A late, late leveller from leading scorer Louie Barry secured a point for the Hatters in a televised Saturday evening meeting at Barnsley.
County’s first visit to Oakwell for nearly two decades began badly, with a penalty in the opening minutes putting the ‘Tykes’ ahead, but ended in euphoric relief, as Barry’s fifth goal of the campaign was fired home in the 91st minute to leave the Hatters in ninth place and still unbeaten on their League One travels.
The Hatters took to the field on a clear South Yorkshire night, and showing four changes from their starting line-up at Edgeley Park against Leyton Orient the previous weekend. Skipper Lewis Bate, Tanto Olaofe, Tyler Onyango and Ibby Touray made up the recalled quartet, replacing Tayo Adaramola, Callum Camps, one-time Tyke Callum Connolly and Jack Diamond – the latter three of whom were named among the substitutes.
County’s bench also included Burnley loanee Michael Mellon – who was making his inaugural squad appearance-proper after recovery from an injury suffered two months earlier in pre-season.
The hosts – who were sitting a couple of points above County at the start of play, and whose manager, Darrell Clarke, had played once for the Hatters, whilst on loan from Hartlepool, during 2005 – were awarded a penalty in the course of their first attack, with fewer than three minutes on the clock, when County’s former Mansfield nemesis, Davis Keillor-Dunn, went to ground in the box under an Onyango challenge. Adam Phillips stepped up to convert the spot-kick past Corey Addai and give Barnsley an early lead.
A couple of minutes later, Addai, who had been on Barnsley’s books in 2020/21, saved with his legs after Stephen Humphrys had broken through on goal – although the striker was flagged offside.
Fouls by Maël de Gevigney and Onyango saw their names go into Referee Bourne’s notebook within a minute of each other, as each side collected a yellow card ahead of the first half’s mid-point. And, just before the half-hour mark, a first attempt of note for the Hatters – courtesy of an off-balance Barry from distance – flew past Barnsley’s right post.
A Touray cross from the left caused some consternation in the home area, before the ball took a deflection off Olaofe into the arms of United States international goalkeeper Gabriel Slonina. And, at the other end, a low shot by Barry Cotter from outside the box was gathered up by Addai.
Four minutes were added on – during which County went agonizingly close to levelling as first Barry, who had been played through by Will Collar, and then Kyle Wootton on the follow-up, were kept out by Slonina’s double-stop, before Touray blocked a goal-bound shot from the hosts’ captain, Luca Connell.
HALF-TIME: Barnsley 1 (Phillips (penalty), 4), County 0.
The Hatters introduced Connolly for Onyango upon the resumption, and, six minutes later, went close with the first attempt of the new half, as Bate – teed up by Barry from the left – curled an effort narrowly shy of the far upright.
Addai did well to parry behind a Humphrys piledriver from 25 yards, before a counter-attack by the Hatters culminated in Connolly – looking to come back and haunt his old club – shooting past the left post, and Collar unleashed an attempt from the edge of the area that stung the hands of Slonina.
The end-to-end fare continued, with Cotter cutting in from the right to fire high and wide – and Camps volleying beyond the near post from the Barnsley ‘D’, after a County corner on the left had been only partially cleared.
A double-substitution that brought Diamond and Jayden Fevrier into play injected some fresh pace into County’s attacking endeavour, and the Hatters got the equalizer their efforts deserved when, in the first minute of stoppage time, Barry fired through a crowded box to find the bottom-left corner of the net at the end housing over 2,300 travelling supporters.
There was still time for a little further drama on the Saturday night out, when Assistant Coach Andy Mangan received a red card and his marching orders from the visitors’ dugout.
FULL-TIME: Barnsley 1 (Phillips (penalty), 4), County 1 (Barry, 90 + 1).
Team (3-4-3): Addai; Onyango (Connolly, 46), Horsfall, Pye; Collar, Norwood (Fiorini, 63), Bate (Capt.) (Camps, 63), Touray; Olaofe (Diamond, 74), Wootton (Fevrier, 74), Barry.
Unused Subs: Hinchliffe, Mellon.
Booked: Onyango.
Attendance: 14,882 (2,378 away).
Reporter: Gareth Evans.
Photographer: Mike Petch.
