BARNSLEY 0
SWANSEA CITY 0

IT was tight, tense but thoroughly enthralling as the Reds and Swansea went in goalless at the break.

Reds manager Mark Robins made his bow at Oakwell on the back of a fine victory against Derby County in midweek. The win at Pride Park came at a cost though as Emil Hallfredsson and Bobby Hassell missed today's clash with Swansea City due to injury. In came new arrival Julian Gray and Anderson de Silva. New boy Nathan Doyle was on the bench.

Swansea made three changes, including a recall for ex-Reds defender and Swans skipper Garry Monk.

New boss Robins received a rapturous reception from the Oakwell faithful prior to kick off as he led his side into action at home for the first time buoyed by Tuesday's success.

There were worrying moments early on as Angel Rangel swung in a dangerous free kick from the right hand touchline that glanced off Darren Moore and a foot or so wide of the far post. A miss-placed pass by Jacob Butterfield gave Mark Gower a great chance on 12 minutes but the Swansea midfielder hammered his shot high over the bar with only David Preece to beat.

At the other end Moore glanced Iain Hume's corner wide of the target under pressure a minute later as the Reds threatened the Swans goal. Swansea cut through the Reds on 14 minutes as Andrea Orlandi's vision sent Gorka Pintado clear but Preece was quickly off his line to make a very smart save.

Hume was left bloodied and extremely angry after clashing with Ashley Williams' on 16 minutes. Referee Rob Shoebridge - amazingly - gave the free kick the other way as Hume left the field for stitches in a nasty looking eye wound following a collision with Williams' elbow. Shoebridge's claim to fame as a referee came earlier this season when he failed to give that Crystal Palace goal at Bristol City.

Barnsley were down to ten and should have gone in front on 18 minutes when Rob Kozluk's cross found Stephen Foster in the area but the Reds' skipper swung and missed the ball from 12 yards. Hammill then picked up a booking moments for a trip on Rangel. Stitched up, Hume returned to the field a couple of minutes later. Hume was in the thick of it on 21 minutes as his corner caused chaos in the Swans area but Hammill just could not get his head onto the ball to turn it into the net.

The home support were riled by a string of debatable decisions, not least when Butterfield and Hugo Colace dispossessed Leon Britton deep in the Swans half as the Reds pressed on. From the free kick Pintado smashed one high over the bar as he burst towards the area.

The officials were in the spotlight again on 26 minutes as Foster crashed to the ground under Pintado's challenge as the pair went for Butterfield's cross. The referee, probably rightly, gave nothing. Barnsley were in behind Swansea moments later as Andy Gray burst clear but the striker was denied a goal by Monk's outstanding challenge.

Britton was on the end of a flowing Swansea passing move on 35 minutes as the Swans knocked it around well but the midfielder saw his shot cannon off Moore and high over the bar. Barnsley were caught on the counter on 38 minutes as livewire Nathan Dyer picked the right pass to put Cedric Van der Gun through but the winger blazed well wide under pressure from Foster.

It was route one and almost one nil for Barnsley on 40 minutes as Foster's huge clearance had Swansea backpeddling. Moore rose highest to beat Dorus De Vries to the ball but his backward header dropped just wide of the post with the goal gaping.

Swansea then almost grabbed the lead a minute later when Orlandi's corner flew through the six yard box but Van der Gun could not put it in at the back post.

Barnsley were an inch away from the lead in stoppage time as Butterfield dragged a shot wide of the mark from 22 yards but neither Gray nor Hume could turn the low ball goalward inside the six-yard box.

BARNSLEY: Preece, Kozluk, Moore, Foster, J. Gray, Anderson, Colace, Butterfield, Hammill, Hume, A. Gray.
Subs: Rusling, Macken, Devaney, Thompson, Doyle, Sodje, Heslop.

SWANSEA CITY: De Vries, Williams, Tate, Britton, Dyer, Orlandi, Monk, Pintado, Rangel, Gower, Van Der Gun.
Subs: Cornell, Trundle, Bodde, Beattie, Lopez, Butler, Richards.

REFEREE
Rob Shoebridge (Derbyshire)
ASSISTANT REFEREE
Paul Curry (Northumberland) and Nicholas Greenhalgh (Lancashire)
FOURTH OFFICIAL
Kevin Mattocks (Lancashire)

CLICK HERE FOR TICKET INFORMATION FROM OAKWELL!!!