Barnsley lost the lead twice in a 2-2 draw with ten man Stoke City on Wednesday night.
Elliot Simoes put the Reds in front then, although the hosts levelled on 44 minutes, Dominik Frieser got his first goal for the club on the stroke of half-time. Stoke levelled early in the second half due to a Jack Walton error but had defender Nathan Collins sent off on the hour-mark.
The Reds are yet to win in the league so far this season, with three draws and three losses from their first six games.
Caretaker manager Adam Murray brought debutant Callum Brittain, Simoes and Frieser into the side for the injured Michael Sollbauer – who was stretchered off on Saturday – as well as Luke Thomas and Conor Chaplin. New signing Matty James began on the bench along with goalkeeper Corey Addai who replaced the injured Brad Collins. Jordan Williams played on the right of the back three with Brittain at right wing-back.
Barnsley had the first real chance of the game when Frieser ran onto a fine pass by Alex Mowatt and crossed from the right for Cauley Woodrow whose volley was blocked by Nathan Collins.
The visitors took the lead after 17 minutes when Frieser tenaciously won a throw-in near the halfway line and took it quickly to catch out the home defence. Woodrow brilliantly put his first touch through the legs of Harry Souttar then squared the ball to Simoes who fired into the bottom right corner from 15 yards for his first goal of the season.
The Reds were well on top for the first half an hour, passing the ball around comfortably and looking far more dangerous and creative than a subdued home side.
But City nearly levelled on 35 minutes when Nick Powell put Steven Fletcher through on goal but Jack Walton rushed out to make a fine one-on-one block.
The equaliser did come on 44 minutes when Harry Souttar's pass was not cut out by Michal Helik and Tyrese Campbell went clean through to beat Walton.
But the visitors were back in front a minute later when Woodrow held up a long ball then Mowatt's excellent cross from the right was met by Frieser six yards out and he acrobatically volleyed home.
Woodrow had a shot saved from 20 yards on the right within seconds of the restart by his former Oakwell captain Adam Davies in the Stoke goal.
The hosts levelled three minutes after the break when Walton should have easily caught Jordan Thompson's cross but dropped it then Tommy Smith smashed into the nearly empty net.
Stoke almost took the lead when Powell again found Fletcher in the box but he curled a shot over from ten yards out on the right.
The hosts were reduced to ten men after an hour when Collins was dismissed after a coming together with Frieser off the ball.
Clarke Oduor surged into the box twice from the left but first his cross was missed by everyone then he tried to loft the ball to Frieser when he should have had a shot and Davies easily caught.
Former Reds skipper Davies then denied debutant Brittain twice in a minute. First he blocked with his face after the wing-back latched onto a superb Woodrow pass and beat a man before shooting from seven yards out on the right. Then, when the resulting corner was cleared, Britain's deflected low effort was blocked by the legs of Davies.
Stoke had the better chances in the final ten minutes. James Chester and Souttar sent efforts off target from Thompson's left-wing crosses while substitute and former Barnsley striker Jacob Brown saw a shot blocked in the box by Helik.
Woodrow had a powerful shot from just outside the box in the 94th minute after cutting in from the left wing but Davies saved easily at head height.
Barnsley (3-4-1-2): Walton; Andersen, Helik, J Williams; Brittain (Schmidt 85mins), Palmer (Kane 49mins), Mowatt, Oduor; Simoes (Thomas 78); Woodrow, Frieser. Unused: Addai, Chaplin, Halme, James. Goals: Simoes 17, Frieser 45.
Stoke (3-4-3): Davies; Chester, Souttar, Collins; Smith, Mikel, Thompson, Tymon; Campbell (Ince 78mins), Fletcher (Brown 68), Powell (Oakley-Booth 78). Unused: Gunn, Batth, Vokes, Gregory. Red cards: Collins. Goals: Campbell 44, Smith 48.
AS IT HAPPENED
  • GAME UNDERWAY
  • 7:48pm
    2 Stoke have seen most of the ball in the first couple of minutes. Barnsley, who already led at this stage on Saturday, have dealt with the limited defending they have had to do so far
  • 7:48pm
    3 Lovely turn and pass by Palmer to Woodrow who then plays in Frieser but he is offside
  • 7:50pm
    Stoke have had most of the ball in this first five minutes but mainly in their half or near the halfway line. Every time they have tried to pass forward it has been intercepted or mishit
  • 7:52pm
    Cauley Woodrow is dropping really deep so far tonight. He's been chosen up front but is often dropping to the halfway line and just did some defending in his own box after tracking all the way back
  • 7:53pm
    8 The best move of the match so far ends with Tyrese Campbell being controversially flagged offside when Stoke would have had a two on one. It was some great passing which carved the Reds open
  • 7:55pm
    9 Barnsley have the best chance of the game so far. An excellent Mowatt pass sets Frieser free on the right. He crosses deep to the back post and Woodrow volleys but it is blocked by a defender
  • 7:55pm
    10 Oduor takes the corner to Frieser whose cross is headed clear
  • 7:57pm
    Barnsley have been the better side in the last five minutes, passing the ball around nicely and having some joy down the right flank
  • 8:00pm
    Barnsley are constantly trying to play long diagonal balls in behind the Stoke back three to their attackers. They had success with it once for Frieser and have come close on a couple of other occasions
  • 8:02pm
    A quarter of an hour gone and Barnsley will be pretty happy, They have had the only chance of the game so far and have been the more lively and attacking team, especially in the last ten minutes
  • 8:03pm
    GOAL!
