Glovers 1 Barnsley 4

The Glovers are now looking relegation back to the SkyBet League 1 firmly in the face after an emphatic defeat to relegation rivals Barnsley at Huish Park on Saturday.

A draw with SkyBet Championship Champions elect Leicester just a few days early was quickly forgotten with a 4-1 defeat to Barnsley who have improved their own hopes of survival with this win.

We were a shadow of that side to draw at Leicester with Barnsley quickly threatening a goal, the best we could muster was a Joe Ralls freekick that Shane Duffy couldn’t quite get onto the end of.

Injury to one striker brought Barnsley a lift with Reuben Noble-Lazarus coming on an injecting something into their attacking play, which went against us. Twice he played a part in chances that nearly opened the scoring.

Had it not been for Luke Steele though we would have gone into the break ahead. Joe Edwards and Kevin Dawson worked a freekick to Tom Lawrence but his effort was turned over.

Things could have been much different had that gone in.

We came out positive in the second half though but when a good chance passed us by Barnsley made the most of it to capitalise on a poor defensive mistake from Bryon Webster, Chris O’Grady lobbing the ball over Marek Stech.

Liam Lawrence showed his former Barclays Premier League and International ability to beat a couple of Glovers challenges before thumping an effort into the bottom corner to double the lead and leave us a mountain to climb.

Hope came with 20 minutes left when Luke Ayling powered home Jamie McAllister cross.

That was as good as it got through with O’Grady grabbing his second to restore the two goal lead, rounding Stech to grab his second with Dale Jennings completing the rout that will probably prove to be the fatal blow.

Barnsley win sees them overtake us on goal difference with us both on 32 points, but the gap to safety for the pair of us looks a gap unlikely to be breached but they’ll feel they have the better chance as they have come into form.

Until it’s mathematically impossible you’d hope we keep fighting but it’s not looking good.

The question I asked after the Leicester draw as to how much of a physiological impact that draw would have on us appears to have been answered in the negative, based on Saturday’s performance and result that looks like it could have proved the decisive moment in our survival bid?