There was no hint of real sunshine in South Yorkshire and it was not the
Maracana but you'd have been forgiven for mistaking Barnsley for Brazil as they
tore in-form Blackburn to shreds at Oakwell.
And on this performance Dave Basset's men proved that they will be on the
guest list at least when the invites go out for the end of season promotion
party.
For 45 minutes they were simply out of this world as Rovers' own promotion
hope went up in smoke.
A season-best crowd of over 18,000 did not have to wait long for the action to
hot up and the home side took the lead in spectacular fashion.
Darren Barnard swung over a corner from the right with just four minutes on
the clock, which fell behind Robbie Van Der Laan on the edge of the area. His
overhead kick flew goalwards and crashed off the underside of the bar before the
alert Bruce Dyer, following in, tapped the ball home.
The lead was short-lived, as just three minutes later Per Frandsen could not
have been more deliberate as he lined up a 25-yard free-kick that flew past
Kevin Millar and into the top corner.
Despite the goal the home side looked well on top and Blackburn looked
decidedly shaky at the back.
The dominance was rewarded with a quarter of an hour gone. Neil Shipperley
danced his way across the edge of the box evading tackle after tackle. When
Darren Peacock finally toed the ball away, it fell only to Craig Hignett who
crashed a shot at Alan Kelly before swivelling to execute the rebound.
Barnsley kept coming at Rovers and were tearing them apart all over the pitch
so it was no surprise when Shipperley pounced as Christian Dailly took too long
in his own area, allowing the striker to coolly slot in the third before the
half hour.
The red tide was relentless.
Dyer did well to hold the ball on the edge of the area before playing in
Darren Barnard who cut back inside, found a yard, and expertly curled the ball
into the Rovers net.
Barnard, hurt while scoring the fourth goal, was substituted soon after.
At the other end Egil Ostenstad saw his shot saved well by Miller in a rare
Rovers excursion forward, with Peacock and Nathan Blake also denied by the
keeper.
Rovers understandably came out on the attack after the break with Frandsen
going close and Peacock forcing a low save from Miller.
Barnsley were forced into the second change when centre-back David Tuttle was
stretchered off after he appeared to take a blow to the head - former Blackburn
man Keith Brown replacing him.
Ostenstad saw Miller take the sting out of his shot when he should have done
better and was soon making way for Matt Jansen as Blackburn sought a way back.
But the home side, steadied in midfield by the outstanding Van Der Laan, were
back in control.
A fifth goal came thanks to good work from Chris Barker who found Dyer inside
the Rovers box. The striker used his body to shield the ball before turning a
right foot shot across Kelly and low into the far corner.
Miller was on his toes to keep out Damien Duff and Jansen within the space of
a minute and acrobatically saved from Blake near the end.
Teams
Barnsley: Miller, Eaden, Barker, Chettle, Tuttle (Brown 57),
Barnard (Thomas 37), Hignett, Appleby, Van Der Laan,
Shipperley, Dyer (Sheron 89).
Subs Not Used: Parkin, Jackson.
Booked: Hignett.
Goals: Dyer 5, Hignett 15, Shipperley 22, Barnard 32, Dyer 72.
Blackburn: Kelly, McAteer, Grayson, Davidson, Peacock, Dailly,
Duff, Johnson (Gillespie 70), Frandsen, Ostenstad (Jansen 64),
Blake.
Subs Not Used: Fettis, Dunn, Short.
Goals: Frandsen 7.
Att: 18,088
Ref: T Parkes (Birmingham).
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