BARNSLEY 2 (Ferenczi 64, Reid 78)
DARLINGTON 1 (Wright 70)

SKIPPER Paul Reid answered his critics in fine fashion by hammering the Reds into the Second Round of the Carling Cup with a fine late strike.

Reds manager Simon Davey rang the changes at Oakwell with debuts for Heinz Muller, Kayode Odejayi and Dominik Werling. Out went Nick Colgan, Martin Devaney and Istvan Ferenczi following the weekend defeat by Coventry. Former Reds Tommy Wright and Ricky Ravenhill started for Darlington although Neil Austin missed out altogether.

Ravenhill made an instant impact on proceedings with just three minutes on the clock as his cynical foul on Brian Howard gave the Reds a decent chance. Howard took the free kick quickly but his low effort was easily blocked away. Howard turned provider just two minutes later as his deep cross gave Dennis Souza a chance at the back post but the big Brazilian just could not get his head to the ball under pressure.

Miguel Mostto wasted a gilt-edged chance to get his first goal for the Reds on eleven minutes as he raced clear after great play by Odejayi. The little Peruvian cut inside before firing well wide of the target from 12 yards.

Barnsley's early season defensive jitters were exposed again on 16 minutes as Chris Palmer's free kick beat the entire Reds backline and fell nicely to Stephen Foster at the far post but the defender could not put his free header into the goal from six yards.

Mostto almost made amends for his earlier miss on 17 minutes as he rose highest to meet Werling's fine cross but the striker's header was straight at David Stockdale in the Quakers' goal.

Souza again managed to get above the Darlington defence on 19 minutes as he met Howard's corner but his header flew a yard wide of the far post.

Barnsley were better, much better, than against Coventry and another slick interchange of passing in the area between Howard and Rohan Ricketts split the Darlington backline wide open on 22 minutes and put the winger clean through on goal. Ricketts smashed his shot into the sidenetting under pressure from Stockdale.

Wright was in the thick of the action on 35 minutes as he manhandled his way past Souza and Andy Johnson before eventually being felled in the area. The referee gave nothing although both Souza and Johnson were left with bruised and battered faces after ending up on the wrong side of the former Oakwell striker.

At the other end Odejayi did well under pressure on 39 minutes to pick out Ricketts on the edge of the area but the winger could not get enough bend on his shot and put the ball a foot or so wide.

A minute later Wright managed to find a yard of space in front of the Barnsley defence and smashed a shot a yard over the bar with Muller scrambling to get across.

Kozluk then managed to dig a fine cross out from the right on 41 minutes and had Stockdale struggling but the Darlington keeper somehow managed to claw the ball off Odejayi's head and to safety.

Reid became the first player booked in stoppage time after hauling back Palmer after the winger had knocked the ball past him down the flank.

Darlington almost got in on goal on 47 minutes as Ravenhill sent Wright through but the striker was denied a shot by Reid's outstanding last-gasp challenge.

Muller was finally called into action on 51 minutes as Souza diverted Palmer's free kick goalward and the big German got down quickly to make a fine low save to save his defender from an embarrassing own goal. Muller again had to make a save on 56 minutes after Pawel Abbott had broken free down the right but again the German was in the right place to smother his shot.

Barnsley finally got going on 58 minutes as Odejayi raced down the right before sending in a low cross that Stockdale fumbled and the ball almost bounced back into the goal but the Darlington keeper managed to clear the danger.

Ricketts managed to find the right pass through the Darlington defence on 64 minutes as he played Odejayi in but the striker could only hit the sidenetting from a tight angle.

Simon Davey shuffled his pack a minute later throwing on Ferenczi to replace Mostto and the change paid immediate dividends as the Hungarian international popped up in the middle of the box to meet Rob Kozluk's cross seconds after coming on and his header flew past Stockdale into the back of the net.

Darlington responded with Julian Joachim running hard at the Reds backline on 67 minutes before planting a low shot wide of the target.

The visitors were right back in the game on 70 minutes when Michael Cummins sent a great cross into the area and Wright slid in to rifle the ball past Muller and into the top corner.

Ferenczi almost got in again on 77 minutes as he met Werling's low cross but his goalbound shot hammered off a defender and away. Werling's corner caused the Quakers defence all sorts of problems and the ball fell nicely for Reid who slammed it past Stockdale and into the net.

Ravenhill picked up his customary booking on his return to Oakwell on 85 minutes for a cynical foul on Howard after the Reds midfielder had left him for dead in the middle of the park.

Howard then drove Barnsley forward again on 87 minutes as he did well to play in Werling down the left and the full back forced a fine save from Stockdale with a well-driven shot from distance.

BARNSLEY: Muller, Nyatanga, Reid, Kozluk (McCann 83), Johnson (Togwell 69), Mostto (Ferenczi 64), Odejayi, Howard, Ricketts, Souza, Werling.
Subs: Colgan, Devaney.

DARLINGTON: Stockdale, White, Foster, Abbott (Harty 76), Purdie, Joachim, Ravenhill, McBride (Blundell 79), Wright, Brackstone, Palmer (Cummins 66)
Subs: Burgess, Wiseman.