| We wonder if the thunder, is ever really gonna begin 20:03 - Mar 11 with 622 views | Mullet |
Home and away for Mick today, a first visit to his beloved Oakwell without his beloved mentor and the lack of security seemed to tell. A trio of changes but little difference in the starting XI again. Bart was again the trusted palms behind five defensive fingers of Kenlock, Knudsen, Berra, Chambers and Spence. A midfield of Skuse, Diagouraga and Huws had the soft jazzy ensemble of Lawrence and Didsy somewhere up ahead.
Town started brightly and a quick switch on the left from McGoldrick picked out Spence making moves down the right flank. An early corner won and buried well wide off the head of Berra got Town hopes up early on.
In a game where neither side had much to play for there was precious little football at times. However, Town’s effort was rewarded with the excitement of winning corners, from which we hoped to gain the edge.
The blues had an impressive 742 in the away end and clearly relished the only voices being heard for much of the first half being theirs. When Barnsley had their chances of note between Town’s pattern of set pieces and stop-start possession it did little to engage the home fans.
One time loan target Armstrong used his head but not his brain to put a tantalising cross out of play when a certain chance to hit the target if not score went begging. It wasn’t even the first of many misfires that suggested McCarthy dodged a bullet there. Bart already smothering one effort and letting a missed cross sail a little close to the goal into touch in the opening passages.
While Barnsley seemed to have a solid 4-4-2 that attacked in streaking runs, it was Ipswich that looked more comfortable on the front foot. Kenlock had a challenge in the impressive Yiadom at right-back who was far better attacking than defending. Ahead of him was Watkins who was a big and physical threat often shackled with the help of Knudsen.
When the home side switched wide options, and allowed Hammill to torment in slow motion and showboating, you felt that his crosses were harder to bear than his Hollywood blockbusters way away from Bart.
It was in fact the left foot of Knudsen who would let fly from half to half and find McGoldrick or Lawrence in the channel that yielded much of Town’s best threat in the first half. His long passes were much preferable to the layoffs to young Kenlock outside, causing Scowen in midfield to scurry back and cover for Yiadom as any of Town’s attack cut in and tried to force something.
A brilliant timed tackle from the causal looking right back thwarted Lawrence in one such attack, while a rare Huws incision was cut out by the mobilised centrebacks for yet another corner. It was in the industry not the end-product; you felt Town might make a breakthrough.
Skuse had the best chance of the half for a Suffolk celebration. McGoldrick collected a Chambers header which went out towards the opposite corner from which it’s assist came. Wheeling, and arcing around Red threats of dispossession he turned back on goal and unleashed a fierce shot. The parry was thrust upon our No.8 in an instant and he either shot poorly or was the reason for a smothered ricochet that the relieved Davies collected.
If headers and flicks had sometimes seen impressive moments of keep-going rather than keep ball from either side, then flattening of the contest coincided with the shape of the central three. The individual instincts and mobility of Huws, Skuse and Diagouraga often meant Barnsley had any of our men surrounded with the ball. If it wasn’t for the close control of McGoldrick, you sense we might have lost more than just the end to end sense of a team struggling well beyond the scope of this match alone.
In one passage of play Lawrence caught Yiadom late and left him flattened, Huws soon after was lucky not to get a deserved booking for chopping at the heels of the man who breezed past him, Diagouraga then slid in recklessly in a heated five minutes that saw the Reds reflecting on the reputation rather than reality of Mick’s side coming to the fore.
When Skuse received one for a necessary but cynical challenge close to the edge of the box, you watched the preceding pinball build up past our players as if they were little more than cones and prepared to see the worst when Cole and Hammill finally collided.
It was clear if McCarthy had a plan today it wasn’t coming together. The returning Yorkshireman on the touchline must had recoiled, as the one on loan in midfield was charging around all afternoon like a war elephant. But instead of trampling the hordes assembled ahead of him, he looked clumsy, belligerent and wasteful with the ball. Ultimately producing play more suited to the circus.
