LIVE FROM OAKWELL

BARNSLEY 0
SHEFFIELD UNITED 0

BARNSLEY should be well clear after creating a string of golden chances in a barnstorming opening 45 minutes at Oakwell. They should also be playing against ten men.

Barnsley manager Mark Robins was forced into one change from the side that beat Peterborough United with skipper Stephen Foster missing the game through suspension. In came Rob Kozluk to face his former employers while Ryan Shotton switched into the middle of the back four.

Sheffield United's injury and suspension decimated side still had a very strong look to it although boss Kevin Blackwell took a gamble on the fitness of Kyle Walker, Jon Fortune and Jamie Ward in a bid to half a run of four defeats.

Following an immaculately observed minute's silence, Oakwell erupted into full voice ahead of a massive South Yorkshire showdown against the men from Bramall Lane. Barnsley made the most of a scrappy opening to carve out the first chance on six minutes when Jon Macken turned Kozluk's cross goalward but the ball looped a foot or so over Ian Bennett's crossbar.

The Reds were almost behind on eight minutes when Walker's long throw somehow made its way through to Ward at the back post but a combination of Darren Moore and Luke Steele smothered his shot away. Barnsley were quickly on the counter and Anderson picked out a wonderful pass to put Daniel Bogdanovic clean through on Bennett's goal but Matt Killgallon appeared from nowhere to block the Maltese striker's shot away from the bottom corner.

The Reds went even closer from Adam Hammill's corner as Bennett made a complete mess of grabbing the ball and it looped back off the underside of the bar and away.

Hammill was again the creator on 13 minutes when his cross from the left had the Blades chasing shadows and Anderson did everything right with his header only to be denied by Bennett's outstanding save.

United fired their first real warning shot on 16 minutes when Ched Evans did well to evade Shotton before drilling the ball a foot or so wide of the post from 25 yards.

Bogdanovic had Oakwell on its feet on 20 minutes when his neat flick opened up the Sheffield United defence. The Maltese striker let fly from 20 yards with a well-struck volley that Bennett somehow managed to claw away from the top corner.

United should have been in front a minute later when Keith Treacey's cross beat the Barnsley defence and gave Darius Henderson a free header eight yards out but the Blades skipper completely missed the ball.

Andrew Davies got away with murder just moments later after clashing with Macken deep in the Sheffield United half. TV pictures clearly showed the Blades defender aim a headbutt at the Reds striker but this amazingly went unpunished. There's something eerily familiar about a Sheffield United defender getting away without a red card at Oakwell.

Bennett came to United rescue yet again on 25 minutes as a scramble in the Blades are from Macken's knock back ended with Hugo Colace smashing the ball goalward but the United keeper did wonderfully well to parry it away.

United's goal led a charmed life again on 31 minutes as Anderson met Kozluk's cross on the volley but the ball cannoned away off a defender for a corner.

Evans had Barnsley scrambling on 33 minutes as his deep cross almost caught out the Reds but Moore was in the right place to make a telling challenge on James Harper at the back post. Harper then lashed one goalward two minutes later but his shot took a deflection and flew wide of the mark.

Another lightening break by the Reds gave Hammill a shooting chance on 39 minutes but the winger got under the ball 35 yards out and fired high over the top into a North Stand housing around 1,800 visiting fans.

Shotton picked up a yellow card on 43 minutes after a sliding challenge of Killgallon left the Blades defender in agony. It was a late tackle and it ended the Sheffield United star's game early.

BARNSLEY: Steele, Kozluk, Shotton, Moore, Dickinson, Anderson, Colace, Doyle, Hammill, Macken, Bogdanovic.
Subs: Preece, Hume, Campbell-Ryce, Hassell, Hallfredsson, Thompson, A. Gray.

SHEFFIELD UNITED: Bennett, Killgallon (Geary 45), Henderson, Evans, Harper, Ward, Davies, Treacey, Quinn, Fortune, Walker.
Subs: France, Cotterill, Williamson, Bunn, Little, Camara.

REFEREE:
Lee Mason (Lancashire)
ASSISTANT REFEREES
Paul Thompson (Derbyshire) and Jeremy Simpson (Lancashire)
FOURTH OFFICIAL
Stuart Atwell (Warwickshire)

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