Barnsley 2 Doncaster Rovers 0: Barnsley’s game plan works to perfection in derby

The tide has definitely turned now and, on this form, the neighbours will soon be going their separate ways again.

Rovers played like a team that will be relegated at the end of the season and the Tykes took full advantage to move eight points clear of danger.

It was Rovers’ worst performance since the appointment of new manager Dean Saunders and further proof of Barnsley’s efficient streak under Keith Hill.

In truth, most observers were anticipating a far closer contest, especially after Rovers took maximum points against Ipswich Town.

However, a combination of injuries and poor individual displays handed victory to Barnsley on a plate.

The record books now show that Barnsley have collected 16 points from a possible 21 in the last seven meetings between the clubs.

Before that sequence, Rovers won five in a row (2004-2006) after going 36 years without even saying ‘hello’.

Inevitably, there was a massive difference in mood as the two managers reflected on events.

“I don’t think anyone can argue that we dominated from the first whistle to the last,” said Barnsley’s Hill. “We had been working all week on dominating possession. Doncaster are a very good side with the ball but they can’t be a good side without the ball. That was our strategy.”

Rovers manager Saunders said: “It hurts because we wanted to send our fans home happy and we could have gone three points behind Barnsley if we had won.

“I am not going to point the finger at anyone but – as a team – Barnsley were better than us.”

As a spectacle, this was far from a classic. As an occasion, it also fell short. There were under 12,000 attending a fixture which attracted over 15,000 three years ago.

Two goals from Craig Davies secured the points for the home side and confirmed that the striker is now bang in form after a slow start to his Oakwell career.

But there were plenty of others who also caught the eye for the Tykes including midfielders Jacob Butterfield and Matt Done.

Butterfield was at the heart of everything Barnsley put together. The midfielder was an unused substitute for the England Under-21s last week but had returned to Oakwell on a real high. Always looking for the ball, he made the lion’s share of Barnsley’s passes and also tested Rovers goalkeeper Carl Ikeme with a vicious 25-yard drive in the first half.

Mind you, he had far more space than was advisable thanks to Brian Stock sitting deep in the centre of Rovers’ midfield.

Contrary to Hill’s post-match assertion, there was actually little to choose between the two sides until Davies broke the deadlock on the half-hour mark.

Rovers manager Saunders admitted the goal was a ‘calamity’ and it is a question of whether Richard Naylor, Billy Sharp or Shelton Martis should take the blame.

Naylor was unhappy that Sharp arrived second to his long ball out of defence.

Jim McNulty’s return clearance caught Naylor out of position and Martis stumbled under pressure from Davies, who drilled home from the edge of the area.

The Dutch defender was substituted afterwards by Saunders with a groin injury.

Rovers, who were without the injured Pascal Chimbonda, managed only one decent shot all game, from Stock, which Luke Steele tipped over.

When Davies made it 2-0 on 65 minutes – a superb flick past Ikeme after good work by Done – many Rovers supporters headed for the exits.

They will have missed the game’s major controversy, namely the ridiculous dismissal of Rovers defender Adam Lockwood.

Saunders plans to appeal against the red card which, in addition to the result, spoiled Lockwood’s return after eight months on the sidelines.

He may have barged into Stephen Foster after the whistle had blown for a foul on El-Hadji Diouf but it was no more than a bodycheck and far from constituting dangerous play.

Down to 10 men, there was no way back for Rovers. Not that they had threatened a fightback at any stage in the afternoon.

“Unless my eyes are deceiving me, it is never a red card,” said Saunders. “When the referee sees it, he will probably admit he was wrong.”

Loan signing Nile Ranger played no part in the game for Barnsley but Hill expressed his delight at landing the troubled striker from Newcastle United on Friday.

Ranger, 20, is currently on bail after denying charges of assault and being drunk and disorderly in Newcastle city centre.

He will stay at Oakwell until January 14, the day after his next scheduled court appearance.

“He was never going to be involved because I didn’t want anything to affect what we had been working on since Monday in prepartion for this game,” said Hill.

“We are very fortunate to have got him. I don’t think we would have done but for his off-the-field misdemeanours.

“It’s understandable why other managers didn’t recruit him but I have no fear. It’s not a risk, absolutely no risk whatsoever.

“He gives us great options, he has got mobility, and he’s a goalscorer. I have a lot of respect for him and Newcastle, and Alan Pardew.

“You have to show bravery recruiting Nile but we will try to educate him off the pitch and make him a better person.”

Ranger could make his debut against Leeds United on Saturday at Elland Road.