Barnsley 1 County 1

Opinions from Oakwell, as Dave Challinor’s men grind out a well-deserved point against last season’s play-off semi-finalists

Sep 30, 2024

Monday 30 September 2024

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Dear County fans, Stopfordians, Barnsley supporters, and anyone else from The Football Family joining us today, a very warm welcome to your Monday edition of The Scarf My Father Wore.

We’ve drafted in a couple of great writers for today’s edition. Ian from The Reds Report gives us the Barnsley view from Saturday night, with former Manchester Evening News wordsmith Stuart Brennan offering his opinion from the away end.

Today’s edition is sponsored by The Mortgage Mill. A big thank you to James.

Finally, I’m currently walking every street in Stockport to raise money for mental health charity Mentell. If you’d like to make a donation to help me reach my target, please click here.

Total distance so far: 176.31 miles

Total steps so far: 284,130

Total raised so far: £2,001

Total completed streets so far: 399 (Click here for the full list, which includes reports and photos from every day of the walk.)

Further information on the walk can be found by clicking here.

Des Junior

✍️ Saturday’s match in one word

Ian: Dull.

Stuart: Discombobulating.

🤔 Pre-match thoughts

Ian: Concerned our defence would struggle against your forward line as we’re not blessed with pace at the back. Plus our home form is poor to say the least so I was actually pessimistic about our chances of winning to be honest.

Stuart: There was plenty of pessimism in our car, and a point was the best that anyone foresaw. Barnsley is always a tough place to get a result, but personally I was just glad to be getting to a game – due to work I don’t see much live football these days!

🧐 Post-match thoughts

Ian: Defensively we did much better than I thought keeping Barry and Wootton quiet. We gave the ball away far too often from defence and midfield, and provided little service to our forwards too. Instead of going for a second, we sat back and didn't know how to play and therefore were poor for 70-75 minutes. Midfield was uncharacteristically poor on Saturday, it cried out for Hourihane to play but he seems to have settled on a coaching role.

Stuart: Awful game, but an injury-time equaliser tends to lift any game. Given how poor both sides were 0-0 would have been the fairest result.

🔴 Verdict on Barnsley

Ian: It’s clear Clarke is still trying to get a tune out of this side given he only joined in the summer. His subs failed to work which has happened too often this season. Adam Phillips flatters to deceive once again, going missing for most of the game. I thought Marc Roberts had a very good game and won most aerial duels but our defenders cannot pass the ball out of defence and gave it away too often in dangerous positions. Lots to work on for Clarke but I like him as manager.

Stuart: Channel balls was all they had. Couple of half decent midfielders but on the night they didn’t look promotion material either.

🔵 Verdict on County

Ian: Thought you looked good, the press caused us problems. I think you’ll be fine this season and up there especially if Barry stays fit. Would have been harsh on you had you lost that game.

Stuart: Disappointing, as it was the first time I’d seen them this year. But after hearing how bad the defence was against Orient, at least they improved in that department. It was hard to pick out who should be subbed, there were plenty of candidates.

🔴 Top Tyke

Ian: Sky gave Cotter man of the match which was a joke. I’d say Marc Roberts because he didn't put a foot wrong. I feared pre-match for him as he isn't the quickest but fair play he had his best game of the season.

Stuart: I liked the right wing back Cotter but Adam Phillips made it tick for them on the few occasions it did tick, and his penalty was faultless.

🎩 Top Hatter

Ian: I’ll be honest, I was too busy watching our players. Thought we kept Wootton quiet, so I’d probably say Barry because he always wants to get on the ball and make things happen.

Stuart: Tough shout. Diamond injected energy when he came on, but I’d have to go with Horsfall – headed everything that came his way and did his job effectively and with no fuss.

👂 Atmosphere

Ian: Our atmosphere has been non-existent for the last year or so but to be fair the home end did make more of an effort to get an atmosphere going. It’s difficult at Oakwell as the away end is next to the tunnel giving the away team advantage. Too often our supporters rely on the team to get them going which I suppose happened on Saturday because we started so strongly.

