Barnsley FC 0 Cardiff City 1: Another stinging defeat for Tykes as tempers fray

For all their effort, endeavour and opportunities, Barnsley lost yet again tonight, a fifth successive Championship defeat that edges them ever closer to relegation.

Despite largely being the better side against Cardiff City, particularly in the first half, once more their failure to convert chances came back to haunt them.

When Aaron Leya Iseka did get the ball in the net with virtually the last touch of the game, he was cruelly deemed offside.

Admittedly, it looked harsh.

In contrast, Bluebirds substitute Uche Ikpeazu, making his debut after a deadline day loan move from Middlesbrough, only needed one opportunity to deliver the killer blow in the 70th minute.

He had only been on the field eight minutes when he became the first visiting player to strike any sort of fear into the Barnsley defence all evening.

It was a hopeful long punt down the middle from Alex Smithies - the former Huddersfield Town keeper who moments earlier embarrassingly conceded a corner after seeing a throw-in slip through his grasp - that led to the deadly blow.

The ball bounced and the muscular Ikpeazu, known for his strength and power, did extremely well to hold off both Mads Anderson and Michal Helik, before advancing to nudge home in front of Cardiff’s delirious visiting support.

How Barnsley - who have won just once in their last 26 league games - need someone to have such an instant positive impact on their fortunes.

They almost rescued a point deep into injury-time, when one of their January signings - debutant Amine Bassi - swung in a free-kick that Leya Iseka headed narrowly over before that second golden chance from Callum Styles’ defence-splitting pass.

Barnsley were the most fluent of the sides in the first period, creating the better chances with Cardiff’s attacking threat minimal.

The hosts should really have gone ahead when Styles’ trickery opened things up for Devante Cole in the 34th minute.

However, the striker dragged his right-footed shot wide from the edge of the penalty area when Josh Benson and Jordan Williams had both been far better positioned, unmarked to his right.

It was no surprise they gave their colleague such a look of exasperation; Barnsley have learned, to their cost, this term that they simply cannot afford such profligacy.

Williams, who was assured and always available on the right, had earlier got a teasing cross to threaten Cardiff but Cole could not quite get a touch to guide it home.

Liam Kitching, whose distribution was excellent from the heart of Barnsley’s defence, also had a header go close so Poya Asbaghi will have certainly felt that familiar, nagging feeling of deja vu creeping in.

Still, on the positive side, Domingos Quina was bright and sharp on his debut in midfield.

The Portuguese only saw his loan switch from Premier League Watford finalised on Tuesday morning after awaiting confirmation on transfer deadline day.

Nevertheless, the 22 year-old former West Ham United junior quickly got himself involved and showed some genuine attacking promise which bodes well for the rest of the campaign.

Just before he came off in the second half, he also made a timely tackle on Will Vaulks after a long throw had briefly caused panic in the Barnsley defence.

Predictably, Cardiff had improved after the break - it would have been hard for them to be so insipid again - but the home side still did not truly look threatened by them.

Until Ikpeazu arrived.

Meanwhile, there was an altercation between Cardiff manager Steve Morison and a Barnsley member of staff as tempers frayed heading into the tunnel at the end of the game.

Barnsley: Collins; Anderson, Helik, Kitching (Leya Iseka 77); Williams, Benson (Bassi 77), Gomes, Quina (Morris 62), Vita; Styles; Cole. Substitutes unused: Walton, Moon, Palmer, Hondermarck.

Cardiff City: Smithies; Ng, Morrison (Flint 10), Vaulks; Drameh, Wintle, Doyle ,Watters (Davies 56) , Hugill, Doughty (Ikpeazu 62).

Substitutes unused: Phillips, Bagan, Collins, Pack.

Referee: Geoff Eltringham