Barnsley U23s produced a five-star performance as they thrashed Coventry City 5-1 at the Alan Higgs Centre on Monday afternoon.
Goals from Trialist, Sam Fielding, Victor Adeboyejo and a brace from Amir Berkovits sealed an emphatic victory for Paul Harsley’s side, who ended their 11-game winless run in style.
The hosts could only reply with a goal from Trialist, but the young Reds were by far the better team and fully deserved the three points.
It was the Sky Blues who started brighter, with Barnsley looking tentative in the opening exchanges. But the visitors soon settled and began to find their rhythm, coming close to scoring from two corners in quick succession.
Coventry didn’t heed the warning and were eventually punished when Trialist reacted first to the rebound to volley into the roof of the net after Louis Walsh’s shot had been been blocked by a defender.
Within a matter of moments, the young Reds made it 2-0 when goalkeeper Trialist found Berkovits with a quickly taken long free kick. The tricky winger darted inside from the left flank and beat two men before firing his shot into the far top corner on the half hour mark.
But the Sky Blues gave themselves a route back into the game through Trialist when he was able to bundle home the rebound after a double save from Trialist in the Barnsley goal.
That was how it stayed until four minutes into the second half when Sam Fielding reacted quickest to turn home the rebound after Adeboyejo's free-kick had been spilled by Corey Addai to re-establish the young Reds’ two-goal cushion.
From that moment on it was virtually one-way traffic, and Adeboyejo came close to getting on the scoresheet when his powerful drive stung the hands of Addai.
Barnsley continued to work openings and were rewarded with another goal as Berkovits slotted home his second of the afternoon after being picked out by Walsh’s low cross.
The Israeli winger almost had his hat-trick seven minutes from time, but his fierce effort from close range was tipped wide by Addai.
Coventry were mainly limited to long range shots by an organised Reds backline, with the hosts trying their luck from distance in a bid to find some way back into the contest.
But when Adeboyejo won possession back deep in the Sky Blues’ half, he showed brilliant composure to loft the ball over the stranded Addai to round off a magnificent display from Harsley’s side.
REDS XI: Trialist, Trialist (Gagen, 84), Fielding, Smith (c), Williams, Trialist (Greenfield, 90), Wardle, Walsh (Willard, 86), Trialist, Berkovits, Adeboyejo
Not used:
COVENTRY XI: Addai, Green, Trialist, Thompson, Camwell, Maycock (c), Trialist, Eccles, Trialist, Finn, Stedman (Sayoud, 71)
Not used: Billson, Burroughs, Endall
