BARNSLEY 1 (Mostto 71)
BURNLEY 1 (Gray 11)

IT took until the second half but the Reds finally put on a performance although they just could not find a winner against Burnley at Oakwell.

Reds boss Simon Davey was forced into one change with Brazilian star Anderson De Silva missing through suspension. Martin Devaney was his choice to fill the vacancy in midfield with Grant McCann switching to a more central role. Kim Christensen missed out on the squad with a shin injury picked up in training on Monday although he could be fit for the trip to Hull City on Monday.

Burnley manager Steve Cotterill was without influential frontman Robbie Blake through injury and opted to leave Kyle Lafferty on the bench following his international exploits with Northern Ireland in midweek.

The Reds made a great start and almost got in with just four minutes on the clock when Kayode Odejayi raced onto Lewin Nyatanga's pass but his first touch let him down and the ball bounced through to Gabor Kiraly.

At the other end Clarke Carlisle wasted a golden chance on seven minutes as he rose highest to meet Wade Elliott's cross but put his header well over the bar from eight yards.

Barnsley thought they should have had a penalty on ten minutes as Odejayi twisted and turned his way through Carlisle before facing Kiraly. The Burnley defender came through Odejayi from behind but played the ball and the chance was gone.

The Reds were behind just a minute later when they had a defensive nightmare trying to deal with Elliott's cross. First Dennis Souza missed the ball to put Nyatanga under pressure only for the Welshman's clearance to smash into Andy Gray and bounce past Heinz Muller into the back of the net.

The Reds were denied a second clear penalty on 13 minutes the Carlisle hammered Miguel Mostto to the floor as the pair went for Devaney's deep cross. Again referee Lee Probert gave nothing.

Barnsley's defence was at sixes and sevens again on 15 minutes as they stood and watched Elliott get a shot away from 20 yards and were very lucky that they ball flew a foot wide of the far post with Muller stranded.

The Reds looked to get a foothold back in the match on 18 minutes when Odejayi did well to send Devaney through down the right but the winger rushed his shot and blazed well wide of the target. Devaney was again in the thick of the action a minute later as he reacted quickest to Dominik Werling's long throw but his volley was well off target.

Burnley's rough play cost the Reds on 21 minutes when Souza was left needing stitches after being hammered by Ade Akinbiyi's elbow. Souza left the field in a pool of blood to be patched up by physio Richard Kay and club doctor John Harban but it left the home side down to ten men.

Again the Clarets had the benefit of doubt on 23 minutes when Stephen Jordan appeared to handle Jamal Campbell-Ryce's cross in the area but nothing was given despite Mostto's appeals.

Burnley really should have had a second four minutes later when Elliott stole into the area but shot high over the bar with a clean sight of goal.

The Reds were living dangerously again on 33 minutes when they failed to deal with Alan Mahon's corner and Carlisle was able to get a shot away only for the ball to be hacked away off the line. Muller then had to be at his very best a minute later to turn Elliott's free kick around the post.

Barnsley finally hit form on 37 minutes when Campbell-Ryce cut in from the left before seeing his shot well blocked away. The ball bounced to Brian Howard, who struck a defender before Werling brought a save from Kiraly with a well-struck effort.

Grant McCann was next to try his luck two minutes later as he brought a save from Kiraly with a curling free kick after Howard had been hacked down 20 yards from goal.

Another Mahon corner caused problems on 41 minutes and again Carlisle was given a free header but the defender could not hit the target.

The Reds should have had yet another penalty on 44 minutes as Odejayi was manhandled to the ground by Carlisle inside the box only for the referee to award a free kick outside the area. Werling smashed his effort against Carlisle and an inch wide of the post.

Barnsley started the second half strongly and McCann had another decent claim for a penalty waved away on 46 minutes as he was pushed in the back as he went for Howard's cross. The ball bounced out to Howard again but the Reds skipper could not find the top corner with his curling shot.

Mostto then tried his luck from the edge of the area on 51 minutes but Kiraly managed to claw the ball out of the top corner and away.

Campbell-Ryce finally broke away from his shackles two minutes later to race at the Burnley defence but saw his low shot well blocked away.

Burnley were struggling although Mahon almost got the better of Muller on 59 minutes when he let fly from 25 yards but his effort flew over the bar.

Odejayi then managed to get in behind the Burnley defence a minute later but fired over although he would have been denied by an offside flag anyway.

Former Claret Stephen Foster almost had a dream return on 66 minutes as he raced through onto Werling's fine pass but overran the ball to Kiraly. Foster turned provider two minutes later as he crossed well to give Mostto a chance but the Peruvian put his header wide of the far post.

Foster went close again on 70 minutes as he sent a looping header against a defender and over the bar from Howard's corner.

The Reds were level just seconds later as Nyatanga did well to meet Howard's right wing corner but saw his header strike the ball. The ball dropped down and Mostto was in the right place to prod it into the net from two yards.

Campbell-Ryce then did well to break through on 72 minutes only to be hacked down by John Spicer right on the edge of the area. Spicer somehow escaped without a caution and McCann brought another fine save from Kiraly from the free kick.

Burnley escaped yet another decent looking claim for a penalty on 80 minutes as Devaney's cross struck Carlisle on the arm as the defender cleared. Again the referee was not impressed. From the corner Nyatanga brought a save from Kiraly.

The Clarets almost grabbed a second on 82 minutes when Lafferty headed straight at Muller as the Reds struggled to deal with Elliott's corner. Lafferty then brought a save from Muller a minute later as he let fly from the edge of the area but the big German was in the right place to save.

Barnsley had to thank Werling on 90 minutes as the German was in the right place to block Lafferty's effort on the line after the Reds had struggled to deal with Elliott's corner.

BARNSLEY: Muller, Foster, Werling, Nyatanga, Souza, Campbell-Ryce (Ricketts 84), Howard, McCann, Devaney, Mostto, Odejayi.
Subs: Colgan, Kozluk, Togwell, Coulson.

BURNLEY: Kiraly, Alexander, Carlisle, Caldwell, Akinbiyi (Jones 84), Gray, Elliott, Spicer, McCann, Mahon (Lafferty 69), Jordan.
Subs: O'Connor, Jensen, Unsworth.