It's a hard-earned point on the road for Barnsley on this opening day of the season.

A first Reds goal for Toby Sibbick cancelled out Marlon Pack's header, as Barnsley shared the spoils with their Welsh hosts.

The Reds had begun proceedings in a really bright and confident manner, moving the ball well through the lines and creating early opportunities. 

With around eight minutes on the clock, Carlton Morris dropped deep to link-up nicely with the overlapping Ben Williams before receiving a ball inside the box from Cauley Woodrow, and the big man went for a first-time strike, bending an effort a foot or so over the crossbar from around 14 yards out.

It was Woodrow's turn to test the hosts' goal when after some neat football and a one-two with Romal Palmer, the captain lashed a low effort a yard wide of the near post. 

But despite the dominance from Markus Shopp's side, it was the home side who should have gone ahead when Ryan Giles put over a low cross and somehow, from six yards, Leandro Bacuna half-volleyed over the bar. 

It had been a let-off for the Reds, and soon after, Palmer's raking ball to the back post was directed back to the centre of the box thanks to a cushioned Woodrow header, but Morris' attempted effort, with real power, flew over the bar from the edge of the box. 

Cardiff did have the ball in the back of the net on the half-hour mark, but the 'scorer', James Collins was offside as he headed home from a yard out. 

The Reds' best chance of the half came late, and again it was Woodrow, turning and firing in a snapshot from 12 yards out, right of centre, only to be denied by a strong Dillon Phillips hand, low down who turned the ball behind.

That forced a period of four successive Barnsley corners, but the hosts hung on until the break.

HALF-TIME: Cardiff City 0-0 Reds

Soon into the second period, Cardiff ought to have again done better, and once more it was Bacuna at the far post with the goal at his mercy but he screwed a poor effort wayward from a couple of yards out.

The Reds thought they'd gone ahead in the 51st minute when some impressive linking up between the front men ended with Dominik Frieser slotting into the bottom corner, only to see his goal ruled out for offside, which looked borderline to say the least. 

And as we've seen many times over the years, the opposition struck immediately at the other end, as the Bluebirds took the lead with Marlon Pack powering home a header from a corner kick. 

But the Reds fought back, with substitute Josh Benson, on debut, picking out a terrific long-range pass that Toby Sibbick scampered onto, and the defender buried the finish, just inside the box. 

It was the least the Reds deserved for their performance in the Welsh capital, and a good point on the opening day of the 21/22 season.

FULL-TIME: Cardiff City 1-1 Reds

Collins, Brittain, Sibbick, Helik, Kitching, B.Williams (Moon), Styles, Palmer (Benson), Woodrow, Frieser (Oduor), Morris.

Unused: Walton, J.Williams, Halme, Thompson.