Coventry skipper Dion Dublin produced a defensive master class before scoring
the last-gasp goal that gave the Sky Blues a club record equalling sixth
successive victory.
Dublin, who just 11 days ago had earned his first England cap as a striker,
led by example from the back for the first 67 minutes before finally being
thrust up front by City boss Gordon Strachan.
It was a move which paid handsome dividends as Dublin was sent sprawling in
the Barnsley penalty area following a free kick from the right by David
Burrows.
However, it looked as if Dublin had dived under a challenge from Barnsley's
Swedish centre back Peter Markstedt.
But referee Alan Wilkie had no hesitation in pointing to the spot, allowing
Dublin to dust himself down and send keeper David Watson the wrong way from the
spot for his 17th goal of the season.
The versatile hitman, given his international bow in the 2-0 defeat against
Chile due to his previous 16 strikes, again found himself the initial fall guy
as Strachan tried to accommodate his strikers.
Strachan decided to pair £3.25million club record signing Viorel Moldovan up
front with Darren Huckerby, but that move backfired, forcing the Scot to change
tack midway through the second half.
The penny should have dropped earlier as Coventry barely had a worthwhile
chance in the opening 45 minutes against a Barnsley side chasing their first
away win since November 29 and their first victory at Highfield Road since
December 1923.
The opening 45 minutes was anything but an advert for football, with the only
save of note coming in the 37th minute when a Huckerby run at the much changed
Barnsley defence eventually led to a powerful right foot shot being superbly
tipped away by Watson.
Tykes boss Danny Wilson was without the injured Arjan de Zeeuw and Ales
Krizan, while Chris Morgan and Darren Barnard were both suspended.
It forced Wilson into giving Markstedt his first start since January 17, while
22-year-old Scott Jones was handed his first appearance of any capacity for 11
months.
Barnsley's defence coped well in the first half but began to creak as Coventry
stepped up the pressure after the break.
Dublin kept Ashley Ward and Jan-Aage Fjortoft quiet at one end and he left it
up to his team mates to try and find the breakthrough against a resilient
Barnsley side at the other.
Within 90 seconds of the restart Markstedt had made two superb blocks to deny
Huckerby and Noel Whelan, with the loose ball eventually falling to the latter
whose 18 yard right foot volley was inches wide of the right hand post.
Dublin then made a rare raid into the Barnsley half in the 54th minute,
setting Huckerby free, but, with only Watson to beat, he glaringly missed with a
10-yard sidefoot shot.
On the hour a Nicky Eaden mistake allowed Huckerby to cross into the box for
Moldovan, who had managed to get behind the Barnsley defence, but he miskicked
just yards from goal as the ball then trickled out of play.
Strachan then moved Dublin up front, bringing off Moldovan and sending on
Marcus Hall to take up the role vacated by his captain.
Dublin's pace and power gave Barnsley fresh problems to ponder but the winning
goal should have come five minutes from full time when Dutch midfielder George
Boateng became involved in an edge of the area tangle with Watson.
A long ball out of defence saw Boateng race on to it, initially clashing with
Watson who frantically tried to beat the midfielder to the punch, but the loose
ball fell the Dutchman's way and he swung his boot with the ball agonisingly
trickling against the post before Barnsley finally managed to clear the danger.
Then came Dublin's moment of glory, preserving Strachan's 'fortress' Highfield
Road tag as Coventry have now just been beaten once in 17 home games this
season.
Teams
Coventry: Hedman, Burrows, Breen, Huckerby, Whelan, Dublin,
Telfer, Soltvedt (Strachan 76), Boateng, Nilsson,
Moldovan (Hall 67).
Subs Not Used: Ogrizovic, Johansen, Haworth.
Goals: Dublin 89 pen.
Barnsley: Watson, Eaden, Sheridan (Hristov 90), Moses, Redfearn,
Bosancic, Jones, Ward, Markstedt, Fjortoft (Hendrie 70),
Bullock (Marcelle 79).
Subs Not Used: Appleby, Tinkler.
Booked: Bosancic, Eaden.
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