Barnsley 0-2 Blackpool: Seasiders breeze to routine win to leapfrog Preston in the table

Goals in either half from Owen Dale and Ollie Casey handed the Seasiders their second win from their last three games.

It means, with only two games remaining against the two other sides already to be relegated, Neil Critchley’s side move up to 15th and two points above Preston.

The Seasiders were in total control from the first minute until the last and on another day could easily have added more goals to their tally.

In the end, they were left to settle for a routine victory and only their second three points in a midweek game this season - their last coming at Reading back in October.

Plenty of eyebrows were raised when Blackpool announced their team, as they made four changes from the draw at Luton on the weekend.

Matty Virtue was handed a first start of the season following his recent return from long-term injury, as he partnered former Barnsley man Kenny Dougall in central midfield.

Elsewhere, Oliver Casey was also handed a rare start, only his fourth of the season and his second in the league.

That saw Richard Keogh drop out of the squad, probably rested as Blackpool face three games in the space of a week.

Owen Dale was brought back in to start on the right, while Charlie Kirk kept his place on the left. Dale’s return to the side, his first start since February, meant CJ Hamilton dropped down to the bench.

Shayne Lavery also came in for Gary Madine, meaning Jake Beesley continued in attack for the third game running.

There was also a surprise return from injury for Kevin Stewart, who was included among the substitutes.

Dan Grimshaw, Dujon Sterling, Jordan Gabriel, Grant Ward and Sonny Carey remain sidelined, while Reece James, Keshi Anderson, Josh Bowler and Madine were all left out of the squad.

There was a pre-season feel to the game in the early stages, the match lacking intensity both on and off the pitch - the visiting Blackpool fans aside.

Oakwell was looking incredibly sparse in the home ends, no surprise really given Barnsley’s relegation was finally confirmed at Huddersfield on Friday night.

The Seasiders were the first to threaten, as Marvin Ekpiteta posed a threat from two deliveries into the Barnsley box in quick succession.

A deep Charlie Kirk free-kick was headed back towards the danger area by the centre-back, but the Tykes managed to head away for a corner.

From the resulting delivery, Ekpiteta again won his header only for Barnsley keeper Jack Walton to beat the ball away.

A moment before those two set-piece chances, Chris Maxwell had been slightly fortunate to get away with a poor pass out from the back which was almost pounced upon by the home side.

The Tykes wasted a good opportunity to open the scoring in the 16th minute when Remy Vita blazed over at the back post.

The Barnsley winger was left in far too much space after the Seasiders had been opened up too easily on their left flank.

At the other end, Kirk did so well to hit a first-time ball across the face of the six-yard box, but no Blackpool man was able to capitalise.

Such was Blackpool’s domination of possession, the away fans brought out the “ole” chants as early as the 27th minute as their side passed the ball amongst themselves almost at will.

But while the game remained goalless, they had to remain alert. Thankfully Casey did exactly that when he made a superb recovery tackle to deny Callum Styles as he surged through on goal.

Blackpool were playing some pleasing-on-the-eye stuff, as evidenced in the 33rd minute when they worked the ball from right to left superbly to open up the home side - but James Husband’s delivery was found wanting as he skewed his cross behind the goal.

The Seasiders were crying out for a moment of quality in the final third and six minutes before the interval, they provided it.

Jake Beesley started it off with a superb lofted through-ball towards Owen Dale, who showed great composure and trickery to cut inside before picking out the far corner of the Barnsley net.

The opener sparked great celebratory scenes among the travelling Blackpool fans in the away end, while a tangerine smoke bomb was hurled onto the pitch.

Despite being in front, Pool still had room to improve and if they were able to move through the gears, more goals were there for them.

A second nearly came at the start of the second-half, where Beesley couldn’t quite keep down a header from Husband’s deep cross.

A moment later, the Seasiders were given a warning when Maxwell was called upon to make an important save to tip Cauley Woodrow’s deflected effort over his bar.

Matty Virtue could have capped off his first start of the season with a goal when he had a drilled effort well saved by Walton after the Seasiders had broken with men over.

The second-half was largely a non-event, with the visiting Pool supporters left to entertain themselves by keeping the ball in the away end.

It eventually found its way onto the pitch, only for Jerry Yates - warming up on the touchline - to lob it back in to huge cheers.

Those cheers only intensified when Blackpool predictably doubled their lead thanks to a close-range finish from Kenny Dougall’s lofted free-kick.

The midfielder’s delivery was headed back towards the danger area by Ekpiteta towards his centre-back partner Ollie Casey, who stabbed home his first goal for the club.

It resulted in quite the scene as the Blackpool players celebrated in the midst of thick tangerine smoke in front of the jubilant away end.

Beesley almost got in on the act when he hit the foot of the post from a tight angle after substitute Yates had beaten the keeper to a bouncing ball in the Barnsley box.

The home side were offering absolutely nothing but out of nowhere, they almost found themselves through on goal only for the peerless Ekpiteta to mop up without breaking a sweat.

Barnsley could have made things interesting 10 minutes from time when Matty Wolfe rattled the crossbar out of absolutely nothing, leaving Maxwell rooted to the spot.

Casey’s evening ended seven minutes prematurely after he went down with cramp, replaced by Jordan Thorniley shortly afterwards.

The only drama in the final moments came from a lone pitch invader, who ran all the way from the Barnsley end to the applauding Pool supporters only to be marched off and serenaded with chants of “you’re going down”.

TEAMS

Barnsley: Walton, Kitching, Moon, Christie-Davies (Hondermarck), Vita, Wolfe, Brittain, Andersen, Styles, Woodrow (Adeboyejo), Morris (Marsh)

Subs not used: Jinadu, Palmer, Oduor, Ariely

Blackpool: Maxwell, Connolly, Ekpiteta, Casey (Thorniley), Husband, Dougall, Virtue, Dale, Kirk (Hamilton), Lavery (Yates), Beesley

Subs not used: Moore, Garbutt, Robson, Stewart

Referee: John Busby

Attendance: 12,256