SAD NEWS: CLUB STATEMENT…….

Barnsley Football Club can confirm that on the way back from our fixture against Exeter City this evening, our club coach suffered complications and subsequently caught fire.

All players and staff on board were evacuated safely. Everyone is in good health.

We would like to thank the emergency services for their swift response.

The Club will make no further comment at this time and is focused on ensuring the safe return of staff and players.

 

 

 

 

“We are causing ourselves our own problems. I don’t think Barnsley beat us, we beat ourselves, and it is happening too much so we have to improve.”

 

Exeter City manager Gary Caldwell said his team shot themselves in the foot again after conceding a terrible late goal to suffer defeat at home to Barnsley. The Grecians were the better of the two sides at St James Park but John McAtee’s goal in the 90 ^th minute gave the Tykes the 1-0 win and all three points.

Demetri Mitchell had hit the post for City in the second half and had been the brightest spark on either side in an even encounter where defences were on top. But late on, Barnsley won it after City were the architects of their own downfall.

Having given the ball away, it was worked to Owen Dodgson on the left who had acres of space to pick out a cross, which McAtee got his head to, nodding home, to send the away fans wild. There was still time in stoppage-time for Mitchell to hit the woodwork again which denied him an equalizer, before McAtee missed an open goal to make it 2-0

Barnsley are now up to third in the League One table after a fifth win in six on the road. City are now down to 12 ^th , having lost four in a row in the league, and five of the last six.

“I would have been disappointed with 0-0, but to throw it away, it shows where we are at the moment,” Caldwell said. “Big moments are costing us and we shot ourselves in the foot again.

“We can play with more speed, intensity, desire, we created some good opportunities, could have been ahead, hit the post twice, but we always looked vulnerable to a moment like that and conceded a terrible goal.

“We played well, where the better team, but we were too safe, played with the handbrake on. We didn’t commit with bravery and force through the lines and committed the cardinal sin of giving them a goal. Don’t think they did anything special and they waited for us to give them the goal.

“We have to learn. They came here and didn’t try to hurt us and sat in. We are causing ourselves our own problems. I don’t think Barnsley beat us, we beat ourselves, and it is happening too much so we have to improve.”

Caldwell made two changes from the side who were beaten 4-1 at Charlton Athletic on Tuesday night. Pierce Sweeney and Jack Aitchison were recalled to the starting eleven, with Jack Fitzwater and Tom Carroll both dropping out of the matchday squad with injuries. Ryan Trevitt and Admiral Muskwe were both fit enough to be named on the subs bench. Will Aimson was available after his sending off at Charlton was overturned.

Reece Cole whistled a free-kick wide in the early moments, before Mitchell was denied by Liam Roberts from a narrow angle after the winger got on the end of a long ball. The goalkeeper also gifted City a goal shortly after when he slipped, but just got enough on the ball to clear it, it bounced off Aitchison, and looped onto the roof of the net. Devante Cole had the best chance of the half for Neill Collins’ men but scuffed an effort straight at Vil Sinisalo.

On the hour, City came close, and it was that man Mitchell again. He drove forward, beating three men, and then from 25 yards, with the outside of the left foot, had a go. The shot beat Roberts, but not the post, and Vincent Harper couldn’t quite react quick enough to tuck home the rebound.

The chances were coming at both ends. Barry Cotter dragged wide from an angle, while after McAtee found Adam Phillips, but the substitute fluffed his lines six yards out.

In the 89 ^th minute the visitors nearly won it when Jamie McCart got on the end of a corner, but headed inches wide. But in the 90 ^th minute, they did. Dodgson was given acres of space to pick out a man with a cross on the left, McAtee arrived late into the box, and his low header had enough on it to beat Sinisalo and send the visiting fans wild.

Five minutes were added-on, and City nearly rescued something when Kyle Taylor’s cross was met by Mitchell, but his header crashed against the base of the post. Exeter had one more chance when they won a corner, and up went Sinisalo. But bizarrely City took it short, didn’t get it into the box, and Barnsley broke, McAtee though missing an open goal to make it two.

“It is always a concern when you don’t win matches and we have to be better,” Caldwell said. “We started well but that has gone now, too many people thinking what we have done is enough and it is not. Barnsley are a team in form, we showed we can be better than them, but we didn’t punish them when we had chances.

“There are loads we can work on and we have two weeks to do so, but the realization has to come, what we are doing isn’t good enough and we have to be better and have to improve in every way.”

Exeter City are back in action on Tuesday night when they host Arsenal U21s in the EFL Trophy. The next league action for the Grecians is in a fortnight when Wigan Athletic visit in League One.