Report: Barnsley 0-2 Coventry City
Written by Mark Stokes on Saturday 15th August 2009

The rollercoaster of emotions have started, but if Barnsley fans are feeling a bit sick after today spare a thought for Everton who were crushed 6-1 by Arsenal!

It's far too early to be downcast by today's disappointing defeat. Coventry, after two games of the Championship, are the only team to have maximum points. It is going to be a long hard season for all the teams.

After last week's drubbing against Cardiff, Scunthorpe might have been worried when facing Derby County, but they came out winners. The teams are all capable of winning any game and it will be hard for any team to go on a long run of good results.

For the third season in a row Barnsley welcomed Coventry City as their first home opponents in the Championship. Sadly for the third time in a row the end result was the same. As was the case last season Barnsley had a man sent off in a frustrating game that the Reds just couldn't get in to.

An early goal for Coventry City put Barnsley on the back foot. Stephen Foster was penalised after seemingly having won the ball in the air as Clinton Morrison let gravity do its job bringing him to ground. In a dangerous place on the edge of the area Leon Best took it superbly and the ball was in the net before Steele had a chance to move.

Barnsley had five corners in the first half, but none made a serious impression, mostly not finding their way past the first man. It has been an issue for quite some time and surely an area they will be practising on Sunday morning as they report for an extra shift of training.

Daniel Bogdanovic was pulled back three times early on for offside, but I'm not if that was because he was trying to get his team mates to move the ball around quicker or he just wasn't paying attention. Certainly a faster pace was needed and quick movement into the box rather than a hesitant approach in dangerous areas.

The statistics will show Barnsley had one shot on target in the 79th minute and that is certainly not going to win games.

Barnsley did have a good opportunity on the break just 17 minutes into the game when Rob Kozluk steamed up the pitch, laid the ball on to Butterfield who put Bogdanovic in with a shout and he won a corner. Coventry quickly broke and McIndoe should have done better against Steele as his shot went wide.

Coventry missed some real sitters and Osbourne was guilty after 38 minutes when Morrison, McIndoe and Best were all involved in a move that should have finished in a goal. How Osbourne managed to hit the ball that wide I will never know.

A couple of minutes later Bogdanovic's back heel to Macken was then over hit to Campbell-Ryce and he was not in a good position to put a good cross in.

Just before the end of the first half Adam Hammill put in a dangerous cross that Stephen Wright had to head out for a corner, just wide of his own goal.

I would have loved to be a fly on the wall at the first half team talk, but you can imagine Davey was not pleased with the performance so far.

Coventry started second half were they had left off. This time it was the turn of Emil Hallfredsson's Icelandic team mate, Aaron Gunnarsson, to miss the target.

Before the hour mark Rob Kozluk committed to virtually identical lunging tackles that seen him receive two yellows and a subsequent red card. With a team short on defenders to begin with, it is another out of commission and Campbell-Ryce was the new make-shift right-back.

Barnsley were left to shoot from long range with Butterfield having a go from 30 yards out.

Coventry continued to stack up their catalogue of misses as Gunnarsson benefited from Morrison's flick and duly hit his volley well wide.

Barnsley's game was effectively over on 81 minutes when Clinton Morrison had an easy finish of Osbourne's good work in the box.

Barnsley did come very close to a goal at the end, and unusually from a set piece. Hume's free kick beat everyone and Foster got a great touch, but somehow the ball was cleared by Westwood.

There is no disguising that it was a very disappointing result and performance, but it is only the second game and Tuesday will give them a chance to fix the mistakes. It may also mark the introduction of Emil Hallfredsson who was introduced to the fans at the start of the game.

BARNSLEY: Steele, Hassell, Foster, Moore, Kozluk, Campbell-Ryce, Anderson, Butterfield (Sodje 80), Hammill, Macken (Hume 68), Bogdanovic (Odejayi 68).
Subs: Preece, Devaney, Potter, El Haimour.

COVENTRY CITY: Westwood, Wright, Van-Aanholt, Craine (Grandison 72), Turner, Osbourne, Clingan, McIndoe, Gunnarsson, Morrison, Best (Jeffers 80).
Subs: Clarke, Quirke, Caine, Walker, Cameron.

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