Barnsley can feel well pleased with their first match action of the pre-season at Unibond Premier club Buxton last night, running out comfortable 4 –1 winners.
After a day-long monsoon the well-grassed pitch remained firm and Barnsley's full squad played a pleasing brand of passing soccer to create chances galore against a home side sufficiently competitive to provide rich entertainment for the crowd of 412.
The Reds were soon dominating possession and a fine Hume chip saw Macken poke wide under fierce pressure but on 20 minutes, the ex-Premiership striker opened the scoring with a finely taken 18 yard drive.
Beating two defenders, he fired the ball hard and low into the corner of the net. Diego Leon on the visitors' right, featured often in Barnsley's attacking play as he duelled with Barnsley based Tommy Agus but a second goal refused to come early as home keeper Scott Hartley made a string of accomplished first half saves.
Then on 38 minutes Buxton produced a surprise equaliser as striker Gavin Knight, after latching on to an accurate long ball, and the home team continued to threaten until the break.
However, despite making seven half-time changes, Barnsley took immediate charge and retook the lead within a minute as Jamil Adam flicked home following a free-kick.
The Reds continued to create chances aplenty and Adam scored again just past three quarter time. Hartley saved well from Mounir's fierce, low 20 yard drive but Adam pounced on the loose ball and 10 minutes later Macken also made it a personal brace as he volleyed home at the far post form Mounir's left flank cross.
BARNSLEY: Steele; Hassell (Atkinson), Souza (Potter), Foster, Kozluk (Van Homoet); Leon (Togwell), Colace (Johnoson), Howard (Butterfield), El Haimour; Macken, I Hume (Adam).
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