Full TimeSecond Half ends, Barnsley 1, Bolton Wanderers 0.Post updateAttempt missed. Jordan Williams (Barnsley) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the right. Assisted by Carlton Morris.Post updateAttempt blocked. Carlton Morris (Barnsley) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Callum Brittain.Post updateAttempt blocked. Callum Brittain (Barnsley) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Carlton Morris.Post updateAttempt saved. Carlton Morris (Barnsley) header from the centre of the box is saved in the top centre of the goal. Assisted by Callum Brittain with a cross.Barnsley edged a tight League One play-off semi-final second leg against Bolton to set up an all-South Yorkshire final against Sheffield Wednesday at Wembley. With the scores level at 1-1 from the first leg on Saturday, Liam Kitching’s towering back-post header from Luca Connell’s arcing cross was the difference. Bolton enjoyed the lion’s share of possession but struggled to put the home goal under any real pressure. The Tykes will now face their local rivals on Monday, 29 May as they look to secure an immediate return to the Championship. Unlike Thursday’s wild second leg at Hillsborough, that saw Wednesday produce a stunning comeback to eventually beat Peterborough 5-3 on penalties, this was a game high in intensity but low on serious chances. Bolton’s best opportunity to level came when Aaron Morley crashed a fierce strike over the bar after an indirect free-kick was rolled to him inside the area.
It has been an epic season for Barnsley, who suffered an embarrassing relegation from the Championship last season. Just one year after playing in the second tier play-offs the Reds finished bottom of the table with 30 points, four points adrift of a Derby side who had been deducted 21 points. Michael Duff was appointed in June after a successful stint with Cheltenham and he immediately set about turning the club’s fortunes around. They spent 205 days in the top six, the fifth most in the division, and went on a run of nine successive home wins to briefly put themselves in automatic promotion contention. Defeat by Ipswich at the end of April extinguished that and they ended the season with just one point from their final three games as boss Duff turned his focus to the post-season. He has been justly rewarded with two highly efficient displays from his well-organised and punchy team.
Fans ended the game chanting “Sheffield Wednesday, we’re coming for you” – with Owls boss Darren Moore watching in the stands – and the local rivals will now battle it out for promotion, exactly one week shy of a year since some of the Barnsley squad came back in for pre-season. Bolton manager Ian Evatt was disappointed at how his side failed to match their opponents’ intensity and make away goalkeeper Harry Isted work, while star Liverpool loanee Conor Bradley was well shackled in both legs and will now return to his parent club.
Barnsley boss Michael Duff told BBC Radio Sheffield: “We were excellent. We showed everything that we are: young, energetic, on the front foot, with a good shape and really organised. When we saw a negative pass, we went after it together. We scored a good goal. We knew we would have to suffer but we limited them to not a lot. I couldn’t be more proud. The noise, the atmosphere and the smiles on people’s faces is 10-and-a-half months of hard work – not just by myself and the players, but off the pitch as well.” He added: “There’s no day out at Wembley. We’re in it to win it. Sheffield Wednesday will be favourites but we can hurt them.”
Barnsley have edged a tight League One play-off semi-final second leg against Bolton to set up an all-South Yorkshire final against Sheffield Wednesday at Wembley. With the scores level at 1-1 from the first leg on Saturday, Liam Kitching’s towering back-post header from Luca Connell’s arcing cross was the difference. It has been an epic season for Barnsley, who suffered an embarrassing relegation from the Championship last season, but have been justly rewarded with two highly efficient displays from their well-organised and punchy team under Michael Duff’s management.
Bolton enjoyed the lion’s share of possession but struggled to put the home goal under any real pressure and manager Ian Evatt was disappointed at how his side failed to match their opponents’ intensity and make away goalkeeper Harry Isted work. Star Liverpool loanee Conor Bradley was well shackled in both legs and will now return to his parent club, while Barnsley fans ended the game chanting “Sheffield Wednesday, we’re coming for you”.
Barnsley boss Michael Duff told BBC Radio Sheffield: “We were excellent. We showed everything that we are: young, energetic, on the front foot, with a good shape and really organised.” He added: “There’s no day out at Wembley. We’re in it to win it. Sheffield Wednesday will be favourites but we can hurt them.” The Tykes will now face their local rivals on Monday, 29 May as they look to secure an immediate return to the Championship and make their 10-and-a-half months of hard work pay off.