Reds concede 94th-minute leveller

Barnsley conceded in the 94^th minute of a 1-1 at home to Stoke City on Tuesday and are now five points off safety.

Domingos Quina’s excellent strike in the 70^th minute looked to have given the Reds a third straight home win before poor defending allowed the Potters to level. Barnsley stay 23^rd, five points off Reading who they no longer have a game in hand over.

The only change from Saturday’s loss at Derby saw Matty Wolfe drop to the bench with Liam Kitching starting. The Reds switched from 4-2-3-1 to 3-5-1-1 with Kitching on the left of the back three and Callum Styles moving into central midfield alongside Claudio Gomes and Domingos Quina with Amine Bassi just behind Carlton Morris.

Stoke came close in the ninth minute when, after Kitching was beaten to the ball deep in his own half, Lewis Baker rifled a 20-yard shot off the base of the left post.

The visitors stayed on top but did not create another chance in a fairly dull encounter until the 30^th minute when Baker’s right-wing corner was headed wide by Taylor Harwood-Bellis 12 yards out and unmarked.

Callum Brittain then had Barnsley’s first shot on target in the 33^rd minute but his 15-yard effort from the right of the box was easily saved by Jack Bonham at his near post.

England international Phil Jagielka then had another headed chance after he met a Baker cross unmarked seven yards out following a corner but his weak effort was easily held by Collins. Barnsley had half-hearted appeals for a penalty waved away early in the second half after Bassi won the ball and Remy Vita sprinted 50 yards before going down in the box following minimal contact by Demeaco Duhaney.

Barnsley switched to a 4-2-3-1 formation with Vita, Bassi, Quina behind Morris.

Brown’s 25-yard shot whistled over the bar but it was his former club who opened the scoring. Quina picked up the ball on the left and dribbled along the edge of the box to the other side of the area before turning and curling a fine shot into the top left corner from just inside the box.

Stoke’s Josh Maja then sent a low shot just wide of the bottom left corner from 20 yards.

Quina went down in the box after brilliantly nutmegging a defender on the left but the referee again did not give a penalty. The equaliser saw Harwood-Bellis win a header on the right of the box before Gomes sliced a simple clearance and Devante Cole lost a 50/50 tackle on the edge of the box with the ball rolling to Baker who curled a fine strike on the edge of the box into the top left corner.

Barnsley (3-5-1-1): Collins; Andersen, Helik, Kitching; Brittain, Gomes, Styles (Wolfe 83mins), Quina, Vita; Bassi (Cole 89); Morris. Unused: Walton, Benson, Moon, Palmer, Oduor,. Goals: Quina 70.

Stoke (3-5-2): Bonham; Harwood-Bellis, Jagielka, Chester; Duhaney (Philogene-Bidace 71mins), Allen, Baker, Thompson, Tymon; Brown (Campbell 71), Maja. Unused: Bursik, Vrancic, Fletcher, Wilmot, Sawyers. Goals: Baker 90+4.