Barnsley vs Luton Town FC (24th Aug 2019)

BARNSLEY 1 LUTON TOWN 3

First-half goals from Butterfield, Collins and Cornick seal first win

The Hatters recorded their first Sky Bet Championship win of the season in style this afternoon as first-half goals from Jacob Butterfield, James Collins and Harry Cornick proved more than enough to see off fellow newly-promoted club Barnsley.

A week after seeing their own 28-game unbeaten home league run brought to an end by West Brom, the Town set about ending Barnsley sequence of 29 league matches at Oakwell without being beaten, with former Tykes academy graduate and captain Butterfield opening the scoring with little more than a minute on the clock.

Collins added his second of the season inside the opening four minutes, before Cornick did likewise just after the half-hour as Graeme Jones' side looked set for the victory their early performances against Middlesbrough, Cardiff, Albion and Sheffield Wednesday had merited.

A second-half strike from home winger Mallik Wilks reduced the arrears and denied goalkeeper Simon Sluga and his defence the clean sheet they craved, but nothing could take the gloss off Jones' first league win as a manager to send more than 1,100 travelling Hatters on their way home in great voice.

Jones made one enforced change to his starting line-up, with Luke Bolton coming into the team at right-back in place of Martin Cranie, who was carried off on a stretcher at Sheffield Wednesday in midweek.

The on-loan Manchester City teenager was making his first EFL start for the club having appeared as a substitute at Hillsborough following his 45-minute appearance from the kick-off in the Carabao Cup win over Ipswich Town.

That meant the Town lined up with Simon Sluga in goal behind a back four of Bolton, Matty Pearson, captain Sonny Bradley and James Bree. Butterfield was anchoring the midfield, with Andrew Shinnie and Ryan Tunnicliffe behind a front three of Kazenga LuaLua, Collins and Cornick

Town made a dream start, with former Barnsley captain Butterfield firing home from the edge of the area with just 82 seconds on the clock.

The ball was worked from a throw in the left-back position, with Shinnie helping it out to Pearson, who fed Bolton on the right touchline. The full-back's first touch took two Barnsley players out of the game, and after Collins and Cornick linked well to get to the byline, Shinnie - who had made his way into the area - saw his shot deflected into the path of Butterfield, who cracked a left-footed shot low past Sami Radlinger in the home goal.

Within two minutes the lead had been doubled, Shinnie's right-wing corner travelling all the way through to LuaLua on the far side of the area. The forward created space for himself and delivered another cross that Radlinger failed to deal with, allowing Bree to drive the ball across the six-yard box for Collins to turn in from close range.

The Hatters were playing some brilliant football, and after Bradley had sent two headers at goal in quick succession from Shinnie set-pieces, Radlinger produced an unbelievable 18th-minute save with his foot to deby Collins a second, after Shinnie - who had already played LuaLua in on the right - received a return ball from the Town forward and hammered it goalward.

Collins was lurking in the six-yard box and changed the ball's direction with a deft touch, only for the German keeper to turn it behind with an outstretched left boot.

LuaLua was next to have a go, sending a shot whistling just past the post before Alex Mowatt had Barnsley's first attempt on goal - a 25-yard shot that flew high over the bar - midway through the half.

With 25 minutes gone another chance presented itself for Cornick, after Tunnicliffe had burst to the left byline, but Radlinger was right behind this snap-shot, then Mallik Wilks looked to respond for Barnsley, but Sluga was off his line quickly to gather as the ex-Leeds winger appeared to have got in behind Pearson.

The former Barnsley centre-half was next to come within a whisker of extending the advantage, hitting a low shot from the edge of the area that Radlinger couldn't hold, but the keeper did well to hook the ball away from Collins, who was prowling in the six-yard box.

It was three just after the half-hour, and again it was Shinnie at the heart of the goal, whipping in a free-kick from wide on the left that Barnsley again failed to deal with and Cornick was there to profit, hammering the loose ball past Radlinger and a host of defenders on the line from 12 yards.

Sluga did brilliantly to claw a Wilks header away from his goal-line, injuring his knee in the process and receiving lengthy treatment, and the Hatters were soon back on the attack, with LuaLua and Cornick causing all sorts of problems with their pace and trickery, Butterfield and Shinnie running the midfield.

