SkyBet Championship: Barnsley FC

Oakwell Stadium, Barnsley.

Ground: Oakwell, Barnsley
Attendance: 13,268

This South Yorkshire derby comes at a time with both teams languishing in the early season relegation zone. Win-less Wednesday travel to their neighbours on the back of a 1-1 draw against Bolton Wanderers whilst The Tykes look for back-to-back wins following their impressive 3-2 win against Middlesbrough. With the suspension of Jose Semedo, Seyi Olofinjana steps in to make his debut after signing a short-term contract with the Owls.

Barnsley vs. Sheffield Wednesday.

Former Wednesday striker Chris O'Grady is quickly into the action when he earns a free-kick in the attacking third but David Fox see's his effort blocked and when Barnsley earn a corner kick from Reda Johnson moments later, the Reds waste the chance to capitalise on their early pressure. A 7th minute chance falls to Roger Johnson but his header from the right-hand side of the six yard box flies into the side netting following a good ball by Michail Antonio, dumping his marker on his backside to cross the ball to the back post. Marcus Pederson earns a free-kick from a Jeremy Helan foul minutes later and Thomas Kennedy flashes a direct free-kick narrowly over the crossbar.

Its not long after that attempt that Barnsley take the lead. Reda Johnson is caught in possession and Paddy McCourt finds Pederson with a neat pass on the edge of the box and the Vitesse loanee rattles the post with a thundering shot before the ball back in is expertly volleyed home by the Norwegian, giving Chris Kirkland no chance whatsoever and sending home fans into celebration. The 24th minute sees a wayward Jermaine Johnson shot before Helan has two shots from the edge of the box well blocked by a defiant Barnsley defence and a shot lash the side-netting. A Stephen McPhail corner is met by Roger Johnson but the defender sees his headed shot blocked too as Wednesday look for the equalising goal and in the midst of that, somehow officials do not spot the shirt pulling on Reda Johnson in the box as Barnsley clear the danger.

'The Massive' at Barnsley.

The 29th minute sees a brilliant cross by Kennedy into the box - only for no Reds' striker gambling on the ball in that evades everybody and goes out for a throw. On the 36th minute Wednesday see another shot blocked by the Reds' defence - this time Antonio after embarking on a trademark weaving run drills a low shot at goal that rattles a defenders legs before an O'Grady through-ball catches Pederson offside. The noise is, as expected, coming from the away end but the better football is coming from the home side - by far. Neat passes and determined runs from midfield see Wednesday almost constantly on the back foot. As half-time creeps closer McCourt has a shot blocked before connecting with a Scott Wiseman pass and twisting his way through the Wednesday defence brilliantly and firing a driven shot across goal that eventually goes out for a throw-in. The half closes with a foul on Kirkland when Pederson cheaply takes out the former England goalkeeper, requiring medical attention and a short delay.


HT REVIEW: Wednesday can count themselves lucky to only be 1-0 down at the break, Barnsley have been the better side throughout that half. McCourt is a real threat for the Reds and with Reda Johnson having a terrible first half, the freedom allowed to the Northern Irishman could see him cause havoc for the Owls. Matty Fryatt is isolated up top for Wednesday and is in need of the ball to his feet, often seeing the ball lumped over his head in that first half. After another pint of John Smiths the second half commences.

Barnsley FC's loan keeper, Jack Butland.

The home side start brightly and look to continue their first half momentum when a shot by Wiseman is blocked and a rampaging David Perkins run ends with a shot that is high and wide. Dave Jones reacts in the Wednesday dugout by replacing Jermaine Johnson with Atdhe Nuhiu on the 50th minute. When Lewis Buxton concedes a corner kick, David Fox sends in a good corner that Martin Cranie heads wide before Nuhiu fires a low shot that deflects awkwardly - only for Jack Butland to make the save.

