It's one way to warm subs up and pretty much summed up plenty of the match action: Turn in loads, get nothing but knackered.

And just when Derby thought they were on to something and making keeper Luke Steele leap into save after save, Iain Hume smacked a goal in from 25 yards with less than 20 minutes left.

Stephen Foster headed in a corner 10 minutues later and Barnsley had their first points of the season.

Up and running? Who knows.

Fact is they've played better - stacks - and lost.

The goal was Hume's second of the season. He's still the only striker at the club to score so far.

"It was a massive goal for me and quite nice on the eye but the thing is the importance of it," he said.

"We've got our first win of the season. It could have been a tap-in from two yards or from 25 yards. It doesn't really matter to me.

"Okay, it wasn't the prettiest performance but at home we're making this a tough place to come.

"I know Derby are having a tough time at the moment but we still had to capitalise on that and we did that well today.

"The second-half performance was a good professional one."

After the goal, maybe.

A chronic, nervy first half didn't do much credit to either side. Diego Leon caught the eye for Barnsley but Derby's Doncaster Rovers ex, Paul Green, looked better.

Neither keeper had much to do. Free-kicks brought the best chances and it was a toss-up who was worse at them, Leon or Derby's Chris Commons.

Derby manager Paul Jewell must have said something good at half-time. His team had purpose afterwards and might have scored two or even three.

Steele was brilliant and had to be. His double save to deny Rob Hulse and then Przemyslaw Kazmierczak was class.

Even last season's super-keeper, Heinz Muller, recalled to the squad after seven months injury absence, had to be impressed.

"Their keeper was man of the match, that says it all," Jewell moaned.

Barnsley manager Simon Davey went into the game with a 4-4-2 formation with Rob Kozluk restored to the 11 at lef-back instead of Marciano van Homoet, who is now clear of suspension.

Martin Devaney got the right-wing job with Gary Teale ruled out under the terms of his loan from Derby.

In the seond half Davey tweaked it with Bobby Hassell off the bench to replace Leon in midfield and Kayode Odejayi on for Mounir El Haimour.

Hume, back after missing the Birmingham game through a red-card ban, was pushed out wide on the left. His goal was straight out of the blue; an instant connection, a screamer.

"I think there is still better to come from me," he reckoned afterwards. "I've just got to keep my head down and score more goals.

"Even though I've scored today, I was playing out wide when I scored and I need to be doing that when I'm playing in my position.


I need to continue with my hard work and I'll get the rewards for it."

£1 million man Hume has clearly written centre=forward into his Barnsley job description.

"We've been talking about scoring goals and that's the main thing a striker does and I love doing it," he said.

"I'm no different to any other striker. I want to score as many goals and be involved in as many chances as I can.

"Being up front you get to enjoy all the highlights and all the headlines when you're on top of your game.

"We're confident - you can see that from the way we're playing - but we just needed that slice of luck.

"Fortunately today I was part of that luck. How many times does a 25-yarder go in the top corner?

"We've just go to keep on doing the things we've been doing."

The other big thing he did was direct a late corner on to Foster's head to give Barnsley breathing space.

Foster's run and jump was unstoppable.

Said relieved Davey: "It was a wonder-strike from Iain Hume; he's slowly repaying his fee. A great strike and he put the ball in for Stephen's header."

He added: "I put fresh legs on with Kayode, Mounir (El Haimour) was feeling a bit tired. They all carried on working and got the rub of the green, which we haven't got in the previous four games.

"We looked the better side, although I thought we looked nervous. Given the run that both teams have been on, it was nervous.

"It had to drop to somebody, luckily it dropped to Iain, although quite rightly Luke (Steele) has won man of the match."


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