Poor officiating impacts game 

Referee Seb Stockbridge was not a popular man inside Oakwell at full-time, and it is fair to say he made some questionable decisions throughout the match. A straight red card for Luca Connell in the first half looked harsh, but you could argue either way for it. Other calls from the referee could not be argued however, including not playing advantage for Olabade Aluko's foul throw which saw Barnsley go through on goal. He also blew inexplicably for full time just as the Reds were in on goal after a clearance, and I also saw him book Arley Kay for time wasting despite looking the other way when the offence happened, basing his decision off Warren O'Hora's appeal. It was a bad refereeing display overall, and one of the worst I've ever seen at Oakwell. 

Battling Barnsley 

When Barnsley went down to ten men midway through the first half, it would have been a fair opinion to fear the worst. Leicester had sliced through Barnsley a few times before it, including for their goal, and in theory should of have been able to do it more frequently with an extra man. However, the Reds were disciplined defensively and managed to hold on, whilst also having a threat on the counter. All the backline were much improved from recent games, while Jack Shepherd came in for his first league start and did well. Arley Kay continues to star at fullback in his debut season, and it's easy to forget that he's only 18 years old. The midfield worked tirelessly throughout, and it was the type of performance that shows the best of Stendel's style.  

Cleary shows class 

Reyes Cleary caused the Foxes backline problems throughout the game and demonstrated why it was such a coup to keep him at the end of the transfer window. He took his goal well with a powerful finish past Alex McCarthy and could have had an assist too as he squared to Clayton Taylor who couldn't direct his shot on target. The 22-year-old's one-on-one dribbling and ability to beat a man is outstanding, and he seems to have added some strength this campaign too. No doubt a big figure sum will be required to prize him away from Oakwell, as he is the best winger in the division. 

Positives to take into the international break 

A positive result against Leicester was needed, as Barnsley had been on the end of some tough results recently. They now head into a long international break with games against Bradford and MK Dons being called off. EFL Trophy games aside, they have some time to work on the training ground, which could prove useful to the young squad.