COVENTRY CITY 4 (Best 37, 84; Gray 69, Tabb 75)
BARNSLEY 0

A WOEFUL second half performance saw Barnsley be comprehensively blown away by Coventry City after another nightmare showing at the Ricoh Arena.

Reds boss Simon Davey made three changes to the side that beat Colchester United time out with new signings Tony Warner, Lewin Nyatanga and Anderson De Silva all coming into the starting eleven. Heinz Muller - who watched the game from the dugout - Marciano Van Homoet and Bobby Hassell were missing from Tuesday night's team. The Sky Blues included Oakwell hero Arjan De Zeeuw in the heart of their defence as they looked to 'do the double' over the Reds following August's win at Oakwell.

Coventry started strongly with Elliott Ward flashing a header just wide of Warner's post with three minutes on the clock after the defender had risen highest to meet Stephen Hughes' free kick. A minute later Best managed to get a run at Miguel Tininho but the full back was well placed to block his low drive away to safety. At the other end Brian Howard saw a shot well blocked on five minutes after breaking through the heart of the Coventry midfield.

Michael Mifsud showed the Reds defence a clean pair of heels on eight minutes to race down the left hand channel but his cross was easily dealt with. From Hughes' corner Julian Gray found himself with acres of space on the penalty spot but somehow the visitors managed to close him out before he could get a shot away.

Excellent play by Howard and Jon Macken then sent Daniel Nardiello free past the Coventry defence on 12 minutes but the striker was denied by the assistant when faced with putting the ball past Dimi Konstantopoulos.

The home side went close to an opener on 13 minutes when Best rose above his marker to meet Gray's cross but his header was never going to trouble Warner's goal and flew a yard or so over the top. Mifsud again showed great pace and thinking on 15 minutes after hauling his way past Nyatanga but Warner was in the right place to make a smart save.

Coventry left back Daniel Fox was shown a yellow card on 20 minutes for a ridiculously over the top challenge on Jamal Campbell-Ryce. The former Walsall man took no prisoners as he went flying straight through the winger and could have easily seen a straight red for his tackle.

Coventry had the ball in the back of the net - almost - on 25 minutes when Best threw himself straight into Warner and punched the ball out of the Reds keeper's grasp. The loose ball dropped over the line but the referee had already blown for a free kick. A minute later Hughes lashed a shot high over the bar.

At a freezing Ricoh Arena, Barnsley were caught cold on 37 minutes as Best turned well onto Gray's cross and the Reds gave the striker far too much time and space to turn and plant a shot past Warner into the far corner from 12 yards.

Barnsley responded with Diego Leon flashing the ball well wide of the target on 41 minutes after finding a yard of space on the edge of the area.

At the other end Warner did wonderfully well a minute later to turn Gray's snap shot around the post after Coventry threatened a second goal. Howard then flashed a shot just over the angle on 42 minutes after doing well to hold off Hughes.

Jon Macken finally found a yard of space in the area on 43 minutes as he left Fox trailing before crossing well but his ball was just an inch or so too high for Nardiello at the back post.

Fox's two footed challenge in the first half had obviously had an effect on Campbell-Ryce as the winger failed to come out after the break. Martin Devaney filled in on the right hand side of midfield.

Devaney started the second half in positive fashion and was immediately sent sprawling by Hughes on 48 minutes. Howard swung in a dangerous looking free kick from the right by Konstatopoulos was quickly out to make a decent save. Leon was booked on 51 minutes after stopping Coventry taking a quick free kick before Devaney again tied the Coventry defence up in knots three minutes later to race to the byline by Isaac Osbourne was able to clear his cross off the line. Macken finally had a sight of goal on 55 minutes as he raced onto Stephen Foster's pass but hit the advertising boards with his low shot.

Nardiello was next in the referees' notebook on 56 minutes after he blazed a shot well wide of the target way after the whistle had blown as the Reds piled on the early pressure in the second half.

Devaney again had the beating of the City defence on the hour mark as he swung in a fine cross from the right hand side and the ball looked to be dropping nicely for Macken but Ward managed to close out the danger before the striker could pull the trigger.

Coventry were struggling to break forward although Michael Doyle flashed a shot well over the bar on 62 minutes after the Sky Blues had broken quickly down the right. Mifsud then dragged a low effort well wide of the target a minute later. The Reds almost got through on 68 minutes as Howard knocked a fine ball over the top of the Coventry defence but Istvan Ferenczi just did not have the legs to get to it before the bounce went to Konstantopoulos.

Barnsley were undone again through defensive naivety on 69 minutes as they allowed Best all the time in the world to fizz the ball across the face of goal and stood and watched Gray slide in at the back post to rifle home past Warner, who was stranded in the middle.

The scoreline became embarrassing on 75 minutes as Tininho was again caught out at left back by Best and, although Warner made an outstanding initial stop, the Reds could do nothing to prevent Jay Tabb from knocking the rebound into an empty net from close range.

Kayode Odejayi finally gave a toothless Barnsley display some bite on 80 minutes as he chased down his own flick before flying into Konstatopoulos but the referees whistle denied the striker after the ball had bobbled loose. Howard picked up a caution on 81 minutes following an incident in the Reds penalty area which was seen by no one apart from the assistant as City pressed forward.

Best put the icing on a woeful afternoon for Barnsley on 83 minutes as he was given time to take down Doyle's high cross in the area before wrong-footing Tininho and planting a shot past Warner into the far corner.

Coventry had the ball in the net for a fifth time on 89 minutes after Howard had lost out to Best on the edge of the area. The striker saw his low shot well saved by Warner but Robbie Simpson was on hand to turn the loose ball into the net although he was denied by the assistant's flag.

Barnsley's only shot on target came in stoppage time when Howard sent a free kick goalward but Konstantopoulos was quickly down to make a comfortable stop.

COVENTRY CITY: Konstantopoulos, De Zeeuw (Dann 85), Fox, Ward, Hughes, Doyle, Osbourne, Mifsud (Simpson 72), Tabb, Best, Gray (Davis 82).
Subs: Cairo, Hughes.

BARNSLEY: Warner, Foster, Souza, Nyatanga, Tininho, Campbell-Ryce (Devaney 45), Howard, De Silva, Leon (Odejayi 69), Macken, Nardiello (Ferenczi 62).
Subs: Hassell, Coulson.