When analysing why Barnsley’s attempt to finish in the top two collapsed so spectacularly in the spring and why their dreams of promotion were finally dashed this week, the events of March 5 became extremely important.
Bolton terminated the Reds’ season with an exciting 5-4 aggregate victory, even though they lost the play-off second leg in Lancashire on Tuesday.
The story of Barnsley’s season, however, was altered in the league match against Wanderers on Oakwell in early March when the visitors overcame a two-goal deficit to earn an exciting late draw.
Not only did the Reds lose by two points to a rival team that automatically qualified for promotion, but they also lost because of Donovan Pines’ injury sustained in January.
The foreign player from the United States was just beginning to settle in and seemed like a good addition.
Sadly, he suffered a thigh injury and needed surgery; in the four games he played in, Barnsley went undefeated and won three.
They only won three times in the thirteen games played without him, including the playoffs, and their defence looked quite questionable.
In response to a question about whether his absence contributed to the team’s decline, interim head coach Martin Devaney stated: “He came in and did really well.” Since he just played three games when he arrived, it’s difficult to say.
“However, he performed admirably in those contests, so perhaps he was the one to get those extra points to place higher.
Week in and week out, we found it tough and had to rely on a lot of players after that 2-2 tie at our place. For us, it hasn’t worked out.
It wasn’t for lack of effort; these guys are fantastic and a nice group of guys. Despite our struggles, we advanced to the playoffs. We advanced to the championship game the previous season, and this one has demonstrated our strength.
“A good team is one that advances to the playoffs. Many people are not under contract, so we’ll proceed accordingly and wait and see.”
Striker Sam Cosgrove, whose play-off performance saw him score three goals in two games to equal his league total in 23–24, is one player under contract who looks to be staying put.
“He demonstrated what he was all about,” Devaney continued. We were striking those diagonals, and his physicality was giving us a lot of trouble.
“It’s nice that he demonstrated that he can also threaten goals. It was a huge benefit for the upcoming season.”
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