Huddersfield Town 5 Barnsley 0: Rampant Town ensure difficult day for Dickie and his Barnsley

The White Rose icon, who will be voted in as Yorkshire CCC’s new president on March 29, shares another sporting passion alongside his love of Britain’s summer sport, namely Barnsley FC.

Sat just in front of the press box, Bird saw the ravaged Reds totally bowled over by an irresistible attacking display by Town, in which Nahki Wells was magnificent.

Barnsley were not quite knocked for six, but in reality, it could have been far, far worse and the sight of Town ripping through the visiting rearguard – almost at will – in the second half conjured up the notion of a cricket score being attained before the final whistle.

In the end, Town, with Yorkshire captain Andrew Gale joyously watching events unfold, had to settle for five as they recorded their biggest home win in the league since walloping Wycombe 6-0 in November, 2009.

For the Reds, who enjoyed their finest hour last season at the John Smith’s Stadium when they sealed their great escape from relegation amid never-to-be-forgotten scenes and a Yorkshire ‘love-in’, this was another memorable occasion. But for all the wrong reasons.

After a decent first half-hour, Barnsley inexplicably imploded with Wells leading them a merry dance, providing assists for four of the Terriers’ five goals.

The ex-Bradford City striker’s goal drought may have extended to seven matches, but that did not stop Town fans handing him a rapturous ovation when he was substituted just before the end.

Wells’s only gripe was not claiming the taker’s rights for the 58th-minute penalty which he won, with it left to Adam Clayton to hammer in Town’s fourth – but his stunning overall contribution should have provided him with ample compensation.

Wells said: “I fancied the penalty, more than anything. But I am the new kid on the block, I can’t just come in and command and take things.

“Clayts is the penalty taker; I was hoping to take it, but he takes them.

“It was one of my most memorable performances, definitely. I was able to impact the game massively. Unfortunately I was not able to get a goal which I think my performance deserved, but that’s how it goes. Sometimes you have to provide and not score. The goals will come.

“Obviously, I like to score more goals than I have done, but I jumped to a new team, new division and a whole new style of play.

“But the most important thing is the manager backs me and believes that I can do the job.

“I will learn how to fit right in and suit the team and get better and the goals will fly in, left, right and centre.”

Revealing his desire to play in the top flight one day, the Bermudian added: “That’s what I am destined for. I always look to the top.

“All I can do is give 100 per cent to get there. I don’t think I have been blessed with the ability of Messi, but I’d like to think I have that desire and hunger to be like him.

“I don’t know what is around the corner, but if I give 100 per cent, I will give myself an opportunity.”

In an open and enjoyable spectacle from the off, Barnsley were very much in the game in the opening half-hour, with their best moment arriving when Nick Proschwitz was denied by a fine point-blank save by Alex Smithies following a cross by ex-Town full-back Jack Hunt 10 minutes in.

But a soft concession on 29 minutes, when Barnsley failed to clear their lines following Clayton’s free-kick, the recalled Keith Southern tapping home Wells’s cross for his first goal since December 2012, pretty much ended their story.

Three minutes later, a slick move involving Ollie Norwood and Wells ended in Danny Ward clinically firing home and, just after the restart, a stinging shot from ex-Reds winger Adam Hammill proved too hot to handle for an increasingly overworked Luke Steele, and the game was over as a contest.

Clayton’s penalty just before the hour after Wells was felled by Steele’s outstretched leg and a late fifth from substitute Sean Scannell, who fired home a rasping low shot, inflicted further anguish on the Reds before the final whistle spared them further embarrassment.

Town proved full value for their emphatic margin of victory and it represented something of a tactical triumph for ex-Reds chief Mark Robins, who switched to a 4-3-3 formation with advanced roles handed to goalscorers Ward and Hammill – and he was rewarded handsomely.

All the questions at the end belonged to Robins’s counterpart Danny Wilson, who he played for late on in his playing career at Bristol City, with the only crumb of comfort for Reds fans coming with the news that five other relegation candidates also lost.

Hammill for one is hoping that his former club stave off the drop, even if he was given a bit of stick from the visiting contingent.

Hammill said: “I hope they stay up, definitely. I have a lot of fond memories of my time at Barnsley.

“They had a great end to the season and I hope they can do the same.”

On Town’s five-star show, he added: “A lot of credit should go to Alex Smithies who made two great saves in the opening minutes. We then went on to play the best we’ve played at home all season.

“Nahki was terrific. He runs into the channels and is unselfish. He did not get on the scoresheet, but got man of the match and deservedly so. I think he has potential to go to the top. He is a natural goalscorer. We see it every day in training. I’m sure the rest of this season and next season he will be prolific in this league.

“The long-term future is exciting here. The likes of Joe Lolley, who came on, as did Sean Scannell, who scored, and James Vaughan will be back soon. I think we will be a force to be reckoned with.”

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