It's a worry. Remember, Simon Davey's team had a travel track record for months last season like XL's last weekend.

And if they can't take some return from Blackpool this time around, where exactly are they going to land points outside Oakwell?

These are still very early days and Davey says he's not discouraged. He felt his team were on top when Kabba's late-in-the-game, jet-streamed strike ripped into net mesh.

It brought Blackpool's first home win over Barnsley in 27 years. They sure weren't complaining.

Nil-nil would have been a nice point for Davey and company on a late summer's day.

The first half was hardly end-of-the pier stuff with both teams a bit at sea. The second improved but stars of a crummy show appeared to be Barnsley full-backs Stephen Foster and Rob Kozluk plus keeper Luke Steele, until ex-Sheffield United man Kabba had his moment as late as the 86th minute.

By then former Oakwell hero Daniel Nardiello had come off the bench to add to the Barnsley scare factor.

He could have scored two in the 13 minutes Blackpool manager Simon Grayson gave him.

It was Kabba who made the difference. Ben Burgess gave it to him and a strike every bit as good as Iain Hume's against Derby two weeks earlier was equally unstoppable.

Said Kabba: "I knew when I let fly it was a good touch and it was a great relief to see it in the back of the net as we had only scored from the penalty spot up to that moment."

Keeper Steele said: "When he hit it, Kozzy (Rob Kozluk) was in front of him so I was probably a few milli-seconds late. Even so, it was a great strike and it moved a bit in the air."

Davey added: "We are playing well, it's not as if teams are creating chances left right and centre against us. We deserved something and but for a bit of magic from Kabba we would have got it."

Barnsley's back four deserved better, Foster for a fantastic goalline block to deny Keith Southern's shot, Kozluk for a brilliant header to deny Nardiello from roughly the same patch of whitewash beneath the bar.

Davey had the added security of a specialist defensive midfield player in his line-up as Hugo Colace got his debut, months late thanks to redtape and some uncooperative handling of the transfer.

He wasn't spectacular. Wasn't supposed to be.

"Hugo has settled in there nicel, he's good player and it was good to get him 90 minutes, but there was some magnificent defending in there as well," Davey declared.

"Big Darren (Moore), Dennis (Souza) and Fozzy (Stephen Foster) in the back four did really well.

"Theonly way they were going to have goal against them was from 30-40 yards.

"You're sitting there thinking they're not going to score, the only thing that is going to happen here is we're going to get a chance and put it away, but that has a habit of kicking you."

Barnsley are definitely due more from their strikeforce. Iain Hume played the first half and ran out of steam. Kayode Odejayi replaced him for the second and similarly did okay.

The big chances arrived at Blackpool for Jon Macken and twice he might have done better when decently placed. Keeper Paul Rachubka made saves but had an easier afternoon than Steele.

Barnsley could have really tested the Blackpool No 1 from the spot had referee Antony Bates spotted Shaun Barker's clear handball in the box.
It didn't happen. No surprise there, as the ref ruled 'ball to hand' at least twice earlier.

Barnsley, as ever, didn't give it up. Martin Devaney and the midfield four worked hard and the best run of the game came from Mounir El Haimour.

Brian Howard drove them on by example and the work ethic demanded by Davey was there although the result evaded them all.

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