Barnsley suffered a heavy defeat at home to Bournemouth in the Sky Bet Championship on Friday evening.
Jason Tindall’s side showed their superiority with two goals in either half from Philip Billing, Dominic Solanke, Diego Rico and Sam Surridge on a bleak evening for the Reds at Oakwell.
The visitors had an early opportunity to take the lead when Surridge nipped in ahead of an onrushing Jack Walton, but the Cherries’ forward could only steer his shot wide of the far post with the goal gaping.
Michael Sollbauer then had to be at his best to block Solanke’s effort from inside the area after the former Chelsea and Liverpool man broke our offside trap.
Barnsley eventually settled after that shaky opening and a few dangerous crosses from the left flank caused confusion in the Bournemouth area, with Callum Brittain and Victor Adeboyejo both coming close.
Skipper, Alex Mowatt, also took aim from range following a brilliant, flowing move, but Asmir Begovic was equal to his fierce drive.
But the visitors soon got their noses in front when Billing was afforded too much space before rifling a low shot into the bottom corner from 20-yards with just 12 minutes on the clock.
The hosts continued to create openings here and there, and Conor Chaplin latched onto a fine Mowatt through ball and put it into a dangerous area but there were no red shirts on hand to convert in the six-yard box.
Another opportunity came and went shortly before the interval when the lively Chaplin was played in from a quick Herbie Kane free-kick. The forward fired a magnificent low cross to the back post where Michał Helik diverted it back across goal but Mads Andersen couldn’t turn it home.
However, on the stroke of half-time, the Reds lost possession deep in their own half and Solanke raced clear to slam home past Walton to double the visitors’ lead.
HALF-TIME: Barnsley 0-2 Bournemouth
Shortly after the break, the Cherries effectively ended the tie as a contest when Rico thundered a magnificent free-kick into the top corner from 25-yards.
Barnsley searched for a way back into the game, and Brittain tried his luck from distance but saw his low effort gathered comfortably by Begovic.
Despite the scoreline, the Reds’ heads never dropped and Woodrow, too, took aim with a long range shot that Begovic tipped behind for a corner midway through the half.
It certainly wasn’t for a lack of trying and, following intricate play down the right flank, substitute Luke Thomas curled a terrific effort narrowly wide of the far post.
But Bournemouth continued to show their quality and when Surridge raced onto a loose backpass, his shot squirmed through Walton’s hands and trickled agonisingly over the line for the visitors’ fourth of the evening.
That killed any lingering hope Barnsley may have had of getting back into the contest as the Cherries took all three points back to the south coast.
FULL-TIME: Barnsley 0-4 Bournemouth
Walton, Sollbauer, Helik (Halme), Andersen, Brittain, Kane (Palmer), Mowatt (c), Styles (Oduor), Adeboyejo (Frieser), Woodrow, Chaplin (Thomas).
Unused: Collins, James, Miller, Schmidt.