When half time came, you sensed a change was needed. Barnsley had carved out numerous moves, and more chances if Town arguably had started better and should have made more of the better opportunities afforded them.
It took maybe seven minutes to see that today was Diagouraga’s day. It took that many into the second half to see it end and Grant Ward replace him. Barnsley had clearly smelled the weaknesses of a team coming to them in such disrepair and began to push on the fixture and fitting together more pointed attacks.
It took several free kicks as soft as our underbelly to make Mick and us squirm. When the Tykes ran at us, we reached for our loose balls and cowered on the back foot, failing to find our stride. Barely minutes after our first change, it was Watkins who changed the game. From a refreshingly promising Town attack the ball slid across goal ahead of Chambers who did so a second or two too late. A quick counter from the pass of James and Watkins was away.
Outnumbered 2 to 1 he rode his luck and shook off the odds to work not just into our half, but the heart of our defence and ram the ball past Bart and deep into our goalmouth for the lead. It’s hard to judge the ones Mick missed out on in a single game, but if Marley might not fix every little thing at Ipswich, still he’d be all right.
A few minutes more and Kenlock would sneak off the field as he happened to be almost stood next Mick when the ball went out. On leapt Sears, and Town completely changed shape if not much else. Finally, four at the back came back, the Danish Baresi went to left back and Freddie and Lawrence were the two outer prongs of an attacking fork. McGoldrick still hadn’t formalised his move into midfield, despite having most of the game there.
As the game progressed Town seemed not to. The miscontrols that punctuated more coherent passages of play saw the away fans turn a little. When we finally produced a shot, the chant triumphing it followed. Things started to look black amongst even the bluest of views, as Town seemed to be conspiring in being beaten all too easily.
Playing for the victory despite being behind, Sears and the impressive Ward especially, found joy moving the ball deep into the corners of the Barnsley end but rarely did they find a cross to muster. Skuse nodded down for Dids to drive directly at goal, previously Lawrence had the sting taken out of a similar effort from the opposite side by a defensive deflection into the Keepers’ arms.
If we looked better at all, the stumbling that blighted our movement and aided a decent home side meant a sickener looked likely. When sub Williams flicked the ball back into play on the byline he scampered forward with the kind of run that looked destined to seal the game. Hammill had the whole of our universe shaking at his mercy, yet seemed not to know it. It was one of a few times Bart ended up grasping the ball, thankfully and with little problem.
As the game closed out and with it the dreams of just treading water, Mick again sent out his strikers to warm up. For the first time in what seems an age Pitman emerged with little of the game left. His reception lifting proceedings above the tepid they had lapsed into.
It wouldn’t take long for the poacher to join the hunt. Linking neatly with those around him, Huws who he had replaced left a small gap perfect for McGoldrick to make his own. The striker had sometimes been forced to chase down the keeper and now could sit on halfway and dictate the full force of Town’s attacks.
With much of Town’s success coming down the left, the imposing figure of Spence sat alone on the right as an option used once to great effect with a cross field switch by Knudsen. However, when the telling moment came, it’d be from Town’s left flank.
A simple free kick in the dying moments saw Bart launch the ball at everyone with everything we had. Falling to Pitman on the outskirts, he seemed languid as he grounded the onrushing defender with a drop of the shoulder. A sweeping cut across the box saw red spilling and spattering. At the back post came in Tom Lawrence to stab home almost on the line. It was the Blues who would crown an ultimately poor performance with a point.
The excitement and relief of that 93rd minute seemed to last an eternity. The sense of joy and sight of Jonas head first in amongst the celebrating fans as others raised hands and thanks, lingering. Terry shook the hand of Pitman heartily, knowingly. Chambers waited to until last to follow suit and salute the standing ovation ahead of them.
But in an afternoon where it was hard to see the artistry in Mick’s team, his old guard looking like they’d been in and on the field too long, what does another draw do? What does this point prove?
|  |
| |  |
| |
By continuing to use the site, you agree to our use of cookies and to abide by our Terms and Conditions.
