a repeat of this tomorrow would be just fine and dandy

<span class="heading"><font size="2">Barnsley 2 Sheffield Wednesday 1</font></span>

<span class="italic">By Ian Parkes, PA Sport</span></p>

Barnsley's two lucky mascots kept the Tykes' Premiership dreams alive to end the heartbreak they had suffered in their previous three matches.</p>

For the first time this season confidence was waning going into this Yorkshire derby as manager Danny Wilson's side had endured the agony of conceding a winner - against Liverpool, Blackburn and Leeds respectively - in the final 10 minutes of each match.</p>

But enter strikers Ashley Ward and Jan-Aage Fjortoft to again lift spirits at Oakwell and keep the nerves of Wednesday supporters jangling for another 48 hours at least as they are still not out of the murky relegation waters.</p>

Ward finally broke the deadlock in the 65th minute, with probably his least convincing goal of the season, but his 10th following his &pound;1.3million move from Derby early last September.</p>

Remarkably, Barnsley have now won nine of the 10 games in which Ward has found the net, with the talisman then rubbing off on Fjortoft just seven minutes later.</p>

The Norwegian international, on as substitute for John Hendrie in the 52nd minute, scored his fifth of the season for Barnsley - all at home - following his &pound;800,000 switch from Sheffield United at the end of January.</p>

Wilson's side have won three and drawn one of those home games, with the result thrown into doubt when Dejan Stefanovic reduced the deficit four minutes from time, before the final whistle brought sighs of relief among the home faithful.</p>

Perhaps the most remarkable fact was that these two sides had conceded 131 goals between them in the Premiership prior to today's game and given the number of chances in the first half, it was surprising they went into the break goalless.</p>

Hendrie, in his first game back since sustaining ankle ligament damage in the FA Cup fifth round replay win over Manchester United on February 25, had the first opportunity in the third minute when a Dejan Stefanovic mistake put the Scot in the clear, but as he fired goalwards, Des Walker superbly blocked.</p>

The Scot then set up skipper and leading scorer Neil Redfearn four minutes later with a stinging left-foot, close range drive which Kevin Pressman parried at near point-blank range.</p>

It was then Wednesday's chance for a double-blast at goal, with Paolo Di Canio, skipper for the first time in the absence of the suspended Peter Atherton, striking the bar with a curling right-footer after a mix-up in midfield between Martin Bullock and Jovo Bosancic had allowed Emerson Thome to put the Italian in the clear.</p>

Thome, recently signed as a free agent following his release from Benfica, looked menacing in a midfield role - switching to the centre of defence at the break for the injured Goce Sedloski - and was next to go close with a left foot-half volley from 18 yards narrowly over the woodwork.</p>

Ward then spurned two opportunities from six yards in the space of seconds as the Wednesday defence flung their bodies at the ball, just minutes after Kevin Pressman had pulled off a fine save low to his left to keep the forward at bay.</p>

The mistakes, which were beginning to occur frequently in a congested midfield, were prevalent for the next two chances - one for either side.</p>

Adie Moses' bad pass allowed Di Canio to put Andy Booth away inside the area, but an alert Watson had sprung off his line to block at the feet of the Owls forward.</p>

This was followed on the half-hour when Macedonian international Sedloski's poor headed clearance from Moses' long ball out of defence saw an in-the-clear Hendrie volley over from 12 yards.</p>

But the first half pandemonium of the opening 45 minutes gave way to a tense, scrappy start to the second in which Barnsley's dominance was rewarded with Ward's strike.</p>

Ales Krizan's long throw to the edge of the six-yard area saw Ward turn sharply before bundling the ball over the line, with Pressman standing virtually right in front of him.</p>

Fjortoft's introduction had earlier given the home side a more physical presence and this also paid-off handsomely when he curled home a left foot shot beyond Pressman into the bottom right hand corner from the edge of the area.</p>

The result never looked in doubt until Stefanovic struck a 20-yarder which went in off Watson's left hand post in the 86th minute.</p>

But this time there was to be no further last gasp heartbreak for Barnsley as they held on for a morale-boosting win and another crunch relegation battle with Newcastle at St James' Park on Monday.</p>

Teams </p>

Barnsley: Watson, Eaden, Moses, De Zeeuw, Hendrie (Fjortoft 53), Redfearn, Bullock, Bosancic, Jones, Krizan, Ward. </p>

Subs Not Used: Appleby, Marcelle, Hristov, Leese. </p>

Booked: Krizan, Ward. </p>

Goals: Ward 65, Fjortoft 72. </p>

Sheff Wed: Pressman, Pembridge (Carbone 66), Walker, Whittingham, Booth, Di Canio, Stefanovic, Hinchcliffe, Sedloski (Hyde 46), Thome, Barrett. </p>

Subs Not Used: Oakes, Magilton, Clarke. </p>

Booked: Di Canio, Stefanovic, Barrett, Carbone. </p>

Goals: Stefanovic 86. </p>

Att: 18,692 </p>

Ref: P E Alcock (Redhill). </p>

</p>

 

remember it well

... the day I got engaged to Mr Owl, who proposed in the centre circle at half time. He was of course the only man in Blue & White who knew what he was doing that day.