Crystal Palace 0
Reds 0
A Luke Steele-inspired performance meant David Flitcroft’s Tykes claimed a valuable point in their bid for Championship survival, in the first of two ridiculously long away trips.
There was an unusual look about the Reds, with referee Kevin Stroud deeming both home and away strips too similar to the Palace outfit – Barnsley borrowed the Eagles’ away kit.
The Reds got off to a decent start and Scotland registered two shots on goal inside three minutes. His second attempt was far closer than the first, a brilliant half-volley that curled away from goal from 25 yards after latching onto O’Grady’s header.
The home side’s first chance came after 17 minutes from a free-kick that was well saved by Steele away to his left as denied Moritz’’ attempt.
With 26 minutes gone there were two bookings, one for each side, after a coming together between Dawson and Jedinak.
On the half-hour mark, Murray was slipped in down the Barnsley left and Steele was alert to come deny the striker as the angle tightened. Holloway’s side were starting to look increasingly dangerous on the counter as play opened up.
By the 38th minute Zaha and Bolasie were stamping their mark on the game, the latter seeing a shot comfortably saved by Steele after Zaha wriggled away from the attention of two Reds players.
Second half
The second half resumed and the Reds would have to remain strong to withstand the Palace pressure, and Steele was soon in action as he denied another free-kick from Moritz on 52 minutes.
In the final third was where Barnsley’s moves broke down, Palace were defending in numbers but had the ability to hit the Reds on the break.
The first throw of the dice from the bench came with O’Brien replacing Etuhu on 63 minutes. A Palace change came a minute later with Phillips coming on for Moritz.
Luckily Stephen Foster got in the way of Zaha’s cross which seemed to destined to end in the net as Palace flooded the box.
Barnsley’s second change saw Dagnall come into play for Scotland with 21 left on the clock.
The game had slowed down with 15 left to play, it seemed the Reds were happy with a stalemate.
When Mellis turned in a wicked cross from the left-hand edge of the box, O’Brien was caught just underneath it at the far stick on 78 minutes.
The substitute Wilbraham had two decent chances in the first few moments since coming on, thumping wide from 20 yards before failing to connect with a header not long after.
Phillips tried a brilliant lob on 88 minutes after Palace broke down the right and sent the veteran in on the left – thankfully Steele clawed the ball away. Wilbraham scooped over after Zaha placed a sitter on his toe-end from 15 yards. The Reds were hanging on.
Barnsley’s final change saw Cywka replace Mellis with less than two minutes of stoppage time left.
Speroni almost got himself in a mess under pressure from Dagnall but he eventually cleared the backpass into touch after getting the ball caught under his feet.
Barnsley’s inability to get rid of the ball from danger meant they had to survive a 95th-minute free-kick right on the edge of the box. Thankfully it was blazed over and the Reds had mustered up a point from the first of two ridiculously long away trips in the space of four days.
Teams.
Crystal Palace: Speroni, Ward, Parr, Bolasie (Dobbie 77), Jedinak, Zaha, Murray (Wilbraham 80), Williams, Delaney, Ramage, Moritz (Phillips 64).
Subs: Price, Richards, Marrow, Gabbidon.
Reds: Steele, Hassell, Foster, Dawson (O’Brien 62), Scotland (Dagnall 69), Perkins, Wiseman, Mellis (Cywka 90), Etuhu, O'Grady, Kennedy.
Subs: Alnwick, Harewood, Rose, Jones.
Referee: K. Stroud.
Att: 21,281 (517)
