Storm Darrell hits Oakwell as Barnsley FC boss blows a gasket as Reds season approaches crossroads - final word on Birmingham City loss

On an occasion when Barnsley bettered divisional bigwigs Birmingham for two thirds of this context and elements of ill luck continued to stalk them, he was not interested afterwards and did not indulge in excuses.

Instead, he called out his players for blowing a psychologically huge moment in their season in the wind after grafting their way to a merited lead as Jay Stansfield, as all good players do, accepted a late invitation to a feast and the game was done.

Clarke blew a gasket. Unacceptable, a lack of ruthlessness and winning mentality, he blasted. In fairness, he had a point.

His side lacked leaders in the final analysis. They had one up top in Stephen Humphrys, who bothered Blues’ backline throughout with his hard running – his work for Barnsley’s goal was outstanding and he should have also won a penalty - but the other left earlier.

It came on 51 minutes when their defensive lynchpin in Marc Roberts was a picture of angst after coming off with injury.

How Barnsley could have done with Roberts immediately after their goal. Someone to refocus minds and remind team-mates of the old adage that you are never more vulnerable than when you have scored a goal. And so it proved.

Stansfield’s strike was brilliant, that said, but Clarke was more concerned with how the ball got to his feet.

Things then unravelled. Adam Phillips’ difficult time of it of late continued when he received a second caution.

Worse was to come sadly as a dereliction of defensive duty enabled Stansfield to nod home at the back post following a corner from Paik Sueng-Ho, who had earlier got the final touch to enable the hosts to go in front. It was an atrocious concession from Barnsley.

Andy Williams’ Christmas classic ‘It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year’ was one of several Yuletide songs on the play-list ahead of kick-off.

At the moment, December is not the season to be jolly for Barnsley, denied a clear spot-kick in the first half when Krystian Bielik tugged the shirt of Humphrys.

Their 2024-25 season is delicately balanced and could go either way between now and January.

It could well decide whether they remain in top-six contention or start to slip away. Should the latter transpire, the season will turn into a bit of a rebuild.

Tellingly, Clarke spoke, unprompted, about ‘freshening things up’ in the new year and getting the ‘right balance’ in his squad with Saturday’s events - one part of a six-match winless sequence - likely to have crystallised a few things that were already in his mind.

At the time of the year when the strongest of mind prevail, it was Birmingham who had the champion mindset.

Sides who don’t play well away from home, but find a way to win in the wind and rain in December, are often the ones who are smiling in May. Expect Birmingham to be, probably before.

Barnsley poked the blue bear into action after taking the lead thanks to Humphrys, who befuddled Ben Davies and saw his angled shot deflect in off Paik –who had made a brilliant acrobatic clearance to keep out Jon Russell’s header earlier.

Barnsley’s lead was well-earned. More’s the pity that it was given away so cheaply.

Ethan Laird outmuscled Phillips and the ball went under the legs of Russell. The unchecked Alfie May found Stansfield and his strike was glorious and the cue to a fair bit of relief among 4,940 travelling Blues fans who colonised the North Stand with second-city voices.

Phillips walked, after felling Laird and a second goal was to come as the Blues journeyed on to the end of this particular road.

Stansfield gave Georgie Gent the slip at the back post to head home. It was a reprehensible piece of defending to spoil a decent day’s work.

In December 1981, Barnsley famously tamed the blues of Manchester in a Trevor Aylott-inspired cup shock. Against the blues of Birmingham, they blew it.

Barnsley: Killip; de Gevigney, Pines, Roberts (McCarthy 51 (Nwakali 77); O’Keeffe (Cotter 78), Connell, Phillips, Russell, Gent; Humphrys, Keillor-Dunn (Cosgrove 77). Substitutes unused: Smith, Lofthouse, Craig.

Birmingham City: Allsop; Bielik, Klarer, Davies; Laird, Iwata, Paik, Cochrane (Gardner-Hickman 6); Harris (Jutkiewicz 46); Stansfield; May (Leonard 61). Substitutes unused: Peacock-Farrell, Sanderson, Khela, Yokoyama.

Referee: T Parsons (Manchester).