BRISTOL CITY 3 (Brooker 24, Stewart 38 p, 45)
BARNSLEY 0
A HAT trick of first half errors by youngster Dale Tonge gifted BristolCity a comfortable 3-0 victory at Ashton Gate.
Reds boss Andy Ritchie was forced into three changes from the side that crashed at home against Doncaster Rovers last weekend with local lads Tonge, Nicky Wroe and Robbie Williams returning to the starting eleven to replace suspended dup Neil Austin and Antony Kay and the injured Matt Carbon.
Bobby Hassell switched to the middle of defence after Carbon failed a fitness test on his injured groin. Brian Howard was named amongst the substitutes for the first time this season after recovering from a fractured metatarsal.
City, under the guidance of Gary Johnson at Ashton Gate for the first time, started brightly with Luke Wilkshire firing goalward on two minutes but Nick Colgan was in the right place to make a comfortable save. At the other end Chris Shuker twice got in and finally tested Steve Phillips on four minutes with a low shot.
Wilkshire was again the architect for City on 13 minutes as he swung a great free kick over from the right for Marcus Stewart but the veteran striker could not get his header away under pressure from Barry Conlon. City pressed again from the rebound with Cole Skuse testing Colgan with a low drive.
Barnsley struggled to really create anything going forward although Phillips had to be at his best on 20 minutes to grasp a Tonge cross from the air as Conlon threatened to pounce.
City grabbed the lead out of nothing on 24 minutes as a slip in midfield presented the ball to Wilkshire and the Aussie did well to thread a great pass into Steve Brooker who slotted a low shot past Colgan and into the bottom corner.
The home side came again on 27 minutes as Wilkshire's mistimed shot hammered into the turf and bounced goalward to send Colgan scrambling although the ball eventually dropped inches over the bar.
Another good cross by Cotterill caused all sorts of problems of the Reds on the half hour as Tonge failed to clear but then managed to get in the right place to block Marcus Stewart's goalbound shot.
City looked threatening every time they pressed forward and Skuse went close again on 34 minutes after good play in the area by the impressive Brooker but the midfielder dragged his shot well wide.
The Reds did threaten sporadically and Jacob Burns fine corner on 35 minutes gave Robbie Williams a great chance but again Phillips was in the right place to grab his header.
Things went from bad to worse on 38 minutes as Tonge needlessly challenged the flying Stewart in the area and the referee showed no hesitation in pointing to the penalty spot. The former Ipswich Town and Sunderland striker made no mistake beating Colgan from 12 yards.
Again City came at Barnsley on 43 minutes with Wilkshire once more finding space and time to cross from the left but this time Bobby Hassell did well to get to the ball before Stewart could pounce.
Another horrendous slip by Tonge handed City a third goal on a plate in stoppage time as the full back gifted the ball to Scott Brown on the half way line. The winger had half the pitch to run into before finding Stewart in the area and he handed his team mate a simple tap in.
Barnsley started the second half strongly but again it was City who went close to grabbing another goal on 50 minutes as Brooker powered his way into the area before turning and shooting but his effort flew high over the top. More strong play by Brooker forced an opening for Craig Woodman on 54 minutes but the full back saw his shot well blocked by Hassell after breaking into the area.
A minute later Barnsley really should have been back in the game as Wroe did well to play in Paul Hayes but the striker as denied by Phillips fine low save. Williams found space on 57 minutes after battling past Cotterill but hammered a shot well wide of the target from 25 yards.
Substitutes Marc Richards and Brian Howard combined well to split the City defence wide open on 75 minutes but Phillips was again in the right place to grab the ball from the air before Daniel Nardiello could pounce.
City stepped up a gear again on 76 minutes as Scott Murray teased a great call across the face of goal for Wilkshire but this time the midfielder could not find a finish and shot at Colgan from 12 yards. The Reds went straight down the other end with Nardiello who crashed a shot inches wide of Phillips far post.
The home side again pressed with Michael Bridges firing wide on 88 minutes and then Murray doing the same seconds later as Bristol looked to extend their advantage.
A nightmare evening got even worse for Barnsley deep into stoppage time as skipper Paul Reid was forced out of the action with a knee injury after a thundering challenge on Bridges.
BRISTOL CITY: Phillips, Orr, Sankofa, Partridge, Woodman, Cotterill, Skuse, Wilkshire, Brown (Murray 66), Stewart (Madjo 62), Brooker (Bridges 76).
Subs: Burch, Keogh.
BARNSLEY: Colgan, Hassell, Reid, Burns, Hayes (Nardiello 56), Conlon (Richards 71), Wroe, Shuker, Tonge, Williams, Devaney (Howard 51).
Subs: Flinders, Laight.
