When you’ve been hammered 5-1 at home it’s perhaps fortuitous that the next game is against the League One’s bottom side.
That was Barnsley last night and they responded with a 3-2 win at Carlisle United last night, although to be fair there were uncomfortable moments for the Tykes at both ends of the game at Brunton Park.
Neill Collins’ promotion-chasing side had not started well and after just 10 minutes Luke Armstrong raised the prospect of a nightmare scenario for the visitors when he put the Blues ahead.
Armstrong had also scored on Saturday at Charlton, when United also lost 3-2, and this return to Cumbrian soil only attracted 5,522 people – the club’s lowest League crowd of the season.
Sixteen points shy of safety and 10 points behind their nearest rivals at the bottom there’s an acceptance of what will become official in nine games’ time.
But for 23 minutes Paul Simpson’s side enjoyed a lead, a stat that has been a rare occurrence for them in League One.
That advantage ended when Barnsley captain Jordan Williams fired home from 20 yards and the visitors sprang to life. John McAtee hammered one against the bar and home keeper Harry Lewis did well to turn over a strong strike from Sam Cosgrove.
Early in the second half it was McAtee who put Barnsley ahead after good work from Cosgrove and Jonathan Russell notched the third after 77 minutes.
Substitute Dan Butterworth made it an interesting finale when he got away to score Carlisle’s second on 87 minutes but Barnsley saw it through to a satisfying conclusion.
