 81), Billing (Ofoborh 89), Smith (Kilkenny 89); Solanke (Anthony 72), Surridge.

Unused substitutes: Stanisla, Travers, Simpson, Zemura.

Referee: K Stroud (Hampshire).

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