BARNSLEY 2 (Mostto 69, Foster 71)
WATFORD 1 (Smith 53)

BARNSLEY staged a fine second half comeback to grab the points at Oakwell.

Barnsley manager Simon Davey was forced into five changed for the clash with Watford as injury and suspension hit his squad hard. Out went Iain Hume, Simon Whaley, Martin Devaney, Anderson de Silva and Bobby Hassell as Stephen Foster, Diego Leon, Mounir El Haimour, Kayode Odejayi and Jon Macken came into the team. With Hume in a Manchester hospital, emotions at Oakwell ran high as the news filtered through that Chris Morgan, whose disgraceful challenge left the striker with a fractured skull, continued his season and started Sheffield United's game with Reading at Bramall Lane.

Backed by a brilliant Oakwell crowd, the Reds were almost off to the best possible start when Rob Kozluk found Odejayi in the area on two minutes. The big striker did well to give Leon a shooting chance but the Spaniard fired against Jay Demerit from 18 yards. Kozluk was again the provider on four minutes as his cross looked to give Odejayi a chance at the back post but he was manhandled out of it by Leigh Bromby.

Jamal Campbell-Ryce then tore the Watford defence to shreds with a fine cross from the right hand side that gave Macken a great chance on the six yard line but the striker was denied by Lee's unbelievable low save.

Watford responded with Lee Williamson and Jon Harley smashing efforts against Hugo Colace in the space of a frantic few seconds on the edge of the Reds area before Leon blazed wide at the other end.

Macken was again denied by Lee's brilliance on eleven minutes as he took on Odejayi's pass before hammering the ball goalward but the Watford keeper somehow managed to turn it against the underside of the bar and away.

Barnsley had to change things around again on 16 minutes when an injury to Darren Moore forced the big defender out of the action. Hassell took his place at right back with new skipper Stephen Foster switching into the middle of defence.

Watford managed to fashion half a chance again on 18 minutes as Williamson found himself with a yard on the edge of the area but the midfielder curled one well wide of the mark. Heinz Muller was called into action on 21 minutes when Tamas Priskin turned well past Foster before bringing a smart low stop from the German, although he looked a yard offside when he received the ball. Ross Jenkins then headed over from six yards on 27 minutes under pressure from Kozluk.

Macken was a low shot hacked off the line on 29 minutes after Odejayi had challenged Lee in the air but the play was brought back for a foul on the Watford keeper.

Watford then thought they had taken the lead seconds later as Priskin skipped to the byline before crossing the ball over Muller and onto Williamson's head at the back post but Hassell appeared from nowhere to make a goal-saving clearance.

Odejayi spent most of the half being pulled from one side of the area to the other by Bromby and the big striker got nothing again from the referee on 34 minutes when he hit the deck as he went for El Haimour's low cross. Foster then went close to opening the scoring just a minute later as he lost his marker and met Leon's corner but could not put his header into the top corner from 16 yards.

Kozluk was totally caught out on 37 minutes as he went in for a challenge on Jobi McAnuff but the winger skipped past him on the touchline before picking out Priskin and the striker really ought to have broken the back of the net but blazed over. For all Lee's earlier heroics, Muller was not to be outdone as he pulled off a fine stop of his own on 39 minutes to parry Jon Harley's thunderbolt away.

Odejayi was still causing the Hornets' problems and the striker did well on 40 minutes to flick the ball into Campbell-Ryce's path but the winger blazed over from the edge of the box.

Odejayi had his moment right at the end of the half as Bromby slipped to let El Haimour's through ball run in behind him and the striker was suddenly through on goal but was again denied by the brilliant Lee who managed to claw his chip away.

Watford were in front just eight minutes after the restart when McAnuff managed to get to the byline and hammered the ball across and Tommy Smith managed to flick it past Muller from two yards.

The Reds were almost level inside two minutes as Hassell's shot deflected though to Colace but an offside flag denied the Argentinean a strike on goal. Leon then had a great chance on 57 minutes as he rose to meet Hassell's cross but glanced his unchallenged header wide of the target.

Campbell-Ryce had a great chance to level things on 58 minutes as Odejayi's flick found the winger in space at the back post but he shot straight at Lee with just the Watford keeper to beat.

Watford should have buried the Reds on the hour mark when Smith picked out Harley on the penalty spot but the Hornets' midfielder lashed his shot a foot wide when he should have broken the back of the net.

Barnsley faced an uphill task against a Watford side more content with wasting time than extending their advantage and they were made to pay on 69 minutes when Colace ball somehow bounced through to Miguel Mostto and the little Peruvian showed a real goalscorers' instinct to prod it past Lee from 12 yards.

The Reds could have even been in front just a minute later when Macken played in Campbell-Ryce but the winger was denied by Lee, who pulled off two fine saves to keep his side in the game.

A second goal suddenly felt only a matter of time. Campbell-Ryce swung over the corner seconds later and, after Dennis Souza and Macken had battled well, skipper Foster was on hand in the six yard box to put the ball into the net to put his side into the lead for the first time.

Watford were still making a game of it and Muller had to be alert on 77 minutes to hold onto Williamson's low shot. At the other end Macken brought a fine stop from Lee seconds later as his deflected effort looked to be creeping in at the near post.

Macken could have really put some icing on the Reds comeback on 89 minutes when he turned onto Campbell-Ryce's cross but was crowded out of it and the chance went begging.

Muller had to be alert to hack away Will Hoskins' shot deep in stoppage time as Watford threw everything into a desperate final attack but the Reds stood firm to clear the danger.

BARNSLEY: Muller, Foster, Souza, Moore (Hassell 16), Kozluk, Campbell-Ryce, Colace, Leon (Van Homoet 84), El Haimour (Mostto 55), Odejayi, Macken.
Subs: Steele, Rigters.

WATFORD: Lee, Bromby, Demerit, Priskin (Rasiak 60), McAnuff, Doyley, Williamson, Harley (Hoskins 78), Smith, Marriappa, Jenkins (O'Toole 80).
Subs: Ward, Tyler.

Referee: Colin Webster (Tyne & Weir)
Assistant Referee: Wayne Grunnill (East Yorkshire)
Assistant Referee: Mark Hutchinson (Nottinghamshire)
Fourth Official: Duncan Street (West Yorkshire)