LIVE FROM OAKWELL
BARNSLEY 2 (Hume 7, 85)
PETERBOROUGH UNITED 2 (Bennett 5, Rowe 77)
IAIN Hume was the Reds hero as his two goals rescued a point for an injury ravaged Barnsley and sent Peterborough crashing through the relegation trap door at Oakwell.
Barnsley manager Mark Robins made changes to his side as he looked to get back to winning ways at Oakwell against relegation-haunted Peterborough United. With Emil Hallfredsson sidelined with a foot injury, Martin Devaney came back into midfield to start his first game since September. Jon Macken was also back in the team at the expense of Andy Gray while Bobby Hassell returned from injury to replace Nathan Doyle at right back.
Barnsley were on the front foot from the early exchanges and Macken went close to a fine opener on four minutes as he raced onto Luke Steele's long kick before firing straight at James McKeown. Jacob Butterfield then found a yard of space in front of the Peterborough defence moments later but again hit his shot at McKeown.
The Reds bright start fell apart on five minutes as the home side struggled to deal with a high ball into the area. Exodus Geohaghon caused all sorts of problems and Ryan Bennett reacted quickest to plant the ball past Steele and into the bottom corner.
Peterborough's lead lasted all of two minutes before Devaney broke in behind the visiting defence to cross from the right. The winger's cross evaded Macken but Iain Hume was in the right place to stick it away off the inside of the post.
The Reds should have been in front on 14 minutes when Macken did well to take down Luke Potter's fine cross but opted to try and get a shot away when Hume was screaming for the pull back which would have given him a tap in.
Barnsley piled on the pressure and Butterfield again hit one through a crowd on 27 minutes that McKeown did very well to hold onto. Hume then swung over a dangerous far post corner a minute later for Potter to attack but the youngster could only volley well wide.
Adam Hammill had the chance to race at Peterborough on 31 minutes and shoot but his effort smacked into Gabriel Zakuani and bounced clear. Butterfield again found himself in space seconds later as he nipped in down the left but shot straight at McKeown.
Potter thought he had his first senior goal on 37 minutes as he arrived unmarked to meet Devaney's fine cross and the youngster beat McKeown but planted his header just wide of the far post. Hume was then denied by a controversial offside flag seconds later as he raced in between a static Peterborough defence and clear through on goal. It was very, very tight.
Devaney was turning in a sparkling attacking performance on the right flank and his stunning 50-yard pass on 39 minutes sent Hammill clear away down the opposite wing. Hammill did well to get to the byline and crossed for Macken but the striker was denied a certain goal by McKeown's wonderful save.
Peterborough offered next to nothing to really trouble a resolute Reds backline although Sergio Torres' shot on 44 minutes had Steele worried but Darren Moore was in the right place to make a good block.
At the other end Devaney again twisted and turned through a couple of challenges only to blocked off by Zakuani right on the edge of the box. The referee waved way his appeals for a free kick.
The Reds could have been in front inside two minutes of the restart as Hassell's cross caught out Peterborough and Zakuani was forced to head goalward and brought a fine save from McKeown to prevent an embarrassing own goal.
Peterborough had a great chance to pile on some pressure on 50 minutes when Stephen Foster tripped Dominic Green 30 yards from goal. A neatly worked free kick gave Lee Frecklington the chance to shoot but Steele was in the right place to make a routine save. Frecklington again let fly moments later from distance but his effort was more of a danger to the seats in the North Stand than Steele's goal.
Potter the tested his shooting boots from the edge of the area on 57 minutes but his volley fizzed a couple of feet over the top.
If McKeown's save from Macken in the first half was right out of the top drawer, the Posh keeper excelled himself on the hour mark when he somehow pushed Foster's bullet header away from goal after the Oakwell skipper had rose highest to power Hume's corner goalward. It was a simply brilliant save.
Hume curled a free kick over the top on 62 minutes before the striker did brilliantly two minutes later to flick the ball into Macken's path and he finally beat McKeown but saw his shot cannon back off the post. The rebound fell to Hammill but the winger somehow hit the sidenetting with the goal gaping.
Potter picked up the first caution of the game on 66 minutes when he tugged back Craig Mackail-Smith to prevent the Peterborough striker from breaking clear.
Steele was forced into his first real save of the game on 69 minutes when Green nipped in between Foster and Moore and through on goal. The Reds could not get a tackle in but Steele raced out to make a smart block.
Butterfield then wasted a golden opportunity to put his side in front seconds later as he skipped past a challenge in the area and onto Hume's pass but wasted far too much time thinking about getting a shot away and the Peterborough defence were able to clear.
Hume fired another corner over on 71 minutes that gave Potter a free header eight yards out but the youngster glanced his effort out of play. The Reds went even closer when Hammill sent the loose ball back into the danger area for Colace to strike but Zakuani threw himself into a desperate block to stop the ball hitting the back of the net with McKeown well beaten.
Hammill looked to do it all himself on 74 minutes when he let fly with a dipping, swerving shot from 30 yards that McKeown did well to hold.
Substitute Mackail-Smith was proving to be a real thorn in Barnsley's side and twice brought good, good saves from Steele as Peterborough's never-say-die attitude almost got some rewards.
Mackail-Smith wasted his best opportunity on 77 minutes as he raced past Moore and onto Reid's pass but again found Steele in magnificent form.
Steele was beaten seconds later as he Tommy Rowe let fly from the edge of the area and his driven effort flew past the Barnsley keeper and right into the bottom corner.
Barnsley manager Robins made a triple change on 80 minutes as Gray, Doyle and Anderson all came into the action to replace Macken, Butterfield and Devaney.
The change paid almost immediate dividends on 85 minutes as Gray beat his marker to meet Hassell's cross and Hume reacted quickest to beat McKeown to the ball and knocked it into the net.
Peterborough knew they were fighting a losing battle against the drop and Reid almost grabbed a winner on 87 minutes when he drilled one over the top from 12 yards. Frecklington then lashed one just wide on 89 minutes after the Reds had struggled to clear a corner from the right. Mackail-Smith then brought a save from Steele in the dying moments as he turned well on the edge of the box.
Colace thought he had won it deep in stoppage time as he met Hammill's cross and guided a wonderful header past McKeown and into the corner only to be denied by a flag. Mackail-Smith then could have won it seconds later as he raced through on goal but was again denied by Steele's brilliance.
BARNSLEY: Steele, Hassell, Foster, Moore, Potter, Hammill, Colace, Butterfield (Doyle 80), Devaney (Anderson 80), Hume, Macken (Gray 80).
Subs: Preece, Thompson, El Haimour, Noble-Lazarus.
PETERBOROUGH UNITED: McKeown, Gilbert (Reid 16), Zakuani, Frecklington, Rowe, Torres, Green, Mills (Mackail Smith 64), Bennett (McCrae 45), Griffiths, Geohaghon.
Subs: Cole, Day, Crook, Simpson.
REFEREE
Tony Bates (Staffordshire)
ASSISTANT REFEREE
Michael Denton (Lancashire) and Andrew Smith (West Yorkshire)
FOURTH OFFICIAL
Duncan Street (West Yorkshire)
Attendance - 11,290
Match Report by Rob Knowles.
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