Barnsley’s ascent is checked but Heckingbottom still looking upwards | James Riach


The Tykes were bottom of League One in December, but could have gone top of Championship on Saturday. Instead, Reading won a pulsating game 2-1

With Jaap Stam on the touchline and Roy Keane watching in the stands, Barnsley felt like a place to be, even if their fine start to the season stuttered with a 2-1 defeat by Reading.

“Big names, big clubs, big players on the pitch, big crowds. It’s what you want,” the Barnsley head coach and local boy, Paul Heckingbottom, said after a match that included a penalty, two excellent goals and an amusing red card. “We’re enjoying it greatly.”

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