Football: Barnard crowns Barnsley spree

Barnsley 7 Huddersfield Town 1

THE OAKWELL anthem declares that watching Barnsley is just like watching Brazil, and for one fleeting second it truly was.

The imperious manner in which wing-back Darren Barnard scored Barnsley's sixth goal is only meant to emanate from the boot of a South American.

Yet those self-same samba skills were deliciously employed in the midst of a Yorkshire derby to fashion a goal fit for a world stage.

From the furthest extremes of the penalty area Barnard watched a cross from Nicky Eaden drop in front of him and he cracked, with the outside of his left foot, a curling shot into the top left-hand corner of the net. A wonder goal in anyone's language.

That symbolised the highs Barnsley enjoyed as Huddersfield's promotion credentials were stripped apart.

And what must Dave Jones, the Southampton manager, have thought. Earlier this week he tried to sign Barnard but was unable to satisfy his transfer target over terms.

As a contest it was over long, long before the Fat Lady had recourse to vocal chords. A goal up in 10 minutes, it was a night when just about everything Barnsley touched turned to goals, and everything the inaptly- named Terriers laid a finger on simply fell apart.

For Peter Jackson, the Huddersfield manager, the agony began when Bruce Dyer applied a simple finishing touch after the defenders tried and failed to clear Barnard's corner.

From that point Huddersfield, meant to enjoy a reputation as one of the First Division's doughty fighters, folded. After missing a string of easy opportunities Barnsley scored their second as their new signing Craig Hignett claimed the first of his two goals, glancing in Eaden's cross.

That goal was happily registered in the 19th minute and seven minutes later his pounds 800,000 transfer from Aberdeen, bought on compassionate grounds, seemed an even better idea. His crisp volley slipped under the body of the seriously embarrassed Nico Vaesen.

Huddersfield rarely ventured as far as Barnsley's penalty area and, two minutes after Hignett's second goal, Eric Tinkler glanced in another from Barnard corner.

Four became five after 37 minutes, Ashley Ward racing through and rounding the goalkeeper to score his 15th of the season, a happy send-off before starting a three-match ban.

Then came Barnard's coup de grace.

Hignett had a chance to complete his hat-trick from the penalty spot just after half-time, but the kick was ballooned into the crowd.

It was just a respite. At 70 minutes Barnsley proved that their first- half six were no flash in the pan, Dyer driving in his second of the night.

But, eventually, Huddersfield did have a shot, and after 75 minutes it brought Delroy Facey a goal.

Barnsley: (3-5-2): Bullock; Morgan, De Zeeuw, Moses; Eaden, Tinkler, McClare (Sheridan, 72), Hignett (Marcelle, 52), , Barnard; Ward, Dyer (D Bullock, 89).

Huddersfield Town (4-3-3): Vaesen; Jenkins, Jackson, Collins, Edwards; Johnson, Richardson (Gray, h-t), Phillips; Stewart (Facey 56), Allison, Barnes (Beech, h-t).

Referee: W Burns (Scarborough).