Against the best Huddersfield Town side I've seen since the days of Frank Worthington and Trevor Cherry at the start of the 1970's. Most Barnsley teams I've seen over the years would have capitulated in similar circumstances to today's game. However, the teams under Paul Heckingbottom are made of much sterner stuff. Even when a number of the team are out of form (which, despite what some may think, is not a criminal offence), they still don't let their heads drop and continue to put their bodies on the line for the cause. Adam Davies gave, I think, his best ever performance in a Barnsley shirt. Also what a great goal from Marley Watkins. As for being 'lucky', it's often referred to when it works in our favour (at home to Burton last season was another example). But it never works the other way round, for example against the likes of Crewe, Shrewsbury, Port Vale, Peterborough (away) last season and Burton, Sheffield Wednesday, Ipswich this season, we get told "there's no such thing as luck". If we're lucky, then we'll take it. After all, some of the obvious penalties we haven't received and sendings off we have, can certainly be classed, in my opinion, as unlucky. Fifty points before the end of February for the first time since at this level since the 1999/2000 season is definitely something to be proud of. Well done Hecky and the lads.
I love a lucky game myself you have to take it when you can it'll swing back the other way soon enough. Statistically there's no such thing as luck but let's enjoy the reality.
I don't think anyone had a "bad" game today. What you have to look at is how Huddersfield play - they play a functional, pressing, and ultimately dull thug'ish style - very German. They look to squeeze all life out of a game, squeeze on free kicks, close down as soon as they lose the ball and are not averse to simply fouling you to get you to stop. It is very effective, it is very technical but Jesus, it is very dull in my opinion. There is no room for flair, none. I think we stood up to that really well today and certainly once the largely anonymous Mowatt had been replaced we looked the better team. Great team spirit and a hard fought point against essentially a Machine of limited ability drilled to death by Herr Wagner - I would rather watch us any day of the week.
My point is that when it does, it never seems to be acknowledged by people who are quick to play the 'lucky' card when we're on the receiving end.
It's not a criminal offence for players to have an off day and neither is it an offence to point it out. We've not had our fair share of luck as you say but I still say it was our luckiest point of the season. I'll take it and we are officially safe now. A great achievement to get to 50 points in Feb.
I'd say this season we have taken 1 undeserved point through luck today and lost to Wednesday and Forest when we should have got Summat. It evens out over a season ( which is why it's just a variable not luck) and you end up where you deserve to be. Huddersfield were very impressive though.
It's just a pity we can't cut some of the the lads a bit of slack when they have an off day, this season of all seasons.
Absolutely spot on! We've just gone against Villa and Reading away, and Brighton and Huddersfield at home. Won 1, Drawn 2, Lost 1. Without being close to our best attacking wise. Incredible effort from the whole squad and coaching team. Onwards and Upwards. We're 1 point closer to playoffs than at the start of the day.
They didn't have an "off day". They played in a committed and skilful way against a good team. And got a point.
Huddersfield are aggressively effective, rather than pleasing to the eye and should have beaten us. We had a very good penalty shout which had a collective 5000 sighs of relief. But as ever of course, we can not rely on the officials to give us a fair crack at the whip. We deserved a point for simple not giving up and maintaining our ever impressive fitness/energy levels. Of course, we are not the team we were before the January sales, but we will be a Championship team again next season and that's an achievement in itself.... THE END.
Agreed. Don't think we played particularly badly - we've played better, but they're a good team. If we'd played like that against Rotherham than that would have been a different story
