Match report from Official site

BARNSLEY 1 (Hayes 57)

PORT VALE 1 (Cummins 83)

BARNSLEY'S disastrous week went from bad to worse as Port Vale scraped a point at Oakwell after managing to keep a foot hold in the game before snatching a later leveller.

Reds boss Andy Ritchie made two changes to the side embarrassed again at Doncaster Rovers last weekend with Martin Devaney and Stephen McPhail coming back into the starting eleven. Paul Reid failed to recover from back and hamstring problems and Brian Howard dropped to the bench.

Saturday's defeat at Belle Vue looked to have had the desired effect on the Reds and they set about Vale from the very first whistle. They almost grabbed the lead inside the opening two minutes when McPhail swung over a great corner but Matt Carbon just could not direct his header on target from six yards.

Chris Shuker then combined well to send Paul Hayes in through the heart of the Vale defence on seven minutes but the striker rushed his drive and fired high into the stand. A minute later Hayes found time and space the put Marc Richards in but this time his shot was well blocked away.

The visitors were always going to be a threat on the counter attack and broke with pace on ten minutes only for Devaney's trip to stop George Abbey's run. It was a clumsy challenge and earned the winger an early booking.

Devaney then showed Abbey a clean pair of heels two minutes later to race down the left before sending a great ball across the face of goal but Hayes just could not get a touch which would have put it into the net.

Hayes returned the favour a minute later when he twisted and turned his way into a crossing position on the right before chipping the ball into the centre but Devaney could only loop a header straight to Mark Goodlad.

Still the Reds pressed and Paul Heckinbottom almost hit a goal to remember on 21 minutes but his acrobatic over head kick flew straight at Goodlad after Jacob Burns' corner had been half cleared.

Vale were redundant as an attacking force in the game until Nathan Lowndes dragged a weak shot well wide of the target from 25 yards on 32 minutes but his effort was never going to trouble Nick Colgan.

Again the Reds pushed for the breakthrough and once more Carbon thought he had it on 36 minutes as he met McPhail's right wing corner but this time Vale defender George Pilkington was in the right place to kick the ball away on the line.

Two minutes later Vale finally had an attempt near to Colgan's goal when Craig James curled a free kick over the top from 25 yards. Leon Constantine then went even closer on 40 minutes when he volleyed just over the top after a long ball had momentarily caught out the Reds defence.

Barnsley came again and Richards saw his deflected header from Bobby Hassell's right wing cross drop the wrong side of the bar on 42 minutes.

The home side again started with purpose after the break with Hayes causing problems in the area on 55 minutes. His low cross looked inviting but Richards could only put the ball wide from six yards out.

The breakthrough finally came on 57 minutes as Devaney and Richards combined brilliantly to carve open the Vale defence. Richards' knock back was perfect for Hayes, who smashed the ball low past Goodlad and into the back of the net.

Barnsley had a clear penalty claim waved away just two minutes later as Richards looked certain to head Hassell's cross into the net before being hauled back by Pilkington. Amazingly referee Jarnail Singh gave nothing.

The visitors finally forced Colgan into a save on 64 minutes as Lowndes' deflected effort was heading for the bottom corner but the Reds keeper was quickly down to make a comfortable stop.

Vale went close again on 66 minutes as the Reds defence failed to deal with Jeff Smith's corner and Mark Innes was able to get a snap shot away but his effort flew wide of the target. Innes again got to the ball first on 75 minutes but this time his header from Smith's corner flew high over the top.

Substitute Howard thought he had grabbed a second on 78 minutes as his exquisite chip beat Goodlad but came down off the underside of the bar. It still almost ended up in the back of the net as the ball struck Pilkington but the Vale defender manager to clear from on his own line.

For all their dominance and total control, the Reds were hit by a sucker punch on 83 minutes as Michael Cummins leaped high over Heckingbottom at the back post to meet Smith's cross and planted a looping header into the far corner of the net.

BARNSLEY: Colgan, Hassell, Heckingbottom, Carbon, Burns, Hayes (Nardiello 76), McPhail, Kay, Shuker, Devaney (Howard 73), Richards (Wright 82).
Subs: Flinders, Austin.

PORT VALE: Goodlad, Pilkington, James, Cummins, Lowndes (Talbot 90), Doherty (Smith 65), Abbey, Innes, McGregor, Constantine (Husbands 75), Togwell.
Subs: Brain, Rowlands.
Related Search