Gregory changed the side following the Luton defeat but he didn’t really make the right changes! Royce remained in goal behind a back four of Rehman, Mancienne, Stewart and Timoska. The smart money had been on Timoska on the right with Milanese on the left but what the hell do we know? Smith, Bolder, Lomas and Cook were in midfield, again many had hoped Smith might have been benched but it seems that aint never gonna happen! Up top Blackstock was partnered by Furlong when most had hoped that Jones would come back in!  

The game was scrappy in the opening exchanges with both sides seemingly trying to concede as many freekicks as possible in the opening ten minutes. They were ably assisted by the waste of blood and organs that is Yorkshire’s Carl Boyeson as he couldn’t resist blowing for the slightest touch. I had expressed concern about a Yorkshireman doing this game and my fears would be realised much later in the piece. 

Rangers fashioned a good chance when Rehman beat his man on the right and sent in a cross that was well defended by Reid. From the corner a Lomas shot was deflected straight into the arms of Nick Colgan. Barnsley were making little headway as Bolder snapped into a succession of challenges in the middle of the park and moaned at Boyeson whenever the opportunity presented itself.  

The home side were denied by a great sliding clearance from Stewart when the bullish Richards was closing in at the far post whilst at the other end Colgan took a Cook freekick under pressure from Stewart as Rangers tried to edge in front. Furlong hit a trademark freekick straight into the wall after being pulled down following a good run. It was about as lively as Furlong looked all night and as much as it pains me to say it, he looks like the old man he now is. 

Smith had a “goal” disallowed for offside. The flag had been up for an age by the time Smith rattled the ball home. Smith was then denied a certain goal following a piece of incredible good fortune for Paul Reid.  

A corner fell Smith’s way and he caught his shot as sweetly as he could only to see it thump Reid in the head as it was destined for the top corner. The Barnsley man knew nothing about it and it just about summed up how it is going for the R’s at the moment. As for Smith, these two pieces of action were about all he managed in yet another shockingly anonymous performance for the Chelsea youngster. Ainsworth must have been sitting on the bench wondering what sort of compromising photos young Jimmy must have of JG! 

As the game entered the third minute of two minutes first half stoppage time Rangers were hit with a sucker punch by Marc Richards. A ball in from the right found Richards unmarked in five yards of space. He had time for a scruffy touch before bundling the ball past Royce. Having not seen the goal yet on TV it is difficult to see whether Richards was offside or whether someone let him run unfettered. The simple fact is though that it simply won’t do. It was typical of Rangers of late though that they now found themselves behind in a game that they had bossed for long periods. 

Cook had run the legs off of Bobby Hassell in the first half and did the same at the start of the second half only to see Barnsley clear the danger before Furlong could close in on the ball. Furlong then missed a sitter after Smith had cut the ball back to him. It was on his right foot but he has to hit the target from six yards at this level. 

It was all Rangers now. Timoska flung a ball to the back post that Blackstock headed straight at Colgan before the moment came that should have handed Rangers their equaliser. Cook crossed to the far post where Blackstock popped up to head back across goal to the waiting Smith and Furlong. Anthony Kay knew he was beaten so stuck out his arm for the most blatant of penalties. Incredibly the referee waived away the protests in what can only be described as a blatant act of cheating. He saw it, he couldn’t miss it, the entire ground saw it, it was simply disgraceful and he should be drummed off back to ruining peoples Sunday mornings as soon as possible.  

That decision seemed to knock the stuffing out of a Rangers side that is already devoid of confidence. Jones came on for Furlong and Ainsworth for Lomas as Gregory tried to pep things up. Barnsley were coming back into the game now and Rangers had to be alert to clear a Hassell header off of the line.  

Lee Cook should have done better when he launched a counterattack but instead of passing to Blackstock to his right or Jones to his left he decided to shoot and dragged his shot miles wide. Timoska then lashed a wild one into the crowd before Bolder did similar following a corner. 

With the game slipping away Nygaard was sent on in place of Rehman and Rangers went to a 3-4-3 formation. The switch did nothing for Rangers and as the game entered second half stoppage time Barnsley scored a stunner. Brian Howard broke from midfield and ran into the massive space in front of the back three. He shaped to blast one but instead floated a delicate chip over the stranded Royce into the far corner. It was a brilliant goal and signalled the exodus of the majority of the beleaguered R’s fans behind the opposite goal. 

The long drive home from Barnsley was one of almost complete silence. Normally you can have a laugh and a joke about something, usually Ron, but the sheer magnitude of this defeat had hit hard. Into the bottom three with a team that has forgotten the art of goalscoring and that has had the last bit of confidence wrung from them in the past few weeks. It’s not just this game; it’s the manner of the defeats at Hull and Luton that have taken their toll. 

I don’t see where we go from here other than down.  

Man of the Match – Lee Cook. This wasn’t one of Cookie’s better nights but it shows how bad things are when this is still enough to get man of the match. He was a threat all night and of others could have used the space he created we might have got something from this.

simon@qprnet.com