Barnsley U23s scored two stoppage time goals to salvage a dramatic late point away to Hull City on Monday evening.
Substitutes Louis Wardle and Elvis Otim both fired home in injury time as the young Reds came from 3-1 down at the Roy West Centre to claim a share of the spoils.
Barnsley made the brighter start and they came close to taking the lead in the opening exchanges when Callum Styles, making his first appearance in a red shirt following his summer move from Bury, lashed a low shot from 20-yards into the side netting.
But it was Hull who broke the deadlock when Elliot Holmes raced clear of the visiting backline and rounded the on-rushing Henry Kendrick before slotting in from a narrow angle.
The Reds looked for an immediate reply and Jordan Barnett’s wicked free-kick looked destined to find the head of Trialist, only for a home boot to flick the ball agonisingly away for a corner.
Despite the sustained pressure from Martin Devaney’s side, it was the Tigers who scored the next goal. Callum Smith, on as an early substitute, broke down the left wing and rifled a shot across Kendrick and into the far corner.
Jordan Williams was causing the home defence problems on the right flank, but his crosses into the box evaded red shirts time and time again as it threatened to be a frustrating evening for the visitors.
HALF-TIME: Hull City 2-0 Barnsley
Barnsley came flying out of the blocks after the interval and were rewarded for their endeavours when Sam Fielding rose highest to head home Barnett’s corner and halve the deficit on 49 minutes.
Just after the hour mark, Amir Berkovits jinked his way past a couple of challenges before drilling a low cross into the six-yard box that Hull cleared as the Reds looked to pull level.
But moments later, the hosts had re-established their two-goal advantage against the run of play as Williams unfortunately turned the ball into his own net.
It was harsh on the Reds, who seemed to have the stuffing knocked out of them with that sucker punch as the Tigers burst clear again but were denied a fourth by the upright.
With time ticking away, Barnsley found a way back into the game as Wardle crashed an unstoppable shot into the top corner at the near post to give Devaney’s side brief hope two minutes into added time.
It looked as though it was a case of too little, too late for the Reds as Hull repelled a couple of attacks before Jared Bird won a free-kick 35-yards from goal. Barnett whipped a cross to the far post and new signing Mateo Aramburu kept the ball alive – Fielding’s header was brilliantly clawed away by Callum Burton, but Otim was on hand to slam home from inside the six-yard box to rescue the most unlikely of points for Barnsley.
HULL XI: Burton, Hesson, Fleming, Sheaf, Adamson, Greaves, Hamilton, Chadwick, Lewis-Potter, Holmes, Salam.
Subs: Foulkes, Smith, Powell, Hawkins, Rouse.
REDS XI: Kendrick, Williams, Fielding, Moon, Barnett, Wolfe (Otim, 46), Bird (c), Styles, Mottley-Henry (Wardle, 60), Trialist (Aramburu, 60), Berkovits.
Not used: Cook, Helliwell.