Barnsley completed their league season with a 2-0 loss at home to Peterborough United and will now face Bolton Wanderers in the play-off semi-finals.

The visitors took an early lead then added another late on to join their hosts in the play-offs as Derby lost at Sheffield Wednesday.

The Reds performed better than last week at MK Dons but could not score during long periods of pressure and will be disappointed with the goals they conceded.

Barnsley had already secured fourth place in the League One table and finish on 86 points which is their second highest tally since three points for a win was introduced in 1981.

Bolton finished fifth so will host the Reds in the first leg on Saturday from 3pm before visiting Oakwell for the second leg on Friday, May 19 from 8pm.

The annual awards had been dished out before kick-off. Mads Andersen won Player of the Year with Luca Connell Young Player, Jonathan Bland Academy Player and Josh Benson getting Goal of the Season for his strike against Charlton in September.

Michael Duff made four changes to the side that drew 4-4 at MK Dons eight days earlier. Robbie Cundy, Benson, Luke Thomas and Slobodan Tedic dropped to the bench with Barry Cotter, Adam Phillips, Connell and Devante Cole coming in.

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Cotter – on his first start for the Reds – played at right wing-back with Jordan Williams moving into the right of the back three.

The visitors took the lead in the sixth minute when a cross from the left was missed by home defenders and Jonson Clarke-Harris had time to chest it down then blast home from close range.

Barnsley thought they should have had a penalty minutes later when James Norwood took the ball off goalkeeper Will Norris who appeared to trip him in the box but no penalty was awarded.

Norwood then fired into the top left corner when clean through after a one-two with Liam Kitching but the flag was up for offside.

Herbie Kane played Cole through on goal but he shot over from the edge of the box under pressure from a defender.

Posh had a chance for a second on 28 minutes through a swift counter-attack which ended in Joe Ward going through on the right of the box but he passed across the face of goal and Williams cleared.

Harrison Burrows’ long-range shot was easily caught by Harry Isted then, at the other end, Nicky Cadden skied a tough volleyed chance well over.

Cotter’s diving header from a right-wing Connell corner went wide of the bottom left corner just before the break, under pressure from a defender.

Max Watters came on for Norwood at the break.

After a scramble in the Posh box following a free-kick, Kitching’s close-range shot hit a defender and bobbled to the goalkeeper.

Bobby Thomas headed a Connell corner just wide of the bottom right corner.

Barnsley had begun the second half well on top but Posh’s Jack Taylor had two chances in quick succession. The first saw him denied by a good Isted save with his left foot after being played through on the left of the box then he fired straight at the goalkeeper after Williams lost the ball to Clarke-Harris.

Barnsley made changes with two substitutes combining to create a chance as Benson’s fine cross from the right was headed by Tedic but Norris made a good save diving to his left.

The visitors netted their second goal on 76 minutes when Taylor headed home a right-wing corner by Harrison Burrows at the near post.

Barnsley (3-5-2): Isted; Williams, B Thomas, Kitching; Cotter (Benson 64), Kane (L Thomas 64), Phillips, Connell, Cadden; Norwood (Watters HT), Cole.

Unused: Collins, Russell, Cundy, Tedic, Benson, L Thomas.

Peterborough (4-3-3): Norris; Ward, Edwards, Kent, Burrows; Taylor, Norburn, Kyprianou; Mason-Clark, Clarke-Harris, Poku (Knight 63).

Unused: Blackmore, Butler, Jones, Thompson, Randall, Tshimanga.

Yellow cards: Poku.

Goals: Clarke-Harris 6; Taylor 76.

