FULL TIME FROM SILVERLANDS
BUXTON 1 (Knight 40)
BARNSLEY 4 (Macken 23, 78; Adam 46, 68)
JON Macken and Jamil Adam grabbed two goals apiece as the Reds opened their pre-season account with a comfortable win at Buxton.
The weather on the short journey into the heart of the Derbyshire Peak District was horrendous but that did not deter a small but dedicated band of Reds supporters who made the trip to Silverlands for Barnsley's opening pre-season game. Buxton of the Unibond League provided the opposition as Ryan Kidd took charge of the side for the first time in the absence of manager Simon Davey, who was still confined to his sickbed.
Diego Leon looked to blow away the cobwebs after the summer break on five minutes when he jinked in from the right flank before planting a shot wide of Scott Hartley's goal.
The Reds should have been in front with eight minutes on the clock when Bobby Hassell forced Hartley into a smart save with a header from Brian Howard's corner. The ball bounced free of the Buxton keeper but Stephen Foster could not turn it into an empty net from two yards out.
The home side offered nothing to test Luke Steele in the opening stages and Barnsley could have gone in front on 18 minutes when Macken found himself in behind the Buxton defence as he raced onto Howard's chip but his shot was forced wide of the post. A short corner gave Leon the chance to fire in an early shot a minute later but the Spaniard blazed high over the bar from 12 yards.
Hugo Colace then showed great awareness to pick the right pass through the heart of the Buxton defence and send Iain Hume away on 20 minutes but the striker was denied by Hartley's fingertip save.
A break by Rob Kozluk spurred the Reds into action again on 22 minutes as the Buxton defence was caught short. The ball fell to Macken and the striker made no mistake from 12 yards beating Hartley with a low drive into the bottom corner.
Former Oakwell scholar Danny Smith was called into the action for Buxton on 25 minutes when he replaced injured skipper Terry Bowker. Smith joined ex-Reds youngsters Mark Hume and Grant Black in the Buxton side.
Hume and Leon combined well on 27 minutes to split open the home defence again but Hartley was in the right place to make a smart low save. Howard was then half an inch away from a spectacular second goal on 33 minutes with an over head kick from Mounir El Haimour's knock back.
Leon hit a post before Buxton snatched an equaliser completely against the run of play on 40 minutes when Mark Hume's free kick sent Knight in behind Dennis Souza. The striker thought twice about a foot race against the big Brazilian and smashed a stunning volley over Steele's outstretched arm and into the roof of the net.
Buxton went close again on 41 minutes when Mark Hume outmuscled his marker to reach Black's corner but planted a header high over the bar. Hume had Steele a little worried on 43 minutes as he looked to curl one from the edge of the area but his effort flew wide of the target.
Barnsley were back in front just seconds after the restart and it was a moment to remember for youngster Jamil Adam. The Academy scholar popped up unmarked in the area to turn Jacob Butterfield's free kick past Hartley and into the far corner.
El Haimour almost grabbed his first goal for the club on 53 minutes as he tricked his way past his marker on the left before drilling in a low shot that Hartley could only parry away. Butterfield saw a goalbound shot deflect over the bar on 57 minutes before Foster forced Hartley into another pointblank stop from close range seconds later. Andy Johnson was a foot away from a rare goal two minutes later as rose to meet Luke Potter's cross 18 yards from goal but his header flew a yard over the bar.
El Haimour had Hartley scrambling again on 68 minutes as he cut in from the left before forcing the Buxton keeper to parry his low shot. Adam was on hand to notch his second of the evening from close range.
El Haimour capped a fine second half display by putting number four on a plate for .Macken on 78 minutes. The Frenchman whipped in a fine cross from the left that gave Macken the simplest of tap ins from six yards.
Steele finally had a save to make on 80 minutes as he grabbed Mark Hume's effort before tipping Tommy Agus' free kick round the post seconds later.
BUXTON: Hartley, Black (Foster 65), Agus (Brough 45), Bowker (Smith 25), Anderson (Agus 77), Foster (Wilson 45), Walker, Maxfield, Knight, Hume, Brodie (Burley 45).
BARNSLEY: Steele, Hassell (Van Homoet 45), Foster, Souza (Atkinson 45), Kozluk (Potter 45), Leon (Togwell 45), Howard (Johnson 45), Colace (Butterfield 45), El Haimour, Macken, Hume (Adam 45).
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