Cleary and Co Run Riot as Reds Obliterate Hatters in Five-Star Show

Barnsley 5-0 Luton Town
League One - Saturday 22nd November

Barnsley 5, Luton Town 0. Read that again if you need to. We didn't just beat the Hatters at Oakwell - we absolutely dismantled them in a performance that had everything you'd want from a Saturday afternoon. Five goals, clinical finishing, and the kind of dominant display that makes you remember why you fell in love with this game in the first place.

Early doors and Cleary strikes

The tone was set inside seven minutes when Cleary opened the scoring with a finish that suggested we meant business from the off. Not the scrappy, backs-to-the-wall affair we've become accustomed to this season, but proper attacking football that caught Luton cold. Their backline looked about as organised as a jumble sale in a hurricane, and we were quick to capitalise.

What followed was the sort of first half performance that Barnsley fans dream about but rarely get to witness. We weren't just competing - we were controlling. The possession stats might show Luton had more of the ball (naturally), but we were doing far more with ours. Every attack seemed to carry genuine threat, every pass had purpose.

Kelly doubles the advantage

Kelly's goal on 35 minutes was the moment you could sense this might be something special. The build-up play was crisp, the finish even crisper, and suddenly Oakwell was bouncing in a way it hasn't for months. Here's the thing though - we've all been here before with promising starts that fizzle out, so there was still that familiar wariness among the home support.

Luton's frustrations were beginning to show. Saville had already picked up a booking, and their attempts to get back into the game were becoming increasingly desperate. When Cleary joined the yellow card party himself just before the break, you wondered if we might lose our composure. Instead, we found another gear.

Connell caps perfect half

Connell's strike right on half-time was the cherry on top of a dominant 45 minutes that left the Hatters shell-shocked. Three-nil at the break, and for once it felt like we were the team doing the teaching rather than receiving the lesson. The stats told the story - six shots on target to their measly two, and we were winning the aerial battles by a margin that would make a basketball team jealous.

Walking off at half-time with that kind of lead should have been the cue for nervous glances and worried conversations about throwing it away. Make no mistake, we've managed to make hard work of easier situations than this. But there was something different about the way we'd gone about our business in that first half - a ruthlessness that suggested this wasn't going to be one of those afternoons.

Watson extends the lead

The second half began with Luton throwing bodies forward in search of a lifeline, but Watson's goal on 62 minutes effectively ended any hopes of a comeback. His celebration said it all - pure joy mixed with the relief that comes from knowing you're part of something genuinely special. Even Bland's booking moments later couldn't dampen the mood.

Luton were running out of ideas faster than a politician runs out of promises after an election. Their formation remained unchanged, but their belief was visibly draining away with each passing minute. We weren't just winning - we were putting on a clinic.

Keillor-Dunn completes the rout

Keillor-Dunn's goal with quarter of an hour remaining was the perfect finishing touch to a performance that will live long in the memory. Five-nil at Oakwell, against opposition who came here expecting to compete, and we'd made it look comfortable throughout.

The beauty of this performance wasn't just in the goals - it was in the way we controlled every aspect of the game. Fewer corners, fewer shots, but infinitely more effective with everything we did. We turned efficiency into an art form, and Luton into willing participants in their own downfall.

This was the kind of afternoon that reminds you why supporting the Reds is worth all the heartache and frustration. Same drama, different season? Not today. Today was pure joy, and we'll take plenty more of the same.

Team Line-ups:

Barnsley (4 - 2 - 3 - 1):
M. Cooper, J. Earl, J. Shepherd, M. Roberts, T. Watson, L. Connell, J. Bland, R. Cleary, V. Yoganathan, P. Kelly, D. Keillor-Dunn
Subs: M. de Gevigney, N. Farrugia, K. Flavell, D. McGoldrick, N. Ogbeta, A. Phillips, C. Vickers
Goals: R. Cleary (7'), P. Kelly (35'), L. Connell (45'), T. Watson (62'), D. Keillor-Dunn (75')
Yellow Cards: R. Cleary (39'), J. Bland (62')

Luton Town (4 - 2 - 3 - 1):
J. Keeley, K. Naismith, M. Andersen, T. Mengi, I. Jones, G. Saville, L. Walsh, C. Bramall, Z. Nelson, G. Kodua, N. Wells
Subs: M. Alli, J. Brown, Lamine Fanne, H. Odoffin, J. Richards, J. Shea, J. Yates

Yellow Cards: G. Saville (16'), L. Walsh (43')

Match Stats:

Statistic	Barnsley	Luton Town
Possession	31.3%	68.7%
Shots	16	7
Shots on target	6	2
Goalkeeper saves	1	1
Aerial duels won	26	14
Fouls committed	13	9
Corners	2	4

Final Whistle

Performances like this don't come around often at Oakwell, so let's not pretend they do. Five goals, clean sheet, and a display that had Luton looking like they'd rather be anywhere else by the final whistle - this is the stuff that keeps you coming back through all the inevitable disappointments. Hourihane will know better than anyone that consistency is the challenge now, but for today at least, we can bask in the glow of a job exceptionally well done.

The numbers tell their own story - 68.7% possession for Luton but they barely laid a glove on us where it mattered. That's what happens when you meet a Barnsley side firing on all cylinders and refusing to be bullied. From Cleary's early opener to Keillor-Dunn's fifth, this was as complete a performance as you're likely to see from us this season. Cooper barely had to break sweat in goal, our midfield ran the show, and up front we were clinical when it counted.

Days like this remind you why football can be the most beautiful game in the world when everything clicks. The pessimist in every Barnsley fan will be wondering when the other shoe drops, but the optimist is already dreaming about what might be possible if we can bottle this kind of performance. Five-nil victories don't guarantee anything beyond three points and bragging rights, but they do give you something precious - hope. And right now, that feels like more than enough.