Reds Head Coach, Gerhard Struber was left feeling frustrated following Barnsley’s 2-1 away defeat at Charlton Athletic on Saturday.
Despite a strong second half comeback from the Reds, two strikes in the opening 45 minutes proved to be enough for Charlton to come away with all three points at The Valley.
Lyle Taylor and Andre Green scored the decisive goals in the first half, before Cauley Woodrow netted his 11th of the season by thrashing home after 71 minutes, however it wasn’t to be for the Reds, as they were denied by the woodwork on a further three occasions, with set pieces proving the be the only difference between the two sides.
Speaking after the game, Struber said: “I’m very disappointed with the defeat especially when in the second half we had quite a few good chances. In the end, we were unlucky, but I think the big difference was set pieces.
“We didn’t learn from the last game; it was the same mistakes. This is the reason why we lost. In the second half, we had good positioning on the ball. We hit the goal-frame three times and I’m so disappointed not to come away with any points.”
After conceding from corners in the FA Cup against Portsmouth last weekend, the Head Coach was frustrated by Barnsley’s defending from set pieces once again at Charlton.
He added: “The problem is that set plays are part of a football game and in those situations, we are not ready. This is the reality. I see that in other phases and transitions, like in the way we build up we are ready, but when we speak about the set pieces, we are not.”
However, despite the defeat, the Austrian had high praise for over 1,000 Barnsley fans who made the long trip down to the capital.
He hailed their passion throughout the game but was disappointed his team couldn’t provide any points to travel back to Oakwell with.
He went on to say: “I am very happy with our fans, they supported us very well, but in the end, we have zero points and that is the frustrating part.”
As the transfer window slammed shut on Friday evening, Struber also spoke about the business completed during January and was pleased with the calibre of players he brought in.
He handed a Sky Bet Championship debut to defender Michael Sollbauer at Charlton and spoke about how the new acquisitions will add to the quality of the squad as they look to close the gap on the teams around them and climb out of the relegation places.
Struber said: “We are happy with the players we brought into the club. We now have to keep working hard and I believe that we can stay in the league.”
