DAVID Flitcroft blamed his defence for the damaging 3-0 defeat to his old employers Barnsley.

Marley Watkins scored midway through the first half before Sam Winnall doubled the advantage 10 minutes into the second half.

The Tykes' skipper Conor Hourihane struck the killer blow in the 66th minute as the Shakers failed to register a single shot on target in the entire game.

However, it was his side's problems at the other end that most concerned the Bury boss.

“The defending was poor,” Flitcroft said. “When you've got the quality that Barnsley have got up front in Winnall, Watkins, Hourihane, (Lloyd) Isgrove and obviously (Adam) Hammill, you have got to be at your very best to defend against those players whenever you come up against them and we weren't.

“The first goal put us on our back foot.

"We had a spirited response and we didn't get the goal that our play deserved at that point.

"Then the first time they go up the pitch in the second half they score again.

“The goal is the difference between the two boxes.

"Barnsley defended fantastically well in their box and we weren't clinical enough. The goals were disappointing.

“When you're 3-0 down to this team they can tear you apart, they have got very positive forwards so we didn't do ourselves justice in our box and we had a lot of entry into their box that we never got on the end of.”

Flitcroft made three changes from the FA Cup defeat to Hull. Kelvin Etuhu was unable to play due to a hamstring injury picked up the previous weekend and has been ruled out for two to three weeks. Peter Clarke came in to partner Nathan Cameron at centre-back, while Reece Brown shifted across to right-back and Tom Soares was pushed into the centre of midfield.

Leon Clarke recovered from food poisoning to replace Danny Rose, who was left out of the matchday squad due to up a back injury. And John O'Sullivan, who was cup tied for the game against Hull, came in for Andrew Tutte on the right of midfield.

The hosts carried their momentum from midweek, when they secured a date at Wembley in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy, by peppering the Shakers' goal early on.

Skipper Hourihane dragged a shot wide from the edge of box before Hammill blasted straight at Lawlor after some slick one touch pass-and-move build-up play.

Danny Mayor had Bury's first effort but he skied it over the bar from distance.

Barnsley dominated possession and struck the opener when Watkins nipped in between Peter Clarke and Lawlor to pinch the ball, turned and stuck a low drive which went in off the near post in the 20th minute.

Winnall sent a header over the bar from a right-wing cross five minutes later as the Tykes tried to open up some breathing space.

The Shakers did fashion a couple of half-chances towards the end of the opening period.

Top goalscorer Leon Clarke drilled a half volley over the bar from distance, before almost connecting with a dangerous O'Sullivan cross.

The on-loan Blackburn midfielder fizzed another low cross into the box on the stroke of half time that evaded everybody and flashed wide of the post.

The second half started in similar fashion to the first as Hammill continued to cause havoc down the left.

The winger made sure Lawlor was focused two minutes after the restart, forcing the goalkeeper into a smart save down to his right.

And 10 minutes later Hammill fed Winnall who drove a powerful low shot past the helpless Lawlor to double the lead.

Youth-team graduate George Miller was handed his debut from the bench in place of Brown on the hour, and the 17-year-old almost made an instant impact as his looping header landed on the roof of the net.

Leon Clarke spurned a decent opportunity to pull one back when Chris Hussey's pin-point corner landed straight on the forward's head but he directed it wide of the post.

Hourihane was the beneficiary of Winnall's miskick from Ashley Fletcher's cross in the 66th minute as he turned home from close range to further extend the lead.

The game petered out after the third goal. The hosts could have added a fourth but for a brilliant save from Lawlor at the death to keep out substitute Josh Scowen's thunderous shot.

While his defence was Flitcroft's main cause for concern after the game, he was able to confirm the extent of the injury problems keeping forwards Rose and Ryan Lowe out of the team.

“It's his (Rose's) back," he said. "He has some neural problem in his back that we are monitoring.

“I thought I would have him Thursday or Friday but he came out of training on Thursday so that was disappointing not to have Rosey in and around what we are doing.

“Lowe has just got a slight problem in his calf, recurring from a calf problem that he had at the start of the season and I didn't want to risk him.”

********

Match ratings

BURY (4-4-2): Lawlor 6; Brown 5 (Miller 60, 6), Cameron 6, P Clarke 5, Hussey 6; O'Sullivan 6 (Jones 49, 6), Pugh 6 (Mellis 60, 6), Soares 6, Mayor 5; Pope 5, L Clarke 5.

Not used: Burgess, Riley, Tutte, Sedgwick.

BARNSLEY: (4-4-2): Davies; Bree, Long, Mawson, White; Isgrove (Fletcher 65), Brownhill, Hourihane, Hammill (Tuton 87); Watkins, Winnall (Scower 76).

Not used: Townsend, Roberts, McCourt, Williams.

Goals: Barnsley – Watkins 20, Winnall 55, Hammill 66.

Yellow cards: Barnsley – Brownhill 39. Bury – Mayor 48, P Clarke 86.

Referee: Andy Haines (Tyne and Wear).

Attendance: 9,443 (677 visiting)

STAR MAN: George Miller – The 17-year-old debutant was a breath of fresh air when introduced as a second-half substitute. Although making his debut out of position on the right of midfield, Miller played with no fear and attempted to beat his full-back at every opportunity. He came close with a looping header seconds after coming on and gave the Shakers the spark going forward that they lacked for the majority of the game.