BARNSLEY 2 (Chopra 53, Kay 88)

BRADFORD CITY 2 (Windass 28, 31 P)

A BARNSTORMING second half display preserved the Reds twelve match unbeaten run as Antony Kay turned from villain to hero with a last-gasp equaliser.

Reds boss Paul Hart was forced into one change with Tony Vaughan missing the game through injury. Matt Carbon replaced Vaughan in the middle of defence. Bradford City had former Barnsley star Lee Crooks in the heart of their midfield. Crooks left Oakwell last summer after almost 80 appearances and three years with the club.

Barnsley started brightly with Chris Shuker breaking away from Paul Tierney with just two minutes on the clock. The winger crossed well but Jacob Burns saw his well-placed effort blocked by David Weatherall. Two minutes later Michael Chopra was given acres of space to run into but fired high over Paul Henderson's goal.

City managed to get a grip on the game with Dean Windass firing Steven Schumacher's shot into the net on 13 minutes but an offside flag denied the veteran striker. Shuker then took advantage of a quick break forward on 17 minutes but fired inches over the top from 25 yards.

Barnsley almost grabbed the opening goal on 24 minutes as a delightful flick Shuker set Chopra free and the striker lobbed the ball over Henderson but again the upright and to safety.

Windass managed to open the scoring on 28 minutes as he raced onto a horrendous back pass by Kay before rounding Ross Turnbull and firing into the back of the net.

The home side responded well with Chopra twisting and turning in the area to cross on the half hour but Stephen McPhail could only shoot straight at a defender from six yards out.

It got even worse for the Reds on 31 minutes as Nicky Summerbee beat Tom Williams all ends up before racing past the full back. Williams reacted and hacked down the winger outside the area but the referee pointed to the spot. Windass wasted no time in smashing the penalty past Turnbull.

A shell-shocked Barnsley side tried to muster a counter to City's one-two suckerpunch with McPhail working Henderson with a curling free kick on 36 minutes after Shuker had been tripped.

Mark Bower then flashed a header over the top from Summerbee's corner on 40 minutes before Shuker fired well wide of the target a minute later after good play by Chopra down the right. Shuker again got into the area on 44 minutes but flashed his volley high over the top.

Paul Reid almost grabbed a goal back on the stroke of half time with a well-struck effort that Henderson did well to tip away for a corner.

It was City that continued their first half form and tempo after the interval with Windass somehow breaking the offside trap before seeing a shot blocked away on 47 minutes.

Barnsley got a foothold in the game on 53 minutes with a goal of real, real quality from Chopra. The striker picked the ball up 40 yards from goal and strode forward before unleashing a wonderful dipping effort past the despairing Henderson and into the top corner.

A minute later Chopra almost did it again from distance with another effort from 20 yards that the City keeper did well to hold. Shuker almost levelled things on 55 minutes again from distance but Henderson managed to grab his shot at the second attempt. Reid was next to test Henderson with a looping header from Burns' right wing corner but the midfielder's effort was straight at the City stopper.

Boulding almost netted a second on 64 minutes as he took hold of the ball in the area before seeing his deflected shot drop just the wrong side of the post. Windass almost got his hat trick on 66 minutes as he tricked his way past Bobby Hassell before bringing the best out of Turnbull.

Shuker should have scored on 67 minutes as he turned into the area but Henderson's fine save denied him a memorable goal. Seconds later Williams sent over a great cross for Chopra but again the City keeper pulled a save right out of the top drawer to put the ball away for a corner.

A lofted free kick by McPhail caused all sorts of problems for the City defence on 77 minutes and although Chopra pounced first, the striker could not direct his volley on target. Chopra again almost got in on 83 minutes as he raced onto Peter Atherton's mistake but missed his kick with only the goalkeeper to beat.

Substitute Danny Forrest let the Reds know he was on the pitch a minute later with a lunge at Reid that left the midfielder clutching his back but the tackle went unpunished.

Kay totally redeemed himself for his earlier mistake on 88 minutes as he reacted the quickest after McPhail's free kick had dropped in the area and the Barnsley-born youngster hammered the ball into the net from inside the six-yard box.

BARNSLEY: Turnbull, Hassell, Williams, Reid, Carbon, Burns, Chopra, McPhail, Boulding, Kay, Shuker.

Subs: Flinders, Austin, Stallard, Wroe, Baker.

BRADFORD CITY: Henderson, Tierney (Armstrong 59), Weatherall, Bower, Summerbee, Atherton, Schumacher, Emanuel, Crooks, Windass, Cooke (Forrest 83).

Subs: Ricketts, Swift, Morrison.