Sheffield Wednesday 2 Barnsley 2

All four sides of the ground at Hillsborough applauded for the recently passed Sir Bobby Robson and then errupted into cheers of excitement as both sides fanned out into their positions for the big kick off.

It wasn’t long before there was a goal on the board at Hillsborough. Wednesday started the brighter of the two teams, moving the ball around well, keeping possession well.

With only 8 minutes gone, some comical defending from Robert Kozluk on the Barnsley left gifted Wednesday the opportunity to cross into the box. Michael Gray supplied the cross into the box and Jermaine Johnson made no mistake, slotting home from 7 yards with a first time half volley.

Barnsley had a half chance to hit back some 8 minutes later when Bobby Hassell’s throw-in found Anderson Da Silva on the corner of the Wednesday box. He turned two defenders and ran toward the by-line but his low cross was smothered well by Lee Grant.

Jon Macken must have thought he’d scored with 20 minutes gone when his low drive from the edge of the box was saved by the feet of Grant, who was diving the other way but Barnsley’s only reward was a corner kick.

Minutes later Anderson had the chance to level things again but planted his far post header wide from Butterfield’s free kick.

Reds skipper Stephen Foster has a lucky escape on 30 minutes when he brought down Francis Jeffers just outside the Barnsley box, but Bobby Hassell was covering as the last defender and Foster got away with just a yellow card.

Five minutes later it was Barnsley’s turn to shout for a penalty as Johnson brought down Campbell-Ryce right on the corner of the Wednesday box but this time the offending player escaped unpunished.

Wednesday doubled their advantage with five minutes to in the first half as Gray turned scorer, stooping low to head home a long throw from Tommy Spurr, leaving the Barnsley fans stunned and silenced.

Odejayi worked hard up front all afternoon and almost had the chance to drag Barnsley back into the match just before half time, racing through to meet Anderson’s slick through ball but the striker didn’t quite have the legs to get there before Grant, who gratefully smothered the ball.

Barnsley’s players were surely relieved when the referee blew the whistle for half time to a chorus of boo’s from the travelling support. In the first hour at Hillsborough the best performance on the pitch from anyone in red came from the marching band of the Third Battallion of the Yorkshire Regiment – the half time entertainment.

Half Time: Sheffield Wednesday 2 Barnsley 0

Odejayi was in the thick of things again ten minutes into the second half but he struggled to get his effort through a crowd of Wednesday players.

It was left to Reds youngster Jacob Butterfield to make a game of it for Barnsley on the hour mark as he found himself on the ball with plenty of time at the back post after Martin Devaney sent over a trademark diagonal cross from the right that evaded everyone else. Butterfield slotted home his first senior goal to send the Barnsley fans into raptures.

The goal sparked the Reds into life and suddenly they began to move the ball around like Wednesday had done in the first half. Simon Davey made a change on 73 minutes when he replaced Martin Devaney on the Barnsley right with striker Daniel Bogdanovic.

Luke Steele’s long ball down field was met in the air by Odejayi and his flick on beat the Wednesday defence to send Macken through on goal. The 31 year old striker took a touch and slid the ball home from an ever narrowing angle to level the game at 2-2.

Barnsley were now in full flow and what once seemed like a lost cause looked like a possible win for the Reds. Bobby Hassell struck a free kick into the Wednesday wall with a few minutes to go but in the end, both sides looked like they were happy enough to play out the game for a draw. Wednesday fans went away deflated and the Reds travelled home feeling like they’d won.

Full Time: Sheffield Wednesday 2 Barnsley 2

Barnsley:

Steele, Hassell, Kozluk, Moore, Foster, Devaney (Bogdanovic 73), Campbell-Ryce, Da Silva, Butterfield, Macken, Odejayi