Stuart: Well, I was stood next to Mozzer so couldn’t hear much else! Nah, County away support is just class, kept on backing the team even when it was pretty appalling on the pitch – and the gooning at the end for the goal was a great way to finish the night.

🙏 Hopes for the rest of the season

Ian: I'm hoping for a play-off challenge but it won't be easy as the league is stronger than it's been in years this season. I don't expect promotion but hope we have a good go at the top six. Once you’re in the play-offs, anything can happen. Just look at Oxford last season.

Stuart: Same as they were at the start – just finish well clear of relegation, get a fairly new squad working and finish the season well to set things up for next year. Anything else would be a bonus.

😀 Best part of the day

Ian: The blistering start to the game. After 10 minutes it all went downhill.

Stuart: I hesitate to say the chicken balti pie that you seemed to grab a picture of me in mid-consumption. But it has to be the goal – I’d just said Barry was lucky to be on the pitch because he’d been poor, and he comes up with another big goal.

😡 Worst part of the day

Ian: Conceding so late in the game, even if we didn't deserve the three points.

Stuart: Bloody traffic getting out of Barnsley, molten pie contents giving the roof of my mouth second degree burns, and Tyler Onyango’s 45 minutes from hell.

The British Library receives a copy of every single book published in the UK. In the same fashion, Des Junior believes a detailed record of every County game should be preserved for the history books. So here’s the full story of our 1-1 draw at Barnsley on Saturday 28 September, as told from his County-related WhatsApp groups…

6.54pm: Enjoy freezing your tits off at Oakwell everyone. I'm feeling rather jealous but wifey is buying me a Nando’s after she finishes work tonight so every cloud and that.

7.48pm: Penalty or what?

7.49pm: Definitely. Nowhere near the ball.

8.10pm: The bloke in front of us is sexting. If this declines much more I’ll send highlights.

8.33pm: Barry’s got to score there. Just lift it over the keeper. Don’t know why he has to take the extra touch.

8.35pm: I fear we are going to regret that half. Barnsley there for the taking and we’ve been careless in how we’ve looked after the ball. Should at least be level.

9.36pm: GET IN! Fully deserved.

10.06pm: Deserved point in the end. Glad we served up some shite football between us for Sky's Saturday night!

11.39pm: Well, that wasn't enjoyable for the most part. Still, we improved enough in the second half to probably deserve a point. I'd have taken that at the start, too.

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Photo of the day

The Dog & Partridge, Great Moor

I’d like to say a big thank you to Karen and everyone at The Dog & Partridge for looking after us for my 40th yesterday afternoon. Lovely, cosy Robbies pub with the fire on in the lounge. Food was absolutely delicious too. I highly recommend the cheese and onion pie if you find yourself in there any time soon.

Today in SK

🎬 Cinema

Two films at The Savoy Cinema (SK4) today. The Outrun (15) at 5.30pm, followed by The Count of Monte Cristo (12A) at 8pm. Click here for tickets.

🍺 Food and drink

Bitter £2.30 a pint all day at The Cross Keys (SK8). Plus, discounts on certain lagers between 12pm and 6pm.

If you’re simply in the mood for a couple of pints today, pop along to one of our featured venues such as Bask (SK1), The Crown (SK2), The Dog & Partridge (SK2), The Armoury (SK3), The Crown Inn (SK6) or The Three Tunnes (SK7).

🎶 Free jukebox

The Nelson Tavern (SK1). From 6.30pm.

Random photos of County players at other clubs

#16 – Andy Dibble, Man City

Before signing for County towards the end of his career, Andy Dibble played for clubs all over the UK including Cardiff, Luton, Sunderland, Rangers and Barry Town. But we’ll go with a photo of him in action for our neighbours back in 1989-90, as Gary Crosby cheekily headed the ball out of Dibble’s right hand before scoring the winner for Nottingham Forest at the City Ground.