BARNSLEY 3 (Hammill 14, Hume P 33, Martins OG 80)
WEST BROMWICH ALBION 1 (Brunt 88)

BARNSLEY manager Mark Robins demanded a performance at Oakwell and the Reds were simply better than West Brom in every department on the night. They were better in defence, better in midfield and better in attack and thoroughly deserved their 3-0 win.

Robins again proved he was not afraid to change things around as he made three changes to the side that lost at QPR. Admittedly he had no choice but the hand new signing Bartosz Bialkowski his debut in goal following an injury to David Preece but Darren Moore and Jon Macken also came back into the side with Andy Gray and Jacob Butterfield dropping to the bench.

Barnsley started the game quickly with Anderson and Nathan Doyle combining to put Macken away down the right channel inside the first two minutes. Macken did well to hold off his marker but could not fire a shot on target from a tight angle. Adam Hammill then tested his shooting boots a minute later from 30 yards but his effort flew well wide of Scott Carson's goal.

Bialkowski had his first touch of the ball on five minutes after Roman Bednar had squeezed a low shot through a crowded area but the on loan keeper was well down to smother the ball.

Anderson then had West Brom chasing shadows on eight minutes as he cut in from the right flank and beat a couple of challenges before drilling a shot past Carson. Macken was inches away from turning the ball in at the back post.

It was fast, frantic and Carl Dickinson picked up the first caution on eleven minutes with a hefty challenge on Bednar that left the West Brom striker limping. Bialkowski was given another chance to show what he was made of from Chris Brunt's free kick as he turned the ball away for a corner.

Carson was a very lucky man on 13 minutes as he appeared to grab the ball outside the area under pressure from Macken but the officials gave the ex-England keeper the benefit of doubt. They were probably right.

Barnsley were in front just two minutes later. Macken did magnificently to break to the byline and cross but it appeared as though the chance had gone after both Hume and Hugo Colace missed the ball in the area. It bounced through to Hammill and the winger showed unnerving coolness to beat Carson with a crisp low finish.

Hume's frustrating quest for a goal continued on 19 minutes as he did well to take on Macken's flick and raced past Jonas Ollson but shot straight at Carson from the edge of the area. Hume managed to get a shot away two minutes later after West Brom had struggled to deal with Colace's corner but the striker blasted the ball straight at Shelton Martins.

It was all Barnsley and Hammill again had the chance to shoot after the Reds had crowded out West Brom on 27 minutes but his curler from 25 yards was straight at Carson.

The closest West Brom came to a goal was on 39 minutes when Robert Koren's cross flicked off Bednar and past Bialkowski but Dickinson was able to smack the ball clear.

The game turned again in Barnsley's favour when Hume - who was magnificent in the opening half - tricked his way to the byline and crossed for Macken. Macken's header was goalward but was clawed away by Carson although the referee saw an infringement and pointed to the spot. Hume stepped up and planted his penalty past Carson to cue one of the loudest cheers heard at Oakwell in many seasons.

It was almost three on 35 minutes when Macken managed to get onto the end of Ryan Shotton's free kick but the striker put his effort over the bar. West Brom went close on 41 minutes as Ollson managed to get his head to Koren's corner but the ball flashed wide of the post.

It was almost three just seconds later as Hammill skipped away down the left before firing in a great low cross that Macken guided goalward only for the ball to strike a defender and bounce a foot wide of the post.

The only downside for Barnsley came on 43 minutes when Anderson limped out of the action after falling awkwardly. The Brazilian looked to have a hamstring injury and was replaced by Julian Gray.

Bialkowski had to work in stoppage time when Graham Dorrans let fly but the Pole got his angles spot on to turn the ball over the bar.

The Baggies made a bright start to the second half as they looked to get a foothold in a game that was going far away from them in the opening 45 minutes. Bednar hit one on 47 minutes that did well to parry away for a corner.

Barnsley were never going to get a second penalty although they had a big shout waved away on 53 minutes when Foster was eased off the ball as he challenged with Joe Mattock for a Shotton long throw. Substitute Gonzalo Jara then let fly from the edge of the box a minute later but found Moore in his way.

The Reds slowly found their feet and Julian Gray put one over the bar on 59 minutes after Foster had made a nuisance of himself from Shotton's deep free kick.

Bednar should have halved the deficit on 64 minutes as he rose highest unmarked to meet Gianni Zuiverloon's quickly taken corner but the striker planted his header well wide of Bialkowski's goal. There were more warning signs for Barnsley two minutes later when Chris Brunt smacked a free kick just wide of the post from 30 yards.

At the other end Macken raced in on a tiring Baggies defence on 69 minutes but saw his low drive well blocked away by Ollson. From Hume's corner Shotton then managed to get a header goalward but the ball was hacked away off the line.

Macken was always a threat and went close to a spectacular goal a minute later as he took on Hume's throw and volleyed goalward but straight at Carson.

West Brom were not finished and Bednar again almost got his name on the scoresheet on 72 minutes as he met Zuiverloon's cross at the back stick but Shotton was in the right place to block his goalbound header. From the corner Martins headed high over under pressure from Bialkowski.

Barnsley were still harrying, pushing and pressing West Brom all over the park. Their hard work paid off on 80 minutes when Hammill's dangerous cross from the right was turned past his own keeper by the hapless Martins. It was nothing more than the Reds deserved.

West Brom finally gave their 1000 or so supporters something to cheer about on 88 minutes when Brunt's 40-yarder took a wicked deflection off Doyle to wrong-foot Bialkowski and end up in the back of the net. It was harsh on the young keeper and the Reds overall and not really what the Baggies deserved.

BARNSLEY: Bialkowski, Shotton, Foster, Moore, Dickinson, Anderson (J. Gray 43), Colace, Doyle, Hammill, Macken, Hume (Campbell-Ryce 76).
Subs: Rusling, A. Gray, Kozluk, Bogdanovic, Butterfield.

WEST BROMWICH ALBION: Carson, Zuiverloon, Mattock, Ollson, Martins, Brunt, Dorrans, Molumbu (Jara 45), Koren (Reid 81), Bednar, Wood (Cox 62).
Subs: Keily, Barnett, Meite, Teixera.

Referee
Scott Mathieson (Cheshire)
Assistant Referee
Peter Bankes (Merseyside) and Mark Brown (East Yorkshire)
Fourth Official
Wayne Grunnill (East Yorkshire)

Attendance - 12,191
Away Attendance - 1076

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