The 55th minute sees a blatant penalty turned down by the referee when an Antonio long throw into the box is punched out for a corner by Jean-Yves M'voto and the guilty man is relieved to see the referee wave away protests. Wednesday draw level in style when Barnsley see away an Owls corner, only for a brilliant pass by Helan to be flicked on by Reda Johnson and Matty Fryatt unleashes an unstoppable volley that sends the away end into raptures. Justice has been done. When the celebrations have died down Wednesday see Seyi Olofinjana who lacks match fitness replaced by Giles Coke in the 59th minute. Coke is quickly into the action, earning a free-kick that is nodded on by Roger Johnson and a right-footed Antonio scissor kick is saved well by Butland and after Fryatt flashes a shot inches past the post, Barnsley make a change to try and stop the Wednesday pressure - Dale Jennings replacing the unusually ineffective Jacob Mellis on the 62nd minute

'The Tank' - Reda Johnson.

Just three minutes later and a clash of heads between Pederson and Reda Johnson earns both men a yellow card - the protagonist was the Norwegian goalscorer who clattered into the Benin international, leading to the bust up. Following a foul by Coke, Fox sees Kirkland his equal when he keeps out the Norwich City loanee's shot before McCourt is replaced by Kelvin Etuhu in another attempt to stop the Wednesday momentum. A 72nd minute corner conceded by Wiseman almost gives the Owls the lead when Nuhiu connects with Johnsons header - only for Butland to come to Barnsley's rescue. The former Rapid Vienna striker has changed the impetus of the match and the opposing defenders struggle to contain him as he flashes another shot over the bar in another test of the back-line before he heads a Buxton cross just wide.

Goal-scorer Fryatt is replaced in the 82nd minute by development squad striker Caolan Lavery as the Hull City strikers loan deal ends on a high. A minute later and Wednesday almost turn the game on its head, a pass by Nuhiu to Antonio leads to the winger smashing a shot wide - much to the relief of the home fans. In a like-for-like swap, David Flitcroft replaces goalscorer Pederson with Jason Scotland in the 84th minute. When Antonio is penalised and the referee awards Barnsley a soft free-kick, Nuhiu picks up a yellow card for dissent, his third booking of the campaign but the Reds waste the opportunity again. The match ends when a foul on Roger Johnson by Jennings sees McPhail's free-kick fly over the crossbar to a chorus of 'We're All Wednesday Aren't We?' and the scores remain level.

Statistics: (home / away)
Shots: 11 / 15
On target: 2 / 4
Corners: 8 / 8
Fouls: 10 / 9
Possession: 48% / 52%

Barnsley manager, David Flitcroft.

FT REVIEW: A deserved draw - Barnsley dominated the first half, Wednesday the second. Both teams had chances to take the win but neither could make the most of those chances. Yet another game without a win for the Owls who now sit bottom of the league following Yeovil's surprise win against Nottingham Forest. It was nice to see Jones give development squad players a try when he introduced Lavery (21) even though he made no impact. Wednesday had more of the ball and chances overall but Barnsley provided too much of a dogged team to beat. Oh and for the 'Chris O'Grady doom merchants' - I cant't recollect a single shot the former Wednesday favourite had.  

Owls Man of the Match: Atdhe Nuhiu - changed the game when he came on.

Managers reaction:
Dave Jones: "We didn't get going until the second half and once we got going we were the better team to go on and win it but unfortunately we didn't. Don't ask me why we didn't start well, we couldn't play it out because they were pressing us and when we did try playing it out we conceded. I think in the second half the changes sorted it out and we created chances. Matty scored a great goal - he had a chance like that in his first game and missed it, so it shows what games can do."

David Flitcroft: "We are growing into the season, I am pleased we are getting better and finding some momentum. Its about grinding in and digging results but have the bigger picture to develop a team. We did the game plan and it completely worked, the moment we have not focused allowed Sheffield Wednesday to get in. I was desperate for a clean sheet and its disappointing - the quality of Pederson's goal should win the football match."


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