LIVE FROM OAKWELL!!!

BARNSLEY 0
CRYSTAL PALACE 0

IT was all one way traffic but the Reds just could not find a winning goal to match a fine performance at Oakwell against Crystal Palace.

Barnsley manager Mark Robins again rang the changes as he looked to make it back-to-back wins at Oakwell against Crystal Palace. David Preece was given his chance in goal with Luke Steele suspended following his controversial dismissal at Newcastle while new signing Jonathan Lund was drafted in from Burnley this morning to provide cover on the bench. Out went Andy Gray, Anderson de Silva and Emil Hallfredsson while Jon Macken, Daniel Bogdanovic and Adam Hammill came into the side.

The teams were led out by members of the Fourth Battalion of the Yorkshire Regiment as the Reds marked the Football League's Help For Heroes Week at Oakwell.

Barnsley could have been in front within six minutes as Hammill swung over a fine cross from the left and Filipe Teixeira brought a fine one-handed save from Julian Speroni but an offside flag would have ruled out the goal. It was a great move by the Reds.

Hammill was then inches away from breaking the deadlock on seven minutes as he turned brilliantly onto Macken's pass before volleying just over the bar with Speroni beaten.

Palace then went close after Neil Danns did very well to barge his way to the byline to cross for Neil Carle rifle a shot goalward but Ryan Shotton was in the right place to make an outstanding last-gasp block.

The visitors went even closer on 12 minutes as Danny Butterfield dug out a fine far post cross for Alan Lee to attack but Preece showed great agility to get down to the foot of the post and claw the ball away. It was a fine, fine save by the Barnsley keeper.

An end to end opening to the game swung in Barnsley's favour again on 13 minutes when Teixeira's pass sent Bogdanovic away behind the Palace defence and the striker looked odds on to net the first goal before Nathaniel Clyne got back to make a telling block.

Hammill had Oakwell on its feet just seconds later as he danced and tricked his way through the Crystal Palace defence before facing up Speroni. The winger prodded the ball agonisingly wide.

Bogdanovic again got in behind Palace on 15 minutes as he raced onto a through ball before firing in a first time shot that Speroni did well to hold. Hugo Colace tested his shooting boots on 16 minutes as he let fly from the edge of the box after the visitors had struggled to deal with Nathan Doyle's ball into the area.

It only took 21 minutes for referee Trevor Kettle to brandish a yellow card to Doyle, who had tripped Lee from behind. Thankfully Darren Ambrose's free kick came to nothing. After booking Doyle, referee Kettle then let Palace defender Clyne away with hardly a warning after a two-footed lunge through Bobby Hassell. It hardly endeared the official to the Oakwell faithful.

Barnsley piled on the pressure from Hassell's free kick on the half hour and Hammill went close before Shotton smacked a volley again the arm of a defender on the rebound. It was never going to be a penalty though.

Danns then got away without a booking on 31 minutes after going through the back of Doyle on the edge of the penalty area. It was another iffy decision that went in Palace's favour but the Reds could not profit from Hammill's free kick.

Still the chances came and Colace freed Macken to cross on 33 minutes but Palace managed to clear the danger before Bogdanovic could pounce.

A lightening quick counter almost caught out the Reds on 34 minutes as Keiran Djilali broke to cross but Ambrose could not apply a finish 12 yards out and rolled the ball well wide.

Palace were rocking again on 36 minutes as Bogdanovic and Doyle combined to give Hammill a chance in the area but the winger took an extra touch and his shot was well blocked.

Matt Lawrence finally became the first Palace player cautioned on 37 minutes when he gave Kettle no other alternative by tripping Hammill. A neatly worked free kick by Carl Dickinson and Colace then gave Bogdanovic a chance but the striker screwed his volley wide from 12 yards.

Hammill's corner on 42 minutes caused chaos in the Palace area and the Reds almost made the visitors pay when Teixeira fired goalward but Speroni managed to snatch the winger's deflected shot. Another chance fell to Doyle on 44 minutes as Teixeira forced an opening but the midfielder's effort flew over the bar.

Both sides were forced into changes at half time with Luke Potter replacing Dickinson while Johannes Ertl came on for Carle for Palace. It was the visitors who fired the first shot in anger after the break on 46 minutes as Djilali blazed wildly wide from the edge of the box as the Reds struggled a little to find their feet.

Teixeira then tried the outrageous on 52 minutes as he took Macken's cross on his chest before acrobatically volleying straight at Speroni. Potter made an instant impact on 61 minutes as his cross fed Bogdanovic in the centre but the striker could not divert the ball past Speroni.

Palace had the first clear sight of goal in the second half on 66 minutes when Lee shot straight at Preece after the Reds had struggled to clear Ambrose's cross. At the other end Macken broke through the determined Palace defence seconds later but could only prod a shot at Speroni under pressure.

Foster headed over from Hammill's corner on 70 minutes before the Reds really should have been in front two minutes later when Macken did wonderfully well to break into the area and tee up Teixeira but the winger blazed wide of the mark with the goal gaping.

The Reds wasted another chance to break a very frustrating deadlock moments later when Shotton flicked Hassell's free kick into the path of Stephen Foster but the home skipper could only prod it through to Speroni.It was turning into one of those afternoons for the men in red.

Shotton deflected a corner wide of the mark on 80 minutes before Hammill lashed at one and hit the stand seconds later after skipping past Clyne. It was frustrating.

Hammill then did well to trick his way past his marker and cross on 85 minutes and Shotton's header looked destined for the back of the net before Speroni managed to claw it out. Hammill then had Palace scrambling again seconds later with a corner that ended at Macken's feet but again Speroni was able to make a save.

Speroni was a spectator on 86 minutes as substitute Jacob Butterfield let fly from 20 yards but the youngsters effort flashed a foot or so wide of the far post. It was agonising.

BARNSLEY: Preece, Hassell, Foster, Shotton, Dickinson (Potter 45), Teixeira (Butterfield 79), Doyle (Hallfredsson 69, Colace, Hammill, Bogdanovic, Macken.
Subs: Lund, Anderson, Gray, Hume.

CRYSTAL PALACE: Speroni, Clyne, Hill, Derry, Ambrose, Danns, Carle (Ertl 45), Lawrence, Lee (N'Diaye 86), Butterfield, Djilali (Andrew 69).
Subs: John, Scannell, Hills, Manns.

REFEREE
Trevor Kettle (Rutland)
ASSISTANT REFEEES
Paul Hodskinson (Lancashire) and Geoff Law (Leicestershire)
FOURTH OFFICIAL
Mark Astley (Manchester)

Attendance - 11,416

Report by Rob Knowles.