Nuno Espirito Santo made three substitutions at half-time, and all five before the 75 minute mark, in a desperate attempt to get West Ham United firing during Monday’s 2-0 home defeat by Brentford.
In fact, there is probably now a hole in the wall at the Rush Green canteen where the kitchen sink used to be. The West Ham United boss threw everything he had at rookie rival Keith Andrews, only to see all his efforts bounce back off a Brentford brick wall.
Ollie Scarles, Kyle Walker-Peters and Mateus Fernandes were replaced at the break. Callum Marshall and Guido Rodriguez were also introduced, to little effect.
So although many a West Ham fan questioned Freddie Potts’ no-show at full-time, particularly after he helped turn the tide in similar circumstances at Everton a few weeks earlier, Nuno’s prayers for a Patrick Kelly-esque impact off the substitute’s bench would go unanswered.
A 2023 FA Youth Cup winner alongside Scarles, Marshall and co, Kelly joined Barnsley on a free transfer when the Hammers agreed to let him leave for nothing back in July.
Having helped Doncaster Rovers win the League Two title during a loan spell in South Yorkshire, Barnsley boss Conor Hourihane was ‘really excited’ to see what the energetic, tigerish midfielder could do in the division above.
A first goal for his new club, and a transformative impact off the bench as Barnsley battled from behind twice against high-flying Bradford City, and Hourihane had his answer.
Patrick Kelly scores first Barnsley goal after leaving West Ham United
Like at Doncaster, Patrick Kelly earned the affection of the Barnsley supporters pretty quickly.
The 21-year-old Northern Ireland youth international certainly has the makings of a typical fan favourite. Not the most gifted of footballers, but one who seldom leaves anything behind on the pitch.
As the Yorkshire Post put it, following that 2-2 draw at Valley Parade, Kelly’s half-time introduction ‘turned the tide. He added drive, tenacity and conviction to the Reds. Oh and a goal’.
Speaking of that goal – only his fifth in 82 senior appearances – his Barnsley duck-breaker would come in style. Darting towards the near post and flicking the ball home, he finished like a seasoned centre-forward.
And, despite only playing 45 minutes, the former West Ham youngster produced more shots on target than any of his Tykes teammates. He was so impressive, in fact, that Barnsley posted a two-minute video on their X page showcasing his every touch.
“I thought it was a game for Pat, in terms of his running power and his physicality,” Hourihane, a fine midfielder himself at this level back in his playing days, told the club’s media channels at full-time.
“And I thought, look, with the atmosphere and and how the game is going, it was a bit chaotic. I felt like he was more suited to to that for Caylan [Vickers, who Kelly replaced at the interval].
“Caylan brings his own attributes, but I felt like it was a game for Pat to really drive at the game and help defensively and whatnot. I thought he was brilliant in the second half, taking the ball and finding pockets of space that we told him to to find.”
Northern Ireland starlet decided to leave the Hammers permanently
Kelly has only started two League One matches so far.
Of course, while the ‘super-sub’ label has its benefits, he did not leave West Ham permanently to play an impact role when his team are chasing a goal.
“I was coming into my last year [contracted to] West Ham,” Kelly said when explaining his decision to cut ties over the summer. “There was the option to go out on loan to a few clubs. There was quite a bit of interest from League One and Scotland.
“But, having a good chat with my agent, we felt going permanent may be the best step for me. Thankfully, West Ham co-operated. I loved my time at West Ham. I had a really good three years there.”
“I felt that, as soon as I spoke to the manager [Hourihane], it was a pretty straightforward decision. He just kind of spoke to me about where he sees me playing and helping the team, and the team’s goals.”
