Barnsley must fix glaring issue after Mansfield Town defeat: View | OneFootball

Defeat at home to Mansfield Town on Friday highlighted a major transfer need for Barnsley heading into the last weeks of the transfer window.

Barnsley opened their League One campaign with a home defeat to Mansfield on Friday night.

The performance revealed one glaring issue surrounding Darrell Clarke's squad, with investment desperately needed in signing not one but two strikers.

Several guilt edged chances went begging during the second half as Barnsley piled pressure on the Mansfield goal. Current forwards Sam Cosgrove, Max Watters and Aiden Marsh were all guilty of missing chances.

Barnsley toiled in front of goal, Mansfield showed a cutting edge and put the reds to the sword in fine fashion. Thirty-five-year old, Lee Gregory finished clinically within the Barnsley penalty area heading home the winning goal, showing a sharpness that was sadly lacking with the Barnsley forwards.

Major transfer need for Barnsley

Whilst Barnsley had been active in this summer's transfer window recruiting a mixture of experienced professionals and young exciting players, much work is still required if Darrell Clarke's squad is going to mount a promotion challenge.

Whilst Devante Cole and John McAtee, the clubs top scorers last season, have left, leaving a shortfall of 35 goals, Barnsley are yet to bring in a goalscorer to fill their boots. Based on the evidence from Friday night's performance, Barnsley need to sign two prolific strikers if they want to achieve their aim of promotion.

Current forwards firing blanks

After the Mansfield game, Darrell Clarke said that it was the responsibility of the whole team to contribute goals, which is a valid point. However, this was more an act of protecting the forwards from any blame when facing post-match questions from the media.

Sam Cosgrove and Max Watters spent the majority of the game chasing long balls which the visitors managed to defend against with relative ease. With the introduction of Jon Russell after just 26 minutes and a tactical reshuffle to a 4-4-2 formation, Barnsley played through Mansfield with better interchanging of passing. In the second half, chances came and went as Barnsley piled the pressure on.

Some guilt edge chances fell to the home side. Max Watters shot tamely at Pym in the Mansfield goal and Sam Cosgrove blasted over the bar from close range with the home supporters expecting the Mansfield net to bulge. Whilst Watters worked hard chasing lost causes, he currently looks devoid of confidence in front of goal.

Despite some excellent performances in the League One play-off semi-finals against Bolton Wanderers last season, Sam Cosgrove failed to kick on and struggled to make an impact against an organised Mansfield defence, with captain Aden Flint winning the physical battle over Cosgrove.

Academy player Aiden Marsh was introduced and again worked hard to break down the Mansfield defence, but lacked sharpness in front of goal. Another season out on loan beckons for Marsh, who has never regularly scored for his hometown club.

Barnsley supporters look on enviously, whilst fellow League One rivals Rotherham sign Jonson Clarke-Harris and Bolton add John McAtee to compliment Dion Charles and Aaron Collins in their forward line.

Sporting Director Mladen Sormaz has eluded that the club are actively looking to boost the forward department, but with only a couple of weeks left until the transfer window closes, Barnsley needs to act quickly to get the forwards in who could fire the red's promotion bid.