Reds Finish with a Roar – But It’s Been a Season of Shrugs
Barnsley ended their League One campaign with a flourish, sweeping aside promotion-chasing Reading 4–2 on their own patch. It was a result full of verve, goals and glimpses of what this team is capable of when it clicks. But as the final whistle blew on both the match and the season, Reds fans knew the bigger picture hadn’t changed — this was still a team that finished 12th, well short of the bare minimum: the play-offs.
Final Day Fireworks in a Season That Fizzled
On a bright afternoon in Berkshire, Barnsley finally looked like the team they were supposed to be. Clinical, organised, exciting going forward — and crucially, up for it. Keillor-Dunn grabbed a second-half brace, while Humphrys and Russell also got in on the act, as the Reds dismantled a Reading side with everything to play for.
But while the performance rightly earned applause, the mood in the away end wasn’t euphoric — it was more like a collective exhale. After months of frustrating form, tactical confusion, and an uninspiring home record, fans knew better than to mistake one cracking win for a corner turned.
Still, this was a performance to be proud of — and a reminder that, despite the disappointment, the talent is there.
The Story of the Match
Early Promise Without Reward
Barnsley came out with intent and nearly took the lead in the opening minute when Humphrys forced a routine save. Reading responded in kind — Mbengue skewed a decent chance wide, and Wing saw a 20-yard drive parried smartly by Gauci.
Jon Russell’s volley after a Roberts throw-in was tipped over by Pereira, and Cotter had a golden chance just before the break when a superb Keillor-Dunn pass put him through, but the shot lacked conviction and the ‘keeper was equal to it.
The Reds were clearly on top in terms of intent, but it was goalless at the half — and all too familiar in terms of finishing.
Second-Half Surge Turns the Game
Whatever was said at half-time worked.
Josh Earl — excellent all game — linked with Connell on the left and surged forward before sliding in Humphrys, who finished low from a tight angle to open the scoring.
Moments later, Dexter Lembikisa — another standout — fired a brilliant diagonal to Cotter, who volleyed a dangerous ball across goal. Russell was there to sweep home and make it 2–0. In the space of five minutes, the Reds had gone from promising to punishing.
Reading Hit Back — Briefly
Reading found a foothold when Bodin, on as a sub, slid in Wing. Lembikisa had played him onside, and the midfielder made no mistake to slot beyond Gauci and reduce the deficit.
There was a flicker of concern, and memories of past collapses this season. But this time, the Reds didn’t buckle.
Keillor-Dunn Wraps It Up in Style
Barnsley answered back emphatically.
Russell, enjoying a standout game, turned provider with a perfectly weighted pass into the feet of debutant Jonathan Bland. The teenager showed real poise, squaring for Keillor-Dunn to turn in the third goal — and effectively seal the points.
But the Reds weren’t done.
Lembikisa again won the ball high, and when Reading failed to clear his cross, Keillor-Dunn lashed home his second of the afternoon — a deserved brace for a player who’s been one of the few bright sparks this season.
Late Drama and Youthful Promise
There was time for one more special moment — 17-year-old Kieran Graham came on for his professional debut, replacing Keillor-Dunn.
Watters could’ve added a fifth after robbing ex-Red Andy Yiadom but was denied one-on-one. At the other end, Reading’s Bodin pounced in injury time after a deflected corner, before Russell came inches away from a second — his shot tipped onto the post by Pereira.
It ended 4–2. A deserved and decisive win. Just not quite enough to change the feeling that this season’s story was written long before full-time.
Team Line-ups
Barnsley (4-3-3):
Gauci; Lembikisa, de Gevigney, Roberts, Earl; Bland, Connell (Phillips 83), Russell; Cotter (Watters 83), Keillor-Dunn (Graham 88), Humphrys (O’Keeffe 70).
Unused subs: Flavell, Alker, McCarthy
Goals: Humphrys (52), Russell (56), Keillor-Dunn (79, 83)
Yellow cards: Connell, O’Keeffe
Reading (4-3-3):
Pereira; Rushesha (Yiadom 57), Bindon, Mbengue, Garcia; Knibbs, Savage (Carroll 89), Wing; Campbell, Ehibhatiomhan (Bodin 57), Wareham
Unused subs: Button, Dorsett, Camara, Stickland
Goals: Wing (67), Bodin (90+5)
Yellow cards: Yiadom
Match Stats:
| Possession (%) | 53.4 | 46.6 |
| Shots | 8 | 12 |
| Shots on Target | 4 | 9 |
| Corners | 5 | 3 |
| Fouls Committed | 9 | 10 |
| Yellow Cards | 1 | 2 |
Final Whistle
A final day win on the road. Four goals. A double for Keillor-Dunn. A debut assist and another debut cap. You can’t ask for much more from a last game of the season.
But while the performance was spot on, the overall campaign was anything but.
Barnsley finish 12th in League One — adrift from the play-offs, plagued by inconsistency, and too often out of ideas at Oakwell. The fans deserved better. The squad, on paper, had more to give. And the minimum goal — a top six finish — wasn’t even close.
Still, this final flourish reminds us of the potential that’s there. The talent exists. The hunger, when unlocked, is clear. The question now is whether the club — from boardroom to bench — can use this summer to reset properly. Appoint the right manager. Recruit wisely. And start next season with direction, purpose, and belief.
Because results like this should be the norm — not the exception.