BARNSLEY 2 (Richards 45, Hayes 70 P)
SOUTHAMPTON 2 (Rasiak 47, 73 P)
REFEREE Mike Dean awarded two controversial second half penalties inside three minutes as the Reds had to make do with a point from an entertaining and end to end clash with Southampton at Oakwell.
Reds boss Andy Ritchie was forced into a late change just minutes before kick off with Robbie Williams coming into the starting eleven at the expense of Paul Heckingbottom, who injured his ribs in the warm up. Rob Atkinson came in on the bench alongside new signings Colin Healy and Vito Mannone. Southampton had former Reds keeper Kevin Miller on the bench as they looked to build some early season momentum.
The Reds could have been in front inside four minutes as Paul Hayes and Michael McIndoe combined well to send Marc Richards free but Kelvin Davis pulled off a fine diving save to divert the striker's effort wide. The Reds were not finished and Martin Devaney's right wing corner caused more problems for the Saints defence and Davis again had to be alert to claw away Bobby Hassell's header.
Three minutes later Brian Howard saw a free kick drift just over the top from the right hand side after Devaney had been tripped by Gareth Bale.
Southampton menacingly broke forward on ten minutes with Bradley Wright-Phillips and Nathan Dyer doing well to send Grzegorz Rasiak in behind Williams but the big striker could only shoot straight into the advertising boards from 18 yards.
Dyer again got the better of Williams as the pair raced towards the byline on 15 minutes and the winger managed to dig out a decent cross but Wright-Phillips just could not direct his effort on target under pressure from Antony Kay.
Devaney almost lit up Oakwell on 21 minutes as he turned well past two defenders before rifling a shot goalward but David managed to hold onto the ball at the second attempt. The Reds winger turned provider just a minute later as he skinned highly-rated Gareth Bale yet again before sending a fizzing cross just inches in front of Hayes' outstretched leg.
Barnsley were dominant and McIndoe almost grabbed an opener on 25 minutes as his acrobatic volley flew wide of the target.
At the other end Wright-Phillips saw a shot deflect wide before Pedro Pele had a header kicked away off the line from Andy Surman's corner on the half hour. The Reds the broke with pace and purpose as Devaney and Hayes took advantage of most of the Saints defence being caught up field to play in McIndoe but Davis stood up to the challenge and made a fine save.
Seconds later the Southampton keeper was scrambling across his goal again as Howard shot inches wide of the post from the edge of the area after more neat play had caught out the visitors.
Devaney rather harshly entered the book on 34 minutes after tripping Surman although the winger had been on the receiving end of some cynical challenges earlier in the half that had not warranted a card from top flight referee Mike Dean. From the free kick Pele again got in at the far post to meet Jermaine Wright's cross but Nick Colgan made a decent save low to his left.
McIndoe again got in behind Southampton on 40 minutes as he raced onto Hayes' flick but the angle was always against the former Doncaster winger and he could only hammer the ball into the stand.
Rasiak was aggrieved on 44 minutes after failing to win a corner when his wayward drive landed half way up the Enterprise Stand rather than on target as the Saints were struggling to break down a solid looking Reds backline.
The goal finally came deep in stoppage time as again Howard found a way through the Saints back line to send Devaney free down the right. The winger sent over a fine cross to give Richards the chance to rifle in his third of the campaign from six yards out.
Saints started the second half with two new faces on the park as manager George Burley hauled off Dyer and Bale to give Rudi Skacel and Chris Makin a chance to impress. Skacel almost got in at the far post just a minute after the restart as he stole in behind but could only fire high into the stand from a tight angle.
Southampton grabbed a leveller on 47 minutes as Wright's corner caused all sorts of problems and Rasiak stole in to hammer the ball past Colgan into the net.
The Reds regrouped and pushed forward again with Devaney teeing up Sam Togwell on 56 minutes but the midfielder just did not get enough on his shot and the ball deflected through to a relieved Davis. Devaney then got onto the end of a McIndoe cross just a minute later but again found the Saints keeper a tough obstacle to beat.
Southampton looked a different team in the final third as Rasiak again managed to get his head to the ball on 58 minutes to play in Wright-Phillips but Colgan rushed from his goal to make a smart save.
Skacel was a constant thorn in the Reds' side and almost created a second for the Saints on 63 minutes after falling over Kay's leg to win a free kick. The midfielder brushed himself down and fired a shot off the wall and inches wide of Colgan's post.
Wright-Phillips was next to anger the home crowd three minutes later as he hit the deck rather easily under another Kay challenge but again Saints could not make the free kick count from the edge of the area.
Southampton again went close on 68 minutes as Skacel again managed to cross from the left for Rasiak but the striker could only head wide from the back post.
The Reds finally had a massive slice of good fortune on 70 minutes as Saints failed to deal with McIndoe's corner. Devaney eventually swung the ball back into the danger area and it bounced up to striker the hand of Alexander Ostlund. The referee pointed straight to the spot, much to Saints dismay, and Hayes slotted away the one of coolest penalties seen at Oakwell for many a year to put his side back into the lead.
If the referee thought he had made a mistake awarding the Reds a penalty, he soon evened things up just three minutes later as Skacel's volley struck Kay's arm in the area. Again Dean pointed to the spot and Rasiak made no mistake from 12-yards.
Wright-Phillips really should have put Saints into the lead on 75 minutes as he took advantage of Kay's slip to race in but Williams appeared from nowhere to make a goal-saving challenge.
The referee's nightmare second half continued on 84 minutes as substitute Tommy Wright was tripped when clean through by a combination of Davis and Makin. The Reds striker was penalised for trying to stay on his feet as the referee amazingly waved away his protests after he hit the deck a few yards further on.
A slip by Hassell almost gifted Saints the winner on 86 minutes as substitute Kenwyne Jones' pounced but Colgan was in the right place to make a decent save. Again Colgan had to be at his best a minute later to hold onto Surman's shot after the Reds had failed to deal with Wright's corner
Jones then should have walked late in the game after kicking out at Paul Reid after the Reds skipper comfortably dealt with the Southampton striker's threat as the pair chased a high ball. The referee gave nothing and Jones was on the receiving end of a barrage of abuse from Reid and Hassell.
BARNSLEY: Colgan, Hassell, Williams, Reid, Togwell (Tonge 81), Hayes, McIndoe, Howard (Healy 71), Kay, Devaney, Richards (Wright 67)
Subs: Mannone, Atkinson.
SOUTHAMPTON: Davis, Ostlund, Pele, Wright-Phillips (Jones 81), Rasiak, Wright, Dyer (Skacel 45), Baird, Bale (Makin 45), Viafara, Surman.
Subs: Miller, Lallana.
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