Barnsley had the last chance of the half, Mowatt shifting the ball wide to Luke Thomas on the right edge of the area, but the former Coventry winger's shot flew safely over Sluga's goal into the ecstatic travelling Town fans in the North Stand.

The hosts came out of the blocks quickly in the second half and Mowatt raced clear as his side broke from a Town corner, but Tunnicliffe read the danger and swept up, before Mamadou Thiam headed wide from a corner.

The same Barnsley forward looked to punish Bolton after an attempted clearance was charged down inside the opposition half, but Sluga flew across his line to push his 20-yard shot away.

Collins had the ball in the Tykes' net again in the 56th minute, but his hooked volley from Bradley's knock-down was ruled out for offside, then Sluga was off his line rapidly again on the hour to deny Thiam once more.

Barnsley were having the better of the second period and had a goal back with just under 20 minutes to go when Mowatt cut the ball back from the left byline for Wilks to sweep it home from eight yards.

Sluga was at his best to turn a Mowatt shot behind, just before Jones replaced LuaLua with Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu on 81 minutes. From the resulting corner, Wilks met a right-wing corner with a glancing header, but the Town could breathe easy as the ball drifted wide of the far post.

TOWN: Sluga, Bolton, Pearson, Bradley ©, Bree, Butterfield, Shinnie, Tunnicliffe, LuaLua (Mpanzu 81), Cornick (Lee 85), Collins. Subs: Moncur, Galloway, Brown, Jones, Shea.

Goals: Butterfield 2, Collins 4, Cornick 31

Yellows: LuaLua

TYKES: Radlinger, Diaby (Halme 67), Andersen (Green 46), McGeehan, Bahre ©, Thomas, Sibbick, Pinillos (Williams 46), Thiam, Mowatt, Wilks. Subs: Collins, Chaplin, Schmidt, Oduor.

Goals: Wilks 72

Yellows: Diaby, Bahre, Wilks

REFEREE: Stephen Martin

ATT: 13,250 (1,175 Hatters)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_7lTzLkCGg – Graeme Jones interview

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ubW_K-D-3w – Match highlights

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_bRCHZnnZtI – Harry Cornick interview

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ferHk_ypWcI – Kazenga LuaLua interview

GRAEME JONES ON THE 3-1 WIN OVER BARNSLEY

Hatters boss Graeme Jones was pleased to see his team show a different side to their style of play as they defeated Barnsley 3-1 at Oakwell this afternoon, securing the Town’s first win of the new Sky Bet Championship campaign.

Jacob Butterfield broke the deadlock after 90 seconds when he fired in from the edge of the box, before James Collins doubled the lead from close range just two minutes later. Harry Cornick fired in from just inside the box midway through the first 45 to make it three, before Mallik Wilks pulled one back for the hosts in the second half.

The victory moves the Town up to 18th in the second tier, with four points from their opening five games.

Jones said: “There were 66 minutes to go [after we scored the third], you’re guarding against Barnsley getting a goal back because they can get the momentum with the crowd here and football is never that straight forward.

“You see it on the TV ‘3-0 up, it’s done and dusted’, it’s never as straightforward as that. We had to play, we had to show a dogged side to us, defend as a group. I think we played a different way today to what we have played in the first four games of the season and I am really pleased with that.

“I said to the boys after the Sheffield Wednesday game, we did a debrief for the game post match, we went through everything and I knew we were really, really close. But it comes to a point where you have to win a game of football, no matter who you’re playing. And the psychological barrier was getting broken down game-by-game, week-by week.

“It was 60 minutes at Cardiff, and then it was six minutes against West Brom and then on Tuesday night against Sheffield Wednesday it was one action and I knew we were getting close, but the players still have to put that into practice, and actions speak louder than words. I said all we have to do is win a football match and we did, and I think we will take a lot psychologically from that.”

Stunning first half sees Hatters pick up first Championship victory at Barnsley

Championship: Barnsley 1 Luton Town 3

Luton are up and running in the Championship after a magnificent first half performance saw them gain their first league win of the season by seeing off Barnsley at Oakwell this afternoon.

