if you're having a bad afternoon this'll cheer you up

SO much for the two year promotion plan then.

The blueprint for the Reds to reach the Championship gave manager Andy Ritchie a couple of seasons after he secured his job just 14 months ago.
He and his young bloods are double quick ahead of schedule and thanks to a stunning second half at Huddersfield last night the climb to the next league up could be topped off at Cardiff a week on Saturday.
It wasn't supposed to be that way. Respectable top 10 finish 2005-6 would have been acceptable then the real push next term.
Except football can't be planned like that. The first rule of the game is: if you get a chance, don't mess about, take it.
Barnsley did. And did it three times over.
Huddersfield manager Peter Jackson, choked, gutted and emotional afterwards as the Barnsley party kicked-off in his ground, reckoned a dogdy penalty, a set piece and a keeper's blunder did it. He was spot on.
He claimed Martin McIntosh never touched Paul Hayes for the spot kick. He didn't. Danny Schofield did. Hayes didn't stand on ceremony. A push in the back, he said, he felt and down he went. He got up to finish from 12 yards all ruthlessly efficient. Keeper one way, shot the other.
So that made it 1-1 on aggregate and Barnsley had the momentum of a comeback at their backs as well as 4,000 fans passionate that they should pull through.
A Huddersfield goal seemed the last thing on the cards until Stephen McPhail cut up rough with a back pass to keeper Nick Colgan that should have come with a health warning. And ouch, how it hurt when Jonathan Worthington followed up and into the Barnsley No 1, the ball spun onto the goalline whitewash where Paul Heckingbottom arrived with David Graham at his shoulder. Heckingbottom got the last touch. So OG technically. Really though, credit Worthington.
The weird thing is that Huddersfield didn't kick on from there. Barnsley picked up and for a rare time this season they were useful at a corner. Martin Devaney crossed from the right, Bobby Hassell won a header eight yards out. Paul Reid was first to the second ball to nod around stranded goalie Paul Rachubka.
With 20 minutes left it was 2-1 on the night, 2-2 in the tie. Seven minutes later Huddersfield had gone.
Reds manager Ritchie reckoned all night he'd been balling from the dugout for someone to take pot shot.
Brian Howard at last listened and what a hit he came up with. From 25 yards with swerve plus pace and right on the button. Rachubka got glove to it, couldn't hold it and in came Daniel Nardiello to plonk it in from around seven yards out.
So 3-1 it was, 3-2 in the bigger picture and job done.
Huddersfield had no choice but to chuck everything forward and even with all 10 in the box at times the best they put up was a scuffed shot from Gary Taylor-Fletcher, their goal hero from the first leg at Oakwell.
Barnsley's own strike hero Nardiello brought a downer on himself with a late booking for knocking the ball away. It was a yellow card that puts his place in the play-off final in jeopardy if it was his 10th.
Barnsley were checking the rules and the card count today.
Kick-off last night was delayed for 15 minutes. Barnsley coaches, including the team bus had been held up by a motorway crash.
The action was hardly jam-packed in the opening 45.
Huddersfield held the edge with the 1-0 from Thursday and went to add to it.
As early as the seventh minute Andy Booth connected sweetly, first time to volley a Danny Adams cross from the left. Colgan was watchful and grateful as it flew just over.
Colgan then had to stretch to block a Schofield drive.
Barnsley's best move of those opening exchanges saw Richards and Nardiello combine before spreading the ball to Devaney on the right flank. He fired in a shot which Rachubka blocked.
Mark Hudson sent a dangerous ball into the box, aiming for Booth who was a few inches short of a header as he arrived at the far post.
Hayes almost profited from a Clarke error. He robbed the centre back but could manage nothing better than a long shot which hardly troubled keeper Rachubka. They went in for half-time goalless and with Huddersfield happy with the night's work so far.
Barnsley knew they had 45 minutes to lift the season into the exceptional.
And how they did that.
Afterwards the players soaked the manager in bubbly as the celebrations began and Ritchie, smiling, had a pop back.
"It's all about the players really. Once they cross that white line you've got a modicum of control over them. If I had any hair I'd pull it out with some of the things they do. I've probably got a few more wrinkles tonight than I had before," he laughed.
simon.meeks@sheffieldnewspapers.co.uk
16 May 2006
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"Reds manager Ritchie reckoned all night he'd been balling from the dugout for someone to take pot shot."

It should be "bawling" but it's right. You could lip read him on Sky saying "Have a fecking shot".