Barnsley U18s came from behind to claim a share of the spoils against Crewe Alexandra on Saturday afternoon.
The young Reds were quick to respond after Alex took the lead, with Angus Chapman supplying a cool finish for Tom Harban’s side.
A goalless second half followed despite the visitors’ efforts to complete a turnaround.
Barnsley were inches away from opening the scoring with the woodwork struck after a quarter of an hour.
Yet it was the home side who made the breakthrough, converting from a corner with 20 minutes on the clock.
Their lead lasted just nine minutes though, when the Reds pressed high and Kareem Hassan-Smith made a great tackle in the opposition’s box from which the ball rolled to the feet of Chapman who made no mistake with a well-placed shot into the goal.
HALF-TIME: Crewe Alexandra 1-1 Barnsley
After the break, Harban’s side went on the attack and on 57 minutes Brad Binns came agonisingly close to finishing off a splendid move. Callum Walmsley sprayed the ball over to Hassan-Smith, who whipped a ball into the area for Binns, but the midfielder couldn’t quite connect with the header.
Connor Hodgson then dragged a shot from distance narrowly wide before Binns clipped the back post with a looping ball from a tight angle.
Still, Barnsley had to stay solid at the back as the Railwaymen went in search of a winner, too.
Come the final whistle neither side was able to snatch all three points and it ended honours even.
The result means Barnsley remain fifth in the Professional Development League table having gained a point on fourth place, while they’ll also have the chance to leapfrog Burnley, who they travel to next on Tuesday 11 February.
REDS XI: Brown, Hassan-Smith, Ariely, Walmsley, Winfield, Lancaster, Ackroyd, Hodgson, Birks, Binns, Chapman.
Subs: Widdop, Nicholson, Calligan, Aleksiev, Smith.
