BARNSLEY 2 (Togwell 1, Campbell-Ryce 34)
SOUTHAMPTON 2 (Wright-Phillips 62, 70)

BARNSLEY wasted a hatful of excellent chances to take all three points and in the end threw it all away against Southampton at Oakwell.

Reds boss Simon Davey made three changes from the side that drew with Stoke City with Bobby Hassell, Jamal Campbell-Ryce and Kayode Odejayi replacing Stephen Foster, Grant McCann and Jon Macken.

Barnsley were in front with just 16 seconds on the clock as Campbell-Ryce broke well down the right to cross. Brian Howard almost got his head to the ball but it fell to Sam Togwell on the edge of the area and the midfielder smashed it back past Kelvin Davis and into the roof of the net.

It could have been two on six minutes as Campbell-Ryce's cross somehow made its way through to Odejayi off Alan Bennett but the big striker missed his kick from six yards with the goal gaping.

Martin Devaney almost got in on 14 minutes as he raced clear onto Campbell-Ryce's pass but Davis was quickly off his line to clear under pressure from the flying winger.

Southampton knocked the ball around well and were almost level on 19 minutes as Adam Hammill planted a curler just a yard or so wide of Heinz Muller's post.

Odejayi then almost had the better of Davis on 21 minutes as he turned well on the edge of the area but planted his shot well wide of the target with the Saints keeper wrong-footed.

Odejayi got in again on 31 minutes as he raced onto Marciano Van Homoet's pass but was denied a strike on goal by a late offside flag. The big frontman beat the offside trap a minute later as he ran onto Brian Howard's through ball and beat Davis but Bennett was in the right place to clear off the line. The ball bounced out to Van Homoet who grazed the crossbar from 20 yards.

The second goal came on 34 minutes and it was an absolute rocket from Campbell-Ryce. The winger broke onto a loose ball down the right before crashing an unstoppable shot past Davis and into the top corner of the net.

Southampton were ragged although Hammill almost got one back on 36 minutes as he let fly from 25 yards under pressure from Togwell but his shot was always heading over the bar.

It should have been three on 38 minutes as Odejayi again used his pace to beat the Saints offside trap onto Howard's pass but planted his shot wide with only Davis to beat.

Southampton went close again on 41 minutes when Andrew Surman did well to turn onto Hammill's pass in the area but shot wide of the target from eight yards although his effort was deflected. Surman also forced Muller into a smart save a minute later after giving Togwell the run around 25 yards out.

Muller then had to be at his very best in stoppage time to turn away Hammill's deflected shot at the foot of the post.

Barnsley were back on the attack at the start of the second half and Howard saw a volley well blocked away on 48 minutes as he broke onto Istvan Ferenczi's flick.

Campbell-Ryce then brought the very, very best from Davis a minute later as he lashed in a shot from the edge of the area but the Saints keeper somehow managed to claw the ball behind. From Howard's corner Hassell saw a header kicked away off the line.

At the other end Surman flashed a shot into the sidenetting on 52 minutes as he stole in at the back post to meet Phil Ifil's free kick but Muller never looked troubled.

Barnsley pushed on and Dennis Souza headed off a defender and wide on 56 minutes as he rose to attack Devaney's corner.

Southampton were there for the taking and Campbell-Ryce could have won a penalty on 57 minutes as he went over Wright's leg in the area. Ferenczi was an inch away from a goal a minute later as he dove for Hassell's cross but just could not connect on the six yard box.

Saints pulled one back completely against the run of play on 62 minutes as Bradley Wright-Phillips found himself clean through and managed to hold off Lewin Nyatanga before planting a low shot past Muller from 18 yards.

Wright-Phillips went close again on 66 minutes as he turned well in the area onto Jason Euell's pass but could not get his volley on target. Grzregorz Rasiak then brought a save from Muller a minute later as he drilled one in from the edge of the box.

Saints completed a remarkable comeback that was highly unlikely after a wretched first hour of the game when Wright-Phillips found a yard to turn onto a dropping ball in the area and drilled his first-time shot past Muller.

It could have been even worse on 73 minutes as Bennett managed to get the wrong side of the Reds defence to meet Ifil's pass but could not direct his shot past Muller and it bounced out for a corner.

It really should have been all three points to the visitors on 76 minutes as Ifil's cross gave Rasiak a free header just ten yards out but the Pole managed to head wide with Muller stranded.

The game swung from end to end and Odejayi managed to get in behind the Saints once more on 79 minutes but drilled his shot well, well wide of the target with only Davis to beat.

Wright-Phillips again should have won it on 83 minutes as he raced onto Souza's slip but shot weakly at Muller from 18 yards out.

Barnsley still pushed as the looked for a third and Miguel Mostto, who had replaced a dejected Odejayi, flashed a header wide on 87 minutes.

Muller had to come to the Reds rescue a minute later as Rasiak got the wrong side of Nyatanga onto Wright-Phillips' pass but the big German produced a world-class stop to deny him.Van Homoet was in the right place to clear the loose ball.

BARNSLEY: Muller, Hassell, Souza, Nyatanga, Van Homoet, Devaney, Togwell, Howard, Campbell-Ryce, Ferenczi, Odejayi (Mostto 80).
Subs: Kozluk, McCann, Ricketts, Coulson.

SOUTHAMPTON: Davis, Thomas, Rasiak, Wright, Surman, Euell, Hammill (Lallana 60), Bennett, Safri, John (Wright-Phillips 60), Powell (Ifil 45).
Subs: Bialkowski, Viafara.