BARNSLEY 3 (Howard 67, Souza 72, Devaney 87)
BRISTOL CITY 0

A BRILLIANT Barnsley blew away Bristol City with an outstanding second half display led my midfielder maestro Brian Howard, who netted another fine goal to break the visitors.

Reds boss Simon Davey made two changes to the side that drew with Cardiff City as Dominik Werling and Miguel Mostto came into the side at the expense of Rob Kozluk and Istvan Ferenczi. Former Red Michael McIndoe lined up in the City starting eleven.

It was City who fired the first shot in anger with just two minutes on the clock as Jamie McAllister hammered the ball high over the bar after the Reds had been caught out a little by McIndoe's quick corner.

Barnsley almost broke the deadlock a minute later when Grant McCann brought an outstanding low save from Adriano Basso after the midfielder had done well to break onto Kayode Odejayi's knock down.

Another McIndoe corner caused Heinz Muller problems on five minutes but this time Louis Carey could only shoot high over after finding a yard of space on the edge of the area.

Mostto then did well to hold off Liam Fontaine on seven minutes as get a shot away but Basso was well placed to smother his well-struck effort.

Odejayi did well again on ten minutes and split the City defence to find McCann in space but the Northern Ireland international could only chip the ball over Basso and onto the roof of the net from 25 yards.

Howard was next to try his luck a minute later as he forced Basso into a fine stop with a well-struck shot from all of 30 yards. Muller then had to be at his very best on 13 minutes to turn away Marvin Elliott's effort after City had done well to break into the Reds area.

Scott Murray then raced onto Darren Byfield's flick on 16 minutes as the Reds were almost caught out at the back but again Muller was in the right place to save.

McCann was an inch away from another outrageous free kick on 31 minutes after Odejayi had been hauled down by Carey. The Northern Irishman got his effort over the wall and past Basso but his shot just beat the far post.

Barnsley were denied a stonewall penalty on 34 minutes when Howard let fly in the area only for Carey to block the ball with an outstretched arm. Amazingly the referee gave nothing.

Neat play by Howard and Anderson De Silva opened the City defence again on 38 minutes but this time Mostto could only shoot wide from 18 yards.

Werling turned provider on 40 minutes with a fine cross from the left to give Mostto another opportunity but the Peruvian could not get his header on target from 18 yards. Werling again picked the right pass a minute later to put Howard free on the edge of the area but this time the midfielder could only volley high over the bar under pressure.

Muller showed his immense presence in goal on the stroke of half time as he cleared McIndoe's cross and poleaxed Elliott in the process. Thankfully the City striker was able to continue after treatment.

City could have snatched the lead with the last kick of the half as Carey flashed a header wide from McIndoe's near post corner.

Barnsley started the second half well and Fontaine had to slice Howard's cross over his own bar on 46 minutes as the Reds pressed. From De Silva's corner McCann did well to ride a couple of challenges but could only shoot off a defender and through to Basso.

Howard then did well to break onto Odejayi's pass on 48 minutes and raced forward before shooting past Basso but agonisingly wide of the upright.

Lee Trundle fired high and wide a minute later after Byfield had hit the deck easily 30 yards from goal. Trundle took the free kick quickly but his effort was never going to trouble Muller.

Howard was in again on 51 minutes as he combined wonderfully well with Lewin Nyatanga but the midfielder could only smash the ball into the sidenetting.

The Reds came in strong again on 52 minutes as Howard's cross looked to be heading towards De Silva at the back post only for the Brazilian to be hammered off the ball by McAllister. Again the referee gave nothing as the Reds appealed for a spot kick.

Howard turned provider again on 53 minutes as his far post corner caught out the City defence but Dennis Souza could only head straight at Basso from 13 yards out. Howard had the ball in the back of the net on 59 minutes as he battled his way past Elliott and onto Mostto's pass only for the referee to award a free kick. McCann was next to try his luck as he volleyed a foot or so over the bar on 64 minutes as the Reds lay siege to the City goal.

The goal the Reds so thoroughly deserved came on 67 minutes as Howard raced at the heart of a crumbling City defence before cutting back inside and planting the ball past Basso from 18 yards.

Barnsley were rampant and could have had a second on 70 minutes as Jamal Campbell-Ryce tortured McAllister down the right before planting a fine cross over for McCann attack but the Northern Irishman put his header an inch wide of the far post with Basso nowhere to be seen.

The second goal came on 72 minutes after Howard had been flattened 30 yards from goal. Werling strode up confidently and almost snapped Basso in two with a thunderous free kick. Souza was on hand to rifle the rebound into the back of the net from six yards.

De Silva and Kim Christensen brought saves from Basso as the Reds continued to create openings.

Martin Devaney put the game beyond all doubt on 88 minutes as he capitalised on Howard's excellent break from a City corner. Devaney took on Howard's pass before smashing a low shot past Basso and into the back of the net.

BARNSLEY: Muller, Foster, Souza, Nyatanga, Werling, Campbell-Ryce (Devaney 81), Howard, De Silva, McCann (Togwell 87), Mostto (Christensen 76), Odejayi.
Subs: Colgan, Kozluk.

BRISTOL CITY: Basso, Orr, McAllister, Fontaine (Vasko 73), Carey, Murray (Sproule 73), McIndoe, Trundle, Elliott (Skuse 76), Johnson, Byfield.
Subs: Wilson, Henderson.