Barnsley 2-1 Brighton: Match Report

12 March 2013 22:01
Barnsley 2-1 Brighton: Match Report - view commentary, squad, and statistics of the game as it happened.


Reds revival continues

Barnsley breathed fresh life into their npower Championship survival fight with a 2-1 victory which did further damage to Brighton's stuttering play-off ambitions.

The Reds, who were beaten 5-0 by Manchester City in the FA Cup on Saturday, went into the match without a win in three league games and sitting bottom of the table.

But Jason Scotland gave them an early lead when he struck home following some powerful forward play and they then showed their mettle as they regained the lead through Chris Dagnall's penalty just five minutes after Leonardo Ulloa had headed Brighton level on the hour mark.

Ulloa's night ended in misery, though, as he saw a late penalty saved by heroic Barnsley goalkeeper Luke Steele as the hosts held on for a valuable win which lifts them out of the bottom three.

For Brighton, who came up against formidable opposition in the shape of Steele, it is now three games without a win and they remain a point out of the top six.

With both sides knowing the importance of three points, it was an open start at a freezing Oakwell.

Will Buckley should have put Brighton in front in just the third minute but he shot off target after Scott Wiseman's poor clearance fell invitingly to him on the edge of the area.

Scotland dragged a 20-yard effort wide for the hosts but he soon made up for that miss by putting his side ahead in the 15th minute.

Jim O'Brien fed a ball forward and the former Swansea striker shrugged off Adam El-Abd's challenge to power home from 12 yards. After nine appearances from the bench, it was Scotland's first start and his fifth goal for the Reds.

The hosts continued to dominate and chased a second, with Jacob Mellis' powerful free-kick deflected just wide.

Gus Poyet's play-off chasers finally got going in the second half, testing Steele for the first time, with the Reds keeper first getting down well to deny David Lopez and then coming out to block Andrea Orlandi's effort.

Steele's heroics proved to be in vain, though, as just before the hour Brighton levelled. Inigo Calderon picked up the ball on the left and whipped in a vicious centre that an unmarked Ulloa headed past the keeper before he could move.

Barnsley were not rattled, though, and restored their lead just five minutes later, courtesy of Dagnall's accurate penalty, which came after the cumbersome El-Abd had pulled at the striker's shirt from O'Brien's cross.

Brighton were far from out of it and Kazenga LuaLua again tested Steele while Liam Bridcutt blazed over from close range.

LuaLua was causing a threat down the left and went within inches of drawing the visitors level with a 20-yard effort that whizzed past the post.

Brighton thought they had their reward for a spell of pressure with 10 minutes to go when referee Mark Heywood pointed to the spot for a second time following David Perkins' foul on Calderon but Steele provided more resistance by palming away Ulloa's penalty.

Brighton poured everything forward in search of an equaliser but Barnsley held on.

Source: PA