BARNSLEY 0
COVENTRY CITY 1 (Andrews 85)
BARNSLEY crashed to another home defeat as Wayne Andrews' late goal gave Coventry all three points at Oakwell.
Reds boss Andy Ritchie kept faith with the side that started at Sunderland as he looked for a positive reaction following last weekend's defeat at the Stadium of Light.
Barnsley started positively straight from the kick off with Paul Hayes finding a yard of space deep in the Coventry half. Hayes let fly from 25 yards but his shot was well blocked by Elliott Ward. At the other end Kevin Kyle saw an effort cannon away off Paul Reid for a corner seconds later.
Colin Cameron managed to find space down the right on five minutes to cross well but Kyle could not direct his header on target from 16 yards.
Another Coventry's long ball caused more problems on eight minutes as Michael Doyle made a nuisance of himself in the area as he challenged Reid. The ball eventually broke to Dele Adebola but the big striker could not get his acrobatic effort anywhere near Nick Colgan's goal.
Cameron was next to try his luck on eleven minutes as he combined well with Adebola before tricking his way into the area but shot straight at Colgan.
The Reds struggled to get a grip on the game although Marc Richard managed to find himself behind City on 22 minutes but shot wide from a very tight angle.
Kyle, who's brawling approach to the game did not endear him to the Oakwell faithful, blazed another chance over the bar on 22 minutes as he met Leon McKenzie's cross unmarked at the back post but skied his effort high into the Enterprise Stand.
At the other end Hayes managed to get in behind Coventry finally on 33 minutes but could only drag his shot straight at Andy Marshall.
Marshall had to be at his very best just four minutes later as Sam Togwell let fly from the edge of the area but the Sky Blues' keeper showed good hands to parry the ball away.
It was Colgan's turn to provide the heroics on 39 minutes after Richard Duffy had combined well with Adebola before bursting into the area. Colgan was quickly off his line to make a fine save.
Doyle then blotted his copybook with a ridiculous studs' up challenge on Brian Howard on 41 minutes that left the Reds star, who had bossed the midfield throughout the first half, in a heap. Doyle was rightly cautioned but only after a melee involving most of the outfield players.
The visitors came out flying after the break with Marcus Hall causing problems with a near post cross on 46 minutes which Adebola managed to glance wide under pressure from Reid.
Michael McIndoe burst into life on 54 minutes as he took on Bobby Hassell's pass and drove forward before unleashing a well-struck shot but his effort flew high over Marshall's cross bar. McIndoe again tested his shooting boots on 59 minutes as he met Colgan's long kick with purpose but could not get his volley on target.
A Robbie Williams long throw then put the Coventry defence under all sorts of pressure on 61 minutes before the ball eventually fell to Howard on the edge of the area but this the midfielder shot straight at Marshall.
Again Coventry could not deal with a long throw on 64 minutes as Togwell's rocket embarrassed Marshall and McIndoe managed to head goalward only to see his effort kicked away off the line.
At the other end Hassell had to be alert and brave to clear McKenzie's cross at tha back post on 66 minutes as Kyle looked odds-on to score.
A mistake by Duffy gave McIndoe the chance to get away on 68 minutes and the Reds winger powered down the touchline before sending his cross just above Howard, Richards and substitute Daniel Nardiello in the six yard box.
Coventry pressed but never really looked like getting in behind the Reds although Jay Tabb, who almost joined Barnsley in the summer, tested Colgan on 76 minutes with a shot from distance.
Barnsley broke well with Nardiello tying Robert Page up in knots on the left wing a minute later before crossing well but Togwell saw his shot deflect away at the back post. Richards almost got things right on 78 minutes as he found a yard of space in the area before crashing a left-foot shot wide of the far post.
Coventry City manager Micky Adams was pilloried by his own supporters on 84 minutes when he took off McKenzie and sent on Andrews to add some life into his front line. The decision proved the right one just a minute later as Andrews was allowed all the time in the world to turn in the area and plant a low shot past Colgan and into the bottom corner.
Nardiello thought he had levelled things deep in stoppage time as his curler from the left flew inches wide of the post with Marshall well beaten.
BARNSLEY: Colgan, Hassell, Reid, Togwell, Hayes (Nardiello 63), McIndoe, Howard, Kay, Williams, Richards (Wright 82), Devaney (Healy 73).
Subs: Heckingbottom, Austin.
COVENTRY CITY: Marshall, Cameron (Tabb 60), Hughes, Kyle, Clarke (Hall 23), Adebola, Duffy, Doyle, McKenzie (Andrews 84), Page, Ward.
Subs: Birchall, Heath.
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