Aiden Marsh gives relegated Barnsley FC fans something to cheer in defeat to Preston North End

MArtin Devaney hailed 18-year-old local lad Aiden Marsh after he capped his first Championship start with a goal.

The Barnsley-born striker struk home Victor Adeboyejo’s pull back to give the Reds a 17th-minute lead in the final home game of a dismal season.

That they then went on to lose 3-1 to Preston epitomises a wretched campaign, but at least there was the positive of a goal for a homegrown striker.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Devaney said: “Everyone knows how we all feel about him. It was a good opportunity for him today and obviously for him to get the goal is fantastic.

A general view of Oakwell stadium (Picture: PA)A general view of Oakwell stadium (Picture: PA)
A general view of Oakwell stadium (Picture: PA)

“It’s about now, consistency in his performances, not just being a one-off. We’ve got one game left, if he can get another goal it will be a great help.”

Daniel Johnson equalised for Preston in the 23rd minute. Emil Riis Jakobsen laid the ball off to Johnson on the left-hand side and he then drilled the ball into the bottom right corner.

Johnson (54) gave Preston the lead when he curled the ball across goal with his left foot and it bent away from Walton and into the top corner.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Jakobsen grabbed Preston’s third goal in the 74th minute, running on to an over-the-top through ball, rounding the keeper and squeezing the ball into the net from a tight angle.

Devaney, whose side lost 2-0 to Blackpool in his first game in caretaker charge, said: He said: “I think it was a big improvement from Tuesday.

“There was a reaction from the players, albeit some fresh faces and also giving an opportunity to some of the lads that have not played this season.

“I thought that they dealt with the situation really well.

“I think in the first half and even the second half, there were some good phases of play, certainly endeavour to run around.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Barnsley: Walton, Moon, Sraha,Kitching, Hondermarck (Helliwell 75), Wolfe, Palmer (Oduor 25), Styles, Adeboyejo, Marsh (Woodrow 67), Morris. Unused substitutes: Christie-Davies, Arielly, Bremang, Flavell.

Preston North End: Iversen, van den Berg, Bauer (Diaby 46), Lindsay, Whiteman, Potts, Browne, McCann, Johnson, Jakobsen (Maguire 85), Archer (O’Neill 79). Unused subs: Cunningham, Rafferty, Ripley, Sinclair.

Referee: D Webb (County Durham).

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.