Our U21s came from behind to secure a 3-2 victory over Fleetwood Town at a rain-soaked Showcase Pitch on Tuesday afternoon.
Sam Cosgrove’s penalty was added to by two Fabio Jalo strikes as the young Reds bounced back from their defeat at Hull City last week.
The visitors got off to the perfect start, however, taking the lead inside six minutes as Maleace Asamoah cut in from the left flank and fired a thunderous drive beyond Trent Carter-Rogers from an acute angle.
Barnsley gradually began to grow into the encounter, and when Jean Claude Makiessi won possession in a dangerous area, Cosgrove took aim from 25-yards and forced Tom Donaghy into a fine save.
Following a floated free-kick, Jalo was unceremoniously bundled to the ground and Cosgrove stepped up to crash home the resulting spot-kick and level the scores.
Carter-Rogers then showed superb reflexes to claw away Theo Williams’ bullet header, which proved to be the Fleetwood attacker’s last action of the game as he was shown a straight red card for an elbow on Makiessi.
Tom Harban’s side eventually made their numerical advantage count shortly before half-time when Charlie Winfield picked out Jalo, who steered home from six-yards.
HALF-TIME: Barnsley 2-1 Fleetwood Town
Within moments of the restart, Jalo had a glorious opportunity to double his own personal tally, but his chipped effort was tame and straight into the arms of the grateful Donaghy.
Moments later, Aaron Atkinson – fresh from signing a professional contract at Oakwell – whipped in a delightful corner that Conor McCarthy planted narrowly wide of the upright.
The Reds dominated possession throughout the second half, probing patiently and looking to create openings in wide areas, and more chances went begging with the finishing touch just lacking.
A third goal finally came when Cosgrove played a fine through ball into the path of Jalo, who took a touch and fired unerringly into the corner to put the contest beyond doubt.
Atkinson came close to getting on the score sheet, as did substitute Mylan Benjamin, but it was the visitors who netted the last goal of the encounter as a free-kick from the right bounced in off the unfortunate Cosgrove with seconds of stoppage time remaining.
It proved to be the final action of the game, with the Reds registering a fourth win in six at home in the Professional Development League.
FULL-TIME: Barnsley 3-2 Fleetwood Town
REDS XI: Carter-Rogers (GK), Ackroyd, Joof (Bland, 21), McCarthy, Hickingbottom (C), Winfield (Benjamin, 77), Makiessi (Yoganathan, 46), Pickard, Atkinson, Jalo, Cosgrove.
Not used: Kozluk, Dyer.
FLEETWOOD XI: Donaghy (GK), Johnson, Armstrong, Glenfield, Hughes, Holgate, Graydon, Dolan, Williams, Brown, Asamoah.
Subs: Cragg, White, Butterworth, Wilson, Cirino.
