On This Day: Huddersfield Town v Barnsley – 22 April 2022

April 22nd, 2022. A cold Friday night at the John Smith's Stadium, where the floodlights beamed down on two teams heading in opposite directions. Huddersfield Town were bound for the play-offs. Barnsley, after a long, slow, painful descent, were finally relegated from the Championship — not with a bang, but with a limp and lifeless whimper.

This was the night the axe officially fell. A 2–1 defeat confirmed what fans had feared (and most had accepted) for weeks — the Reds were heading back to League One.

A death by apathy

Poya Asbaghi’s side had to win to avoid relegation — at least for another day — but barely laid a glove on their Yorkshire rivals. The urgency, passion, and grit you might expect from a team fighting for their lives? Missing in action.

The game was only four minutes old when Jordan Rhodes found himself in the right place to nod home a deflected corner. The linesman briefly raised hopes with his offside flag, but the referee correctly judged the ball had come off Barnsley defender Mads Andersen — the goal stood. And from there, the Reds' shoulders already seemed to slump.

Amine Bassi saw a volley saved from a tight angle midway through the half — Barnsley’s only meaningful shot on target until the 97th minute. The hosts, meanwhile, controlled proceedings with calm assurance.

The second goal came just before half-time. Harry Toffolo, who had been a constant menace down Huddersfield’s left, was left completely unmarked and slid in to finish Danel Sinani’s cross. A catalogue of poor tracking and positional play summed up the lack of discipline and desire that had haunted the Reds all season.

Final confirmation, long-expected

In truth, the second half was a non-event. Huddersfield had done their job; Barnsley looked out of ideas and out of belief. Substitutions on 70 minutes — including a debut for Isaac Christie-Davies — did little to change the pattern.

There was a rare late moment of brightness when Callum Styles curled in a well-taken consolation in the 97th minute. But by then, most Barnsley fans had already accepted their fate. Some had already left the ground, heads low, hearts heavy.

This was no heroic last stand. This was confirmation of what we’d seen building since August: a team out of its depth, undone by poor recruitment, confusing tactics, and a dressing room that never looked united.

Team Line-ups

Barnsley (4-2-3-1):
Jack Walton; Callum Brittain, Mads Andersen, Liam Kitching, Remy Vita; Matty Wolfe (Christie-Davies 70), Romal Palmer; Amine Bassi, Domingos Quina (Callum Styles 70), Carlton Morris; Cauley Woodrow (Aaron Leya Iseka 70).
Unused Subs: Jinadu, Moon, Hondermarck, Adeboyejo.
Booked: Wolfe, Palmer.
Goal: Styles 90+7.

Huddersfield Town (4-3-3):
Lee Nicholls; Ollie Turton, Naby Sarr, Tom Lees, Harry Toffolo (Ruffels 83); Lewis O'Brien, Jon Russell, Jonathan Hogg; Duane Holmes (Campbell 89), Jordan Rhodes, Danel Sinani (High HT).
Unused Subs: Blackman, Pipa, Anjorin, Eiting.
Goals: Rhodes 4, Toffolo 45.

The post-mortem begins

Relegation didn’t come from this one result — it had been signed, sealed, and practically delivered through months of missteps. From Markus Schopp’s chaotic early reign to Asbaghi’s timid tenure, from baffling transfer windows to the lack of experience in key areas — Barnsley had looked doomed for months.

Just a year earlier, the Reds were dreaming of Wembley. Now, they were staring down another rebuild, another reset — this time without some of their brightest sparks.

Final Whistle

Relegation felt inevitable, but that didn’t make it sting any less. There was no defiance, no drama — just a flat, lifeless night that brought a woeful season to its long-awaited conclusion. On this day in 2022, Barnsley went down. And few could say they didn’t deserve it.