The visitors led 2-0 as early as the fourth minute, Jacob Butterfield and James Collins on target, while Harry Cornick added a third with just half an hour gone, putting Graeme Jones' side in dreamland.

They had to weather a mini-storm of sorts after the break, with the Tykes improving in the second period, but although Mallik Wilks pulled one back with 15 to go, the Hatters, with keeper Simon Sluga superb, stood firm.

To make the result even better, it was the first league defeat Barnsley had suffered in front of their home fans since March 2018, some 29 games ago, as they had gone the whole season unbeaten in League One.

There, they finished behind champions Town, the Hatters making one change as Manchester City loan signing Luke Bolton came in for his full league debut, replacing Martin Cranie, who hadn't recovered from his ligament damage suffered in the 1-0 defeat at Sheffield Wednesday on Tuesday night.

Dan Potts wasn't fit to return, meaning James Bree, one of six ex-Barnsley players in the squad, stayed at left back, although Brendan Galloway came in on the bench.

A quite stunning start saw the Hatters move ahead after just 82 seconds of the game, when Bolton's excellent first touch saw him move inside his man and find Collins, who fed Cornick on the right.

He beat one before finding Andrew Shinnie whose shot was charged down, rebounding to the edge of the box, where Butterfield arrived perfectly to thunder a left-footed drive into the bottom corner against his former side for a first goal in Town colours.

It got even better on four minutes. Shinnie's corner was missed by everyone, rolling through to LuaLua.

His cross was completely missed by keeper Sami Radlinger, Bree fired it goalwards and there was Collins to bundle over the line.

Town could even have led by further inside the opening 20 minutes, as Sonny Bradley's free header deflected over, before Radlinger made a wonderful save from Collins, somehow twisting his body to divert the shot away with his feet.

It took the hosts 24 minutes to fashion anything noteworthy, Alex Mowatt's 25-yarder not dipping in time.

Luton then advanced to the other end, Ryan Tunnicliffe reaching the byline and finding Cornick who shot straight at Radlinger.

There was the odd moment for Barnsley, Wilks cutting inside and scuffing straight at Sluga, while Town pressed again, Matty Pearson's low drive fumbled by Radlinger, the ball scrambled away by Tykes' increasingly overworked defence.

The Hatters were then in dreamland on 31 minutes, as they had a third, with goal of the sheerest simplicity.

Shinnie swung in another tantalising free kick which wasn't cleared, dropping perfectly for the completely unmarked Cornick to just take aim and hammer low into the net.

Town's only moment of alarm was when Sluga had to punch clear a cross and then get back to palm away Wilks' follow up header, requiring treatment for a knock to his knee in the process.

The visitors really should have pulled one back prior to the break, with Luton almost punished for some over-confidence at the back, Luke Thomas, curling a very presentable opportunity over.

After the break, Town came out determined to keep it tight and rid themselves of their increasingly annoying habit of conceding early in the second period.

They were almost caught out instantly though, Tunnicliffe required to track back superbly after Bolton was caught out high up the pitch, the midfielder doing just that.

Mamadou Thiam came close to reducing the arrears, rising highest to meet Cameron McGeehan's corner, only to thankfully glance off target.

Bolton was then caught once more, with Thiam drilling an effort, Sluga flinging himself full stretch to turn it aside.

Collins thought he had netted a pressure-relieving fourth to take the sting out of a resurgent hosts, turning in Bradley's header, but the Town skipper was adjudged offside.

Luton looked to regain the upper hand, LuaLua firing narrowly wide, before Sluga came to the rescue yet again, spreading himself to deny Thiam from close range, with the home forward once again getting the better of Bolton.

However, Town were pegged back on 72 minutes when the goal that Barnsley had been threatening for most of the second half, down the visitors' right came, Luton unable to stop the cross and Wilks finally beating Sluga's resistance.

He was back to his heroics with 10 minutes left though, diving to his left to fingertip Mowatt's curler behind, Wilks heading the resulting corner wide.

The Tykes then wasted a golden chance with two minutes remaining, Thiam's forgettable afternoon continuing, as he skied over the bar from 12 yards.

