PLYMOUTH ARGYLE 1 (Sawyer 12)
BARNSLEY 2 (Hammill 33, Campbell-Ryce 48)
SIMON Davey has done it for the third year running after the Reds secured Championship safety with a win at Plymouth Argyle on the final day.
It was Championship D-Day at Home Park as a full season came down to 90 minutes of football and left the Reds needing a point to stay in the division. With Norwich going head to head with Charlton at The Valley it all meant Barnsley needed a result at Home Park to secure another campaign of Championship football. Simon Davey was boosted by the return of influential skipper Stephen Foster, who came straight back into an otherwise unchanged side at the expense of Dennis Souza. With around 1,700 Barnsley fans bathed in the Plymouth sun, it was sure to be a day to remember on the South Coast.
Plymouth had former Reds' star Chris Barker in the heart of their defence as they looked to end the campaign on a high in the sunshine at Home Park.
The Reds looked nervous in the opening stages and struggled to get a foothold in the game. Argyle fired the first real shot in anger on seven minutes as Rudi Douala's long ranger effort skidded through to Luke Steele. The Reds responded with Jamal Campbell-Ryce curling one high over the bar four minutes later after great play in midfield by Anderson de Silva.
Argyle's positive start got the ultimate reward on 12 minutes when the Reds were caught cold from Paul Gallagher's corner and Gary Sawyer powered a free header past Steele and into the far corner.
Barnsley responded and Daniel Bogdanovic brought a save from Romain Larrieu on 17 minutes before Campbell-Ryce fizzed one across the face of goal seconds later after breaking down the left. Marcel Seip hammered one well wide of the mark on 22 minutes at the other end as a jittery Reds struggled to get hold of the ball.
At bad start was only an inch away from turning into a nightmare on 25 minutes as Alan Judge met Douala's cross at the back post and smacked his shot against the underside of the bar. It bounced down and off Rob Kozluk but Steele was able to recover and snatched the ball on the line.
Campbell-Ryce tried to drag his side back into the game on 27 minutes as he let fly from 30 yards but his effort smacked into David Gray and looped through to Larrieu.
The leveller came from absolutely nothing as suddenly Adam Hammill sprang into life 30 yards from goal on 33 minutes. The winger took the ball on and his low drive found the bottom corner with unnerving accuracy.
Bogdanovic almost grabbed a second three minutes later as he met Jon Macken's cross on the volley but his effort flew wide of the post. Hammill was in the thick of it again on 38 minutes as he managed to tee up Hugo Colace on the edge of the box but the Argentinean's curler was a foot over the bar.
Plymouth really should have been back in front just seconds after the restart as Ashley Barnes nipped in and onto Gallagher's pass but blazed wide. An offside flag would have ruled out the goal anyway.
Championship safety was assured just a minute later when Macken did wonderfully well to hold the ball up in the area and give Campbell-Ryce a great chance 12 yards out. The little winger made no mistake slotting the ball past Larrieu and into the back of the net.
Barnsley - finally - looked relaxed and free of the worries that had blighted the last nine months. Kozluk and Bogdanovic gave Hammill another opportunity to shoot on 52 minutes but this time the winger blazed over the bar.
Plymouth just were not at the races at all in the second half and their disappointing start to things after the interval was summed up by Carl Fletcher on the hour mark as he blazed well, well, well wide on the volley from 30 yards. At the other end Macken looked to catch out Larrieu from 25 yards a minute later but his lob was straight at the Argyle keeper.
Steele had to be alert on 70 minutes to grab Judge's low shot while Anderson's acrobatic over head kick flew wide moments later at the other end. Campbell-Ryce almost sealed things in spectacular fashion on 81 minutes as he cut in from the left before curling the ball past Larrieu but agonisingly wide of the post.
Barnsley almost threw the three points away on 82 minutes as Jamie Mackie skipped away down the right before drilling the ball across the face of goal. It fell to Craig Noone but his low drive went back across Steele and out of play. George Donnolly then fired one over the bar on 89 minutes after creating half a yard inside the area. Gallagher also had half a chance in stoppage time but his low effort flew well wide of Steele's post.
PLYMOUTH ARGYLE: Larrieu, Duguid, Gallagher, Barker, Sawyer, Seip, Judge (Donnolly 80), Barnes (Noone 58), Fletcher, Gray, Douala (Mackie 49).
Subs: Timar, Clark.
BARNSLEY: Steele, Hassell, Foster, Moore, Kozluk, Campbell-Ryce, Colace, Anderson, Hammill (Devaney 87), Macken (Mifsud 84), Bogdanovic (El Haimour 90).
Subs: Muller, Andranik.
REFEREE: Clive Penton (Sussex)
ASSISTANT REFEREE: Brendan Malone (Wiltshire)
ASSISTANT REFEREE: Malcolm West (Cornwall)
FOURTH OFFICIAL: Rob Shoebridge (Derbyshire)
Attendance - 14,529
Away Attendance - 1686
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