    Elliot Simoes scores after a superb assist by Woodrow
  • 8:06pm
    It's a brilliant goal for the Reds. Woodrow turns a defender just outside the box then squares to Simoes who finds the bottom right corner from ten yards out
  • 8:09pm
    That goal was deserved for the away side who have been the better team so far
  • 8:13pm
    Since the goal, Stoke haven't really responded and, although they haven't created a chance for 2-0, Barnsley are still on top and are playing the better football
  • 8:17pm
    30 minutes gone. Barnsley look very organised, defending everything a subdued Stoke throw at them so far and really fluid in their 3-4-1-2 formation with players always covering for each other.
  • 8:20pm
    35 Big chance for the hosts as Steven Fletcher goes clean through on goal but Jack Walton makes an impressive one-on-one save, the first piece of work he has had to do all night
  • 8:21pm
    It was a clever Nick Powell pass that put Fletcher through. Maybe a good wake-up call for the Reds who had had it pretty much their own half for the first 35 minutes
  • 8:23pm
    38 Palmer flicks the ball up 25 yards out and shoots but it is well wide
  • 8:25pm
    Stoke have been better in the last five minutes, passing the ball around more in the Reds half. Barnsley will just be pleased to go in at half-time 1-0 up
  • 8:28pm
    Tyrese Campbell levels
  • 8:30pm
    GOAL!
    Dominik Frieser gets his first Barnsley goal !
  • 8:32pm
    HALF-TIME: Stoke 1, Barnsley 2. The Reds reply to the equaliser within seconds as Frieser volleys in a cross by Mowatt
  • 8:47pm
    SECOND HALF UNDERWAY
  • 8:48pm
    46 Cauley Woodrow shoots from 20 yards out on the right but his former team-mate Adam Davies saves easily
  • 8:50pm
    GOAL!
    Tommy Smith levels after a bad error by Jack Walton who dropped a simple cross
  • 8:51pm
    It was a very simple cross but it's a bad goalkeeping error. The first of his short career
  • 8:51pm
    Kane has come on for Palmer
  • 8:52pm
    Such a frustrating moment for the visitors. They have gifted their hosts a way back into the game
  • 8:56pm
    54 Stoke on top now. Powell again plays in Fletcher on the left of the box but he bends it well over the bar ten yards out
  • 9:00pm
    58 Alex Mowatt wins a corner on the left
  • 9:01pm
    59 Oduor's corner is headed by Helik then there is a bit of a scramble with Kane having a shot blocked
  • 9:03pm
    RED CARD
    Nathan Collins is sent off for a foul on Dominik Frieser
  • 9:04pm
    Well well well. Suddenly Barnsley will play against ten men for the final half an hour
  • 9:08pm
    66 Great run from Oduor on the left into the box but he pulls the ball back and no one is there to fire it in
  • 9:08pm
    Former Barnsley striker Jacob Brown is coming on
  • 9:09pm
    67 Oduor in on the left of the box again but decides not to shoot and instead tries to loft a cross for Frieser to head in but Davies catches
  • 9:10pm
    Brown on for Fletcher
  • 9:12pm
    70 Mowatt smashes a long-range shot over
  • 9:14pm
    Barnsley definitely on top now against the ten men. Stoke will look to be solid at the back and look to hit the Reds on the counter-attack
  • 9:18pm
    75 Callum Brittain almost gets a debut goal. He is found by a fine Woodrow pass, beats a defender on the right of the box then his eight-yard shot is blocked by the face of Adam Davies
  • 9:18pm
    76 Brittain comes close again. The corner is headed out to him and his 20-yard effort is low and deflect and Davies does well to save with his legs
  • 9:18pm
    Tashan Oakley-Boothe on for Nick Powell and Tom Ince on for Tyrese Campbell
  • 9:19pm
    Luke Thomas on for Elliot Simoes
  • 9:22pm
    80 Good chance for Stoke. Thompson crosses from the right but Chester hooks wide unmarked about ten yards out
  • 9:25pm
    Patrick Schmidt is coming on for Barnsley
  • 9:26pm
    Schmidt on for Brittain
  • 9:28pm
    85 Brown beats Helik to a long ball, turns inside him but the Polish defender blocks the ex-Red's shot in the box . The corner is then over everyone
  • 9:30pm
    Stoke looking the more likely scorers at the moment as he move into the 89th minute
  • 9:31pm
    89 Brown wins a free-kick on the left for a foul by Kane
  • 9:31pm
    90 Jordan Thompson's left-wing free-kick is headed wide by Harry Souttar who got above Andersen and Helik
  • 9:32pm
    Four added minutes
  • 9:34pm
    90+2 Jordan Williams' cross is blocked behind for a right-wing corner
  • 9:36pm
    90+4 Cauley Woodrow cuts in from the left wing and hits a 22 yard shot which is powerful but straight at Davies
  • 9:36pm
    FULL-TIME: Stoke City 2, Barnsley 2. The Reds lose the lead twice and then cannot find a winner while playing against ten men for half an hour.

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