O’Brien is the hero as Lions roar through
AIDEN O’BRIEN fired Millwall into the fourth round of the FA Cup as his double inspired Neil Harris’ side against 10-man Barnsley.
After the visitors had gone ahead early on, the game turned during a 20-minute spell either side of half-time, as O’Brien scored two goals and created another while Joe Williams saw red for the Tykes.
Fred Onyedinma added a fourth to make sure as Millwill ended a run of five straight defeats against Barnsley in emphatic fashion.
Millwall boss Harris said: “I was delighted for Aiden. He’s been a goal threat in every game he’s played, he’s been close and denied from goal-line clearances and the woodwork, so to get a couple today will do his confidence a world of good.”
Barnsley deservedly took the lead in the 11th minute when Adam Hammill’s floated cross fell kindly to Brad Potts to lash home.
Jed Wallace switched wings from right to left and Millwall really began to threaten.
He created chances for O’Brien and Conor McLaughlin before finally seeing the former convert.
The cross might have been meant for Onyedinma but when he failed to control, O’Brien made no mistake.
Just 91 seconds into the second half, the home side were ahead. O’Brien did well to get to the byline and cut back for Ben Thompson, who finished emphatically.
Things went from bad to worse for Barnsley five minutes later when Williams was shown a straight red for a vicious swipe at Wallace.
Then O’Brien controlled a speculative Wallace shot before curling in his second from the edge of the box.
Steve Morison then produced a delicate flick to play in Onyedinma, who chipped the ball over Davies to make it four after an hour.
Barnsley boss Paul Heckingbottom said: “Although it was 1-1 at half-time, I felt we’d missed an opportunity and I saw signs we weren’t really defending properly.
“The second goal was a clear indication of that and the sending off obviously puts us on the back foot.”