Barnsley 0 v 6 Charlton Athletic (NPower Championship)
In the week that former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher passed away, the mining town of Barnsley took a massive step towards league one in a ding dong battle at Oakwell.
Barnsley had two men sent off and conceded six goals, whilst Charlton manager Chris Powell hailed his side’s victory at Oakwell as the best of his managerial career.
Chris Powell (Charlton Manager)
Charlton Athletic dominated this match from start to finish and took the lead after just four minutes, when Luke Steele spilled a Yann Kermorgant shot and Bradley Pritchard scored from close range.
On nineteen minutes, Charlton increased their lead through Johnnie Jackson, who was left unmarked by the Barnsley defence to tap in the second goal from five yards out.
First half substitute Jason Scotland, nearly made an instant impact when he fed Jacob Mellis in the area, only for his shot to be cleared off the line. Three minutes later Bobby Hassell headed over the Charlton bar from close range.
Johnnie Jackson (Scores Second Goal)
The second half started much the same as the first, with just three minutes gone, Luke Steele called for the ball only to see it go over his head for Charlton’s Yann Kermorgant to head into an empty goal.
Yann Kermorgant (Scores Third Goal)
Barnsley then had a couple of rare chances, both of which were headers from corners. The first fell to Stephen Foster, which was tipped over the bar by Charlton goalkeeper Ben Hamer and from the resulting corner, Jason Scotland headed straight into Hamer’s hands.
Luke Steele then made his third error of the match on fifty-nine minutes, when Callum Harriott took a shot from the angle of the penalty area which went under Steele’s body for Charlton’s fourth goal of the game.
Callum Harriott (Scores Fourth Goal)
Barnsley’s misery continued on sixty-two minutes when Stephen Dawson saw a straight red card from referee Geoff Eltringham for a two footed lunge on Charlton’s Yann Kermorgant.
Charlton then extended their lead on the eighty minutes, when Jonathan Obika made a clever turn in the box, before feeding fellow substitute Salim Kerkar who slotted the ball passed Luke Steele from close range.
Salim Kerkar (Scores Fifth Goal)
Barnsley then had their second player of the afternoon sent off on eighty-six minutes, when Tom Kennedy tripped Ricardo Fuller who was through on goal, the referee had little choice but to send him off as he was the last man.
Fuller then added insult to injury, when 4 minutes later he added a sixth goal for Charlton in the final minute of the game.
Tom Kennedy (Red Card)
Barnsley now have four games left against Derby County (H), Nottingham Forest (A), Hull City (H) and Huddersfield Town (A) to save their championship season and avoid relegation to NPower League Division One.
Match Details
Barnsley – Steele, Wiseman, Hassell, Foster, Kennedy, Mellis, Dawson, Perkins, Cywka, Dagnall, O’Grady (Subs) Alnwick, Harewood, Scotland, Jones, O’Brien, Rose, Cranie
Charlton Athletic – Hamer, Hughes, Jackson, Morrison, Pritchard, Wiggins, Kermorgant, Solly, Fuller, Harriott, Dervite-Vaussoue (Subs) Button, Taylor, Green, Kerkar, Gower, Wilson, Obika
Goal – (Charlton) Pritchard (4) Jackson (19) Kermorgant (48) Harriott (59) Kerkar (80) Fuller (90)
Attendance – 9,469
