BARNSLEY 0
QUEENS PARK RANGERS 1 (Leigertwood 28)

BARNSLEY had enough of the ball and the chances to bury Queens Park Rangers at Oakwell but the final home game of a fine season ended in disappointment.

There were more changes for the Reds as manager Mark Robins looked to give the home faithful one last performance and result with the end of a thrilling season looming large.

The final home match demands a performance was the message coming out of the Barnsley camp in the build up to the big game and Robins' selection showed three changes to the one beaten at Swansea City last time out. In came Jon Macken, Bobby Hassell and Jacob Butterfield while Andy Gray, Ryan Shotton and Martin Devaney dropped out of the starting eleven.

Carl Dickinson and Rob Kozluk returned from injury to take spots on the bench while rising star Alastair Taylor, who was named Academy Player of the Year earlier this week, was also included amongst the subs for the first time.

Barnsley were almost in front inside three minutes as Macken's neat flick put Iain Hume clear through on goal and the striker did everything right but was denied by Cerny's outstanding save. The Rangers keeper did magnificently well to turn his effort onto the post and away.

Rangers responded with an Akos Buszaky free kick on nine minutes that flew over the Barnsley wall but was easily held by Luke Steele.

The Reds had Luke Potter and Stephen Foster to thank on 19 minutes as Buszaky and Alejandro Faurlin put Antonio German away and in the clear but the Barnsley defenders managed to smother the ball away for a corner kick.

Steele was in brilliant form on 24 minutes as Buszaky skipped away down the left before pulling the ball back to give German a simple tap in five yards out but the Reds keeper pulled off a wonder save to deny the youngster. Barnsley broke quickly and Hume flashed a snap shot wide seconds later.

It was Barnsley's turn to go close on 26 minutes as Butterfield put Hume away behind QPR again but a combination of Peter Ramage and Cerny somehow managed to get in an important block. The ball broke kindly to Macken eight yards from goal but the striker's well-struck shot smacked into Ramage and bounced clear of the target.

Steele was helpless though to prevent Rangers snatching the lead on 27 minutes as Leigertwood took aim from 20 yards and smashed an unstoppable drive off the underside of the bar and into the back of the net. It was a fine, fine strike by the former Sheffield United midfielder.

Barnsley raised their game and the tempo on 34 minutes as first Macken brought a save from Cerny after rising highest to meet Adam Hammill's cross. Butterfield then split the Rangers defence wide, wide open to send Hugo Colace clear but the newly crowned Player of the Year could only drive straight at Cerny with the goal gaping.

The Reds were forced into a change five minutes before the break with Hammill limping out of the action following a blow to the head. Devaney came into the action to replace him in midfield.

A frustrated Nathan Doyle picked up the first booking on 42 minutes after hauling back Josh Parker. Parker then volleyed one high and very wide a moment later. Devaney's first involvement had Oakwell on its feet a minute later as he skipped past Leigertwood before bringing a smart low save from Cerny.

Barnsley opened up QPR again within two minutes of the restart as Butterfield did magnificently well to tee up Colace but the Argentine swung and missed his shot on the edge of the area.

The Reds had Rangers rocking again two minutes later as Butterfield again did well to carve open the visiting defence but neither Hume nor Devaney could get a shot away at Cerny's goal. In the end Luke Potter smashed it well wide from the edge of the box.

The red storm continued to build in front of the QPR goal. Butterfield tested Cerny on 55 minutes with a stinging left-footer that the visiting keeper did well to hold before Potter had them rocking with an outstanding cross from the left six-minutes later but Kaspars Gorkss was in the right place to clear.

Dickinson made his return from a knee injury on 64 minutes as he replaced Potter at left back to a rousing reception from the Oakwell faithful.

The Reds were left feeling aggrieved by an atrocious linesman's decision on 74 minutes as Dickinson's pass sent Devaney clear away behind a tiring Leigertwood but a ridiculous flag denied the winger a run on goal much to the annoyance of Reds boss Robins.

There was a glimpse of the future at Oakwell on 79 minutes as youngster Taylor made his Barnsley debut. The promising winger replaced Doyle.

Referee Russell Booth was finding himself more and more in the spot light and should have awarded the Reds a stonewall penalty on 81 minutes as Gorkss elbowed Hume out of the path of Dickinson's raking pass. It was a blatant foul but the referee gave nothing.

Steele might as well have had a deckchair in the spring sunshine at Oakwell although the Reds keeper might have had more to worry about as Buszaky lined up a free kick on 85 minutes but the Hungarian's effort trickled well, well wide.

Barnsley's frustrations were summed up in one second half second as Bobby Hassell hammered a wasteful shot high into the stand from 35 yards. The full back was on the receiving end of a volley of his own from manager Mark Robins.

BARNSLEY: Steele, Hassell, Foster, Moore, Potter (Dickinson 64), Hammill (Devaney 41), Colace, Doyle (Taylor 80), Butterfield, Macken, Hume.
Subs: Preece, Shotton, Adam, Kozluk.

QUEENS PARK RANGERS: Cerny, Buzsaky, Gorkss, German (Simpson 57), Leigertwood, Ramage, Tosic, Faurlin, Ephraim (Cook 80), Parker, Priskin (Brown 90).
Subs: Putnins, Vine, Balanta, Oastler.

REFEREE
Russell Booth (Nottinghamshire)
ASSISTANT REFEREES
Paul Marsden (Lancashire) and Rob Merchant (Staffordshire)
FOURTH OFFICIAL
Jason Whiteley (West Yorkshire)

Attendance - 11,944

Match Report by Rob Knowles.