Peterborough United's forwards fail again as they slump to FA Cup defeat against Barnsley

It was a familiar story of the early Luke Williams as yet another game passed by without Posh mustering a genuine goalscoring opportunity; on this occasion falling to a 1-0 defeat at home to Barnsley in the FA Cup Second Round.

There will be no meeting with a side from a higher division and that’s probably for the best given these lack-lustre and bereft of confidence performances. It is now just one goal scored in the last four and even the January transfer window- where Posh can hope to bring in some reinforcements- is looking a long way again.

As with the previous three matches, Posh fell behind and did not look capable of getting back on terms and were ultimately beaten late in the second half by a tap-in from substitute Patrick Kelly.

Luke Williams has still never won more than one match in a single FA Cup campaign (from the first round onwards) and he made four changes from the last league outing at Doncaster bringing in James Dornelly, David Okagbue, Declan Frith, and Gustav Lindgren in place of Peter Kioso, Tom O’Connor, Brandon Khela and Jimmy-Jay Morgan. Barnsley shuffled their pack for more and made seven changes from a 1-1 draw away at Stockport last Saturday, yet still played almost all of the football in the match.

The visitors kept the ball with ease for large parts of the first half even if they did not always look particularly dangerous with it.

Alex Bass watched a header from Mael De Gevigney fly over the bar and cut off the angle well to force Jonathan Bland to shoot into the side-netting from a tight angle just before the half hour mark.

That seemed to wake Posh up from their early slumber and out came Declan Frith with some brilliant feet to beat three men and get into the box, he chose to chip an effort at goal from a tight angle though and he was never likely to score.

He was also involved in the game’s biggest flashpoint minutes later when he was sent in on goal, Bland came across and appeared to make contact before Frith fell to the floor and Murphy Cooper raced to the edge of his box to collect the loose ball. In doing so, he appeared to handle outside of it and Posh can feel hard done by to get neither the foul nor the handball decision.

Posh even ended the half the stronger and come the closest when Harley Mills saw a shot charged down after a quick break and Frith’s follow up was headed off the line.

Barnsley started the second half the better and got back on top in the game after the break but continued to create little more than half chances that were easy for Bass to claim.

His best save came when he had to throw himself down low to push away Bland’s powerful effort from Neil Farrugia’s cut back.

The deadlock was broken in the 73rd minute though. Bland was again involved, picking up the ball from Jon Russell, he slid in Farrugia out on the right, who had gotten in behind the Posh backline, he slid a ball across to Kelly to poke home unopposed.

Some late bluster- lacking the required urgency- from Posh did little to trouble the Barnsley backline with a deflected Archie Collins effort, which briefly had hearts in mouths, in the closing seconds the closest Posh came.

Posh – Alex Bass, Harley Mills, David Okagbue, Tom Lees, James Dornelly, Ben Woods (sub Brandon Khela, 61 mins), Archie Collins, Kyrell Lisbie, Matt Garbett (sub Jimmy-Jay Morgan, 67 mins), Declan Frith (sub Abraham Odoh, 67 mins), Gustav Lindgren (sub Harry Leonard, 67 mins)

Unused subs: Vicente Reyes, Carl Johnston, Klaidi Lolos, Donay O’Brien-Brady, Peter Kioso.

Barnsley – Murphy Cooper, Jon Russell, Mael De Gevigney, Caylan Vickers, Adam Phillips (sub Luca Connell, 46 mins), Fabio Jalo (sub Patrick Kellym 46 mins), Georgie Gent, Jake Rooney (sub Tennai Watson, 59 mins), Neil Farrugia, Jonathan Bland, Davis Keillor-Dunn (sub Leo Farrell, 66 mins)

Unused subs: Jackson Smith, Reyes Cleary, Connor Barratt, Kieran Graham,Vimal Yoganathan.

Goals: Barnsley – Kelly (73 mins)

Cautions: Posh- Garbett (foul), Okagbue (foul)

Barnsley – Jalo (foul), Phillips (foul),De Gevigney (foul) Connell (foul), Kelly (foul)

Referee: Alan Young 5.

Attendance: 4,157 (561 Barnsley).