TOWN 5 BARNSLEY 0
Wells collects four assists in rout
The Terriers recorded their biggest win of the season with a five star performance against Barnsley.
Keith Southern, Danny Ward, Adam Hammill, Adam Clayton and Sean Scannell all netted for Town against a despondent Barnsley.
Nahki Wells was the star of the show though, collecting four assists as Town’s lone frontman.
Southern, Calum Woods and Murray Wallace were drafted into the starting line-up by Mark Robins as he aimed to record his first victory over Barnsley as Town Manager.
There wasn’t the tension on show that surrounded last season’s fixture, but the Tykes were very much in the same predicament needing three points in their fight against the drop.
Danny Wilson’s men started the brighter, but it was Robins’ men who had the first chance when Danny Ward charged down a clearance, chipped over Luke Steele, but saw his effort cleared off the line by a recovering Barnsley defender.
Former Terrier Jack Hunt was on show for the visitors and he looked their biggest threat throughout the first half. His run and cross in the tenth minute found fellow loanee Nick Proschwitz at the far post whose shot was superbly saved by Captain Alex Smithies.
The on loan Hull striker had another chance mid-way through the half, but again saw his shot blocked, this time by Anthony Gerrard.
Barnley’s missed openings came back to haunt them on the half hour mark when Keith Southern netted the opener and his first for Town on home soil. Hunt felled Adam Hammill just outside the area and when Adam Clayton’s free-kick found Nahki Wells, he picked out the midfielder who turned the ball home.
It was two shortly afterwards and again Wells was instrumental in the goal. The move originated from the Terriers’ centre-halves who released Oliver Norwood into space; the midfielder slipped clear Wells who found Ward with a cut-back to finish past Steele.
Wells had two good chances of his own to extend Town’s lead before the interval, while Hunt went close for the Tykes with a curling effort on his left.
Barnsley needed to start the second half like a train if they were going to get back into this Yorkshire derby, but instead it was Town who upped their game.
Norwood’s through ball in the 48th minute found Wells who grabbed his third assist of the afternoon with a neat ball to Hammill. The winger strode onto the pass and fired a shot at Steele which he parried up and towards his goal, allowing the former Barnsley man to tap home.
The Tykes looked a shadow of the side that dramatically survived on the final day of last season. Frimpong tried to fire some life into the Tykes with a low effort from 25 yards, but Smithies was equal to it and palmed behind well.
It was to get worse for Wilson’s men though, with Wells collecting his fourth assist of the match. Clayton played the striker through on goal and he was too quick for Steele who brought him to ground in the box. Clayton stepped up and calmly fired into the top corner to extend the Terriers’ lead to four.
The misery was complete for the visitors with five minutes of the game remaining when substitute Sean Scannell was shown far too much room and fired past Steele from 20 yards.
Town’s team (4-2-3-1):
Alex Smithies (c); Paul Dixon, Murray Wallace, Anthony Gerrard, Calum Woods; Keith Southern, Adam Clayton; Danny Ward (Joe Lolley, 87), Oliver Norwood, Adam Hammill (Sean Scannell, 68); Nahki Wells (Martin Paterson, 87)
Unused substitutes:
Ian Bennett, Peter Clarke, Tommy Smith, Oscar Gobern
Bookings Town:
Bookings Barnsley: Jack Hunt 28, Nick Proschwitz 34, Luke Steele 57, Emmanuel Frimpong 62
Gate: 14,236
Away: 1,973
