Second half goals from Keith Andrews (2), Danny Collins, Michael Chopra and Jason Scotland saw the Blues turn around a two-goal half-time deficit in an extraordinary fashion to beat Barnsley 5-3 at Oakwell. Town had been atrocious before the break with the Tykes deservedly two goals in front via Craig Davies, a penalty, and Ricardo Vaz Te. Davies added the Tykes’ third in the closing minutes.

As expected, boss Paul Jewell named the same team which lost 2-1 to Watford at Portman Road week ago.

Barnsley made one change from their midweek 2-1 victory over Crystal Palace, Scott Wiseman coming in at left-back with David Perkins moving into midfield and on-loan Newcastle striker Nile Ranger dropping to the bench. Ex-Blue Danny Haynes was amongst the Tykes’ subs.

In front of the Sky cameras, Ricardo Vaz Te headed the game’s first chance over the bar in the third minute, the ex-Bolton man having found himself unmarked from a corner from the right. Moments later Lee Bowyer saw a shot blocked in the Tykes’ area after Michael Chopra, a one-time loanee at Barnsley, had laid the ball back to him.

On seven Tykes skipper Jacob Butterfield was found in space inside the area, Carlos Edwards having been caught out by a very uneven Oakwell surface, and the Blues were fortunate that Danny Collins blocked his shot.

There was a further scare for Town a moment when a combination of Jason Scotland and Keith Andrews felled Butterfield just outside the area. David Stockdale superbly pushed over Jim O’Brien’s powerful strike.

Town might have had a penalty on 11 when Jim McNulty’s arm clearly diverted the ball away from Chopra’s path but referee Gary Sutton saw nothing and couldn’t be persuaded by the arguments of Andrews, Chopra and others.

But it was the home side presenting the greater threat and enjoying most of the possession, Vaz Te and Butterfield both seeing shots blocked inside the Blues’ box.

The Tykes went in front on 14 via a Craig Davies penalty. Butterfield superbly played in Danny Drinkwater on the left of the area and David Stockdale rushed out and upended the on-loan Manchester United man, picking up a booking. Davies easily beat the Town keeper from the spot.

Matt Done replaced the impressive Drinkwater, who had suffered a knock in the penalty incident, three minutes later.

Bowyer shot wide for Town in the 22nd minute but the Blues had started the game scruffily and hadn’t shown too many signs of getting back on terms. Ibrahima Sonko was yellow-carded for a foul on O’Brien a minute later.

Davies hit an effort through to Stockdale on 27, then the previously anonymous Lee Martin hit a strike which was too close to Tykes keeper Luke Steele, then was booked for a clash with David Perkins.

Town were starting present a bit more of a threat and on 29 Daryl Murphy skipped down the left and sent in a low cross which was cleared. A minute later, the on-loan Celtic man headed Andrews’s cross to Steele.

Sub Done’s cross-shot deflected over for a corner, then on 38 Sonko’s slip put Davies through one-on-one with Stockdale, the keeper standing up and blocking but sending the ball into the air towards goal. Sonko got back to scuff the ball off the line, off the post and, somewhat luckily, into Stockdale’s arms.

The second Barnsley goal wasn’t long in coming, however. Butterfield sent in a corner from the right, the home side’s eighth of the game, and Vaz Te headed home.

Just before the break, Martin saw a shot deflect wide, then Scotland screwed an effort well beyond Steele’s left post with the Blues continuing to look little danger.

Another disastrous half from Town with Barnsley in control from the most part and taking two of their opportunities when they came, as so often via less than brilliant Blues defending. The Tykes may well have had a third when Davies went through and in truth that wouldn’t have flattered them.

Blues supporters made their frustrations regarding the possible penalty for handball clear to referee Sutton as he left the field.

Town pulled a goal back 20 seconds after the restart. Murphy’s cross from the left was half-cleared to stand-in skipper Andrews, who slammed in his seventh goal for the Blues from 25 yards.

Astonishingly, four minutes later, the on-loan Blackburn man levelled the scores with his eighth. Martin laid the ball back to Aaron Cresswell and the left-back whipped in a cross which Andrews headed across Steele and into the net for an equaliser which had seemed hugely unlikely only four minutes beforehand.

Vaz Te wasted a decent Barnsley break before Andrews became the fourth Town player to player to pick up a booking for a late challenge on Perkins. Chopra joined him on 58 for a foul on Stephen Foster.

Lee Martin had the ball in the net in the 63rd minute but with the flag already raised. A flowing Town move had led to Scotland hitting a shot which Steele couldn’t hold, the keeper blocking the offside Chopra’s first rebound.

Scotland had another go from distance a minute later but Steele held on, then at the other end Davies hit the sidenetting.

On 66 Town went in front. Martin whipped across a corner from the right and Collins powered a header past Steele and into the net to put the Blues into a lead which would have seemed impossible at half-time.

Incredibly, two minutes later, it was 4-2. Bowyer fed Chopra and the one-time Barnsley loanee hit a shot across Steele and into the net off the inside of the post.

The goal deluge temporarily dried up, Murphy hitting a low shot 78th minute strike through to Steele with Town by now unsurprisingly looking like a more confident unit. A minute later, Bowyer shot over after good work down the right from Martin and Edwards.

Nathan Ellington replaced Chopra for the final 10 minutes and three minutes later the sub played a part in Town’s fifth goal. The ex-Wigan and Watford man swept the ball to Cresswell on the left and the full-back sent in a cross which scuffed a defender on the way through before Scotland, whose hold-up play had been excellent all half, added the final touch.

Ex-Blue Danny Haynes, on as a sub, had a shot blocked, then with a minute of normal time remaining Craig Davies netted his second of the game, beating Stockdale with a 25-yard freekick.

Ranger almost made it four for the home side but couldn’t get enough on a ball in from the left as the fourth official’s board indicated five additional minutes.

Andrews went looking for his hat-trick and wasn’t far away with a freekick, then Butterfield curled one wide but there were to be no more goals with referee Sutton blowing his whistle to signal the end of what was an incredible game soon afterwards.

There was no more extraordinary way for the Blues’ run of seven successive defeats to end with Town looking utterly beaten and Paul Jewell’s prospects of having a long-term future increasingly hopeless at half-time.

After Keith Andrews’s first goal so soon after the break, Town gained the momentum with the home side collapsing completely in a manner which was hugely unexpected given their recent form.

Paul Jewell lives to fight another day and the Blues finally have a platform on which to build.

Town: Stockdale, Edwards, Cresswell, Collins, Sonko, Martin (Carson 83), Andrews, Bowyer, Murphy (Wabara 89), Scotland, Chopra (Ellington 80). Unused: Lee-Barrett, Bullard.

Barnsley: Steele, Hassell, Wiseman, Foster, McNulty, Perkins, O’Brien (Ranger 72), Drinkwater (Done 17), Butterfield, Vaz Te (Haynes 66), Davies. Unused: Preese, Addison. Referee: Gary Sutton (Lincoln). Att: 9,107 (Town: 340).

Story syndicated from TWTD.co.uk

Photo: Action Images

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