That was that for the hosts, with Luton running down the clock, to pick up their opening league victory of the campaign, and a first in the Championship since April 28, 2007, that also a 3-1 win on their travels, at Southend United.

Tykes: Sam Radlinger, Bambo Diaby (Aapo Halme 67), Mads Andersen (Jordan Green 46), Cameron McGeehan, Mike Bahre (C), Luke Thomas, Toby Sibbick, Daniel Pinillos (Ben Williams 46), Mamadou Thiam, Alex Mowatt, Mallik Wilks.

Subs not used: Brad Collins, Conor Chaplin, Patrick Schmidt, Clarke Oduor.

Hatters: Simon Sluga, Luke Bolton, James Bree (Brendan Galloway 90), Matty Pearson, Sonny Bradley, Jacob Butterfield, Ryan Tunnicliffe, Andrew Shinnie, Kazenga LuaLua (Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu 81), Harry Cornick (Elliot Lee 85), James Collins.

Subs not used: James Shea, George Moncur, Izzy Brown, Lloyd Jones.

Booked: Diaby 41, LuaLua 44, Bahre 54.

Referee: Stephen Martin.

Attendance: 13,250.

Jones: We got our just rewards with Tykes victory

Luton chief Graeme Jones felt his side finally got their rewards with a first win of the Championship season this afternoon, beating Barnsley 3-1.

After impressive displays in the first four league matches of the campaign, Town had picked up only one point from 12 for their efforts, but rectified that in real style at Oakwell.

The visitors raced into a 3-0 lead by half time, before digging in to ensure the Tykes didn't mount an unlikely comeback, as Jones said: “It’s a reward for nine weeks, the boys have been magnificent, every single one of them and I mean magnificent.

“These characters are outstanding, and you feel for them at times when they give everything they’ve got like they did at Sheffield Wednesday and at Cardiff and you get negative things happen to you.

So I think the reward for the lads is a great feeling.

“We’ve not stopped once, the boys have been in every Sunday and we’ve worked tactically, we’ve tried to improve, we’ve had debriefs, a large part of my work is reviewing games, it takes a long, long time.

“But the progress we’ve had with it, when you can’t train as much, when you’re playing three games a week, by the time this time next Saturday comes, we’ll have played seven games in 21 days.

“It’s demanding, the tempo has gone up, the physicality has gone up with the league, so I’m just really pleased where we sit today, but we can’t stand still we have to push forward.”

Although the Hatters led 2-0 at Barnsley on four minutes through Jacob Butterfield and James Collins, with Harry Cornick adding a third on the half hour, Jones admitted he never felt comfortable despite the advantage.

He continued: “Not for me it didn’t, what it was, was 66 minutes left at that point with the extra time.

“You’re guarding against Barnsley getting a goal back as they can get the momentum with the crowd here.

“Football’s never straight forward, I’m sure they’ll have seen on the TV, 3-0 up, that’s it, done and dusted, it doesn’t work like that.

“We had to do play, we had to show a dogged side of us, we had to defend as a group.

“I think we played in a different way today than what we’ve played in the first four games of the season and I was really, really pleased with it.

“I said to the boys after the Sheffield Wednesday game, we did a debrief on the game post-match, went through everything and I knew we were really, really close.

“But there comes a point when you have to win a game of football, no matter who you are.

“The physical barrier was getting broken down game by game and week by week.

“We got done 60 minutes at Cardiff and then it was a minimum of six minutes against West Brom and on Tuesday night at Sheffield Wednesday it was one action.

“I knew we were getting close, but the players still have to put that into practice and actions speak louder than words.

“I said there was a point where we just have to win a football match and that’s what we did, and we’ll take that, we’ll take a lot psychologically from it.”

Jones admitted he didn’t care who was on target for the Hatters, the win was all he was after, adding: “James bundled one in and Harry Cornick, it was one of those days, I didn’t care who scored, I didn’t care how it was scored.

“We just needed to win the game and that’s a mentality we’re talking about.

“We worked on Thursday and Friday in the final third about hurting teams, about being a bit more threatening and a bit more penetrating, a bit more positive, a bit more purpose about us, don’t hope to score, make sure you score.

“There’s a different mentality and I couldn’t be happier with where we are today.”