AS IT HAPPENED
  • GAME UNDERWAY
  • 12:05pm
    The away end is pretty noisy. They get excited about a move down the left but the cross is headed clear by Thomas
  • 12:07pm
    Peterborough playing out from there back, Barnsley pressing them. They haven't won the ball deep in the Posh half but forces some average passes forward which have been easily cut out
  • 12:09pm
    Lovely touch by Norwood on the right plays in Phillips in the box but his first touch is poor and it is cleared
  • 12:09pm
    GOAL: Jonson Clarke-Harris opens the scoring for the visitors
  • 12:11pm
    A cross from the left is missed by the home defenders. Clarke-Harris has plenty of time to chest it down and smash in from about six yards. out
  • 12:13pm
    Obviously a bad start for Barnsley. Poor goal. The away end is bouncing
  • 12:13pm
    Cole wins a corner on the right
  • 12:14pm
    11 Connell's left-wing corner is over everyone and out
  • 12:15pm
    Norwood looks to have taken the ball off the goalkeeper's toes and been tripped in box. No penalty. Duff furious
  • 12:16pm
    Seen the replay. Will Norris misses ball and looks to clip Norwood's ankle to me.
  • 12:18pm
    Barry Cotter showing some tricks on the right,. He beats a man with real skill and his cross is cleared. So is his long throw
  • 12:18pm
    Now Norwood scores but it's given offside.
  • 12:19pm
    He runs onto. a pass by Kitching in the box and blasts into the top left corner but flag is up
  • 12:19pm
    No real protests from the Reds
  • 12:19pm
    The hosts have responded well after falling behind
  • 12:25pm
    Big chance for a leveller. Kane plays in Cole and he fires over from the edge of the box under pressure from a defender
  • 12:26pm
    Peterborough's Jack Taylor blazes well over from distance
  • 12:30pm
    Peterborough look a bit unsure here. They have the lead but, if Derby continue to draw at Sheffield Wednesday, they will. need more goals. They haven't attacked too much since scoring and Barnsley have had the better of it
  • 12:31pm
    Chance. for Posh. Joe Ward through on the right of the box. Whips the ball past Isted and across face of goal but Williams backheels it away. Good defending.
  • 12:33pm
    Bolton are winning at Bristol Rovers so it looks highly likely they will play Barnsley in the play-offs
  • 12:36pm
    Posh are having a better spell now, getting forward more and putting crosses in,. The latest is cleared by Thomas
  • 12:39pm
    36 Peterborough free-kick on the left. It's played. short by Ward to Burrows who fluffs an attempts pass but collects the ball and shoots from outside the box. It's early caught by Isted
  • 12:41pm
    37 A right wing cross falls to Cadden on the. left. It's a tough volleyed chance but he skies it well over
  • 12:41pm
    Williams concedes a posh corner on the left
  • 12:42pm
    39 Posh corner on the left. Headed by Phillips at the near post then Ephron Mason-Clark swings a foot at it and it goes well over
  • 12:42pm
    39 Posh corner on the left. Headed by Phillips at the near post then Kwame Poku swings a foot at it and it goes well over
  • 12:44pm
    The away end goes mad at the. news that Curtis Davies has been sent off for Derby and Sheffield Wednesday have a penalty
  • 12:45pm
    Wednesday are now beating Derby so, as it stands, Posh are in the play-offs.
  • 12:45pm
    Barnsley could still make it a very nervous afternoon for them
  • 12:46pm
    42 Kane free-kick on the right wing. Drops for Thomas whose shot is turned behind for a corner on the left
  • 12:46pm
    43 Connell corner on left. Headed up then eventually blasted clear
  • 12:47pm
    Norwood wins a corner on the right. Good spell for the Reds
  • 12:48pm
    44 Connell corner from the right. Barry Cotter heads wide of the bottom left corner. He was diving but missed the target
  • 12:49pm
    One added minute
  • 12:50pm
    HALF-TIME: Barnsley 0, Peterborough 1. The Reds have had the better chances and could have been given a penalty for a foul by the goalkeeper on Connell. Posh are joining them in the play-offs as it stands
  • 1:06pm
    SECOND HALD UNDERWAY
  • 1:06pm
    Watters on for Norwood
  • 1:09pm
    Barry Cotter wins a free-kick after a good tricky run forward. He has done that a. few times today.
  • 1:10pm
    49 Big scramble in the Posh box after a Kane free-kick headed down. Looked like Kitching poked a shot which good deflected and trickled to the goalkeeper
  • 1:12pm
    YELLOW CARD
    Kwame Poku booked for a foul on the left wing. He then commits another but gets away with just a free-kick
  • 1:13pm
    52 Connell's free-kick is cleared then Phillips' fine cross from the right flicks off a defender's head and hits Cole, going out for a goal kick
  • 1:13pm
    Barnsley win a corner on the left. All them at the moment
  • 1:14pm
    53 Kane's corner on the left. is touched by the goalkeeper out of danger
  • 1:16pm
    I think Barnsley have played well today. They deserve to be level and have been unlucky with ref's. decisions and bounces of the ball in the box
  • 1:17pm
    Another great run from Cotter past a couple of players into the box. It is cleared but he's been good to watch today
  • 1:20pm
    Nice passing move down the left releases Cadden in box whose cross is turned behind for. corner
  • 1:21pm
    60 Connell's left wing corner is headed just wide of the bottom right corner by Bobby Thomas.
  • 1:22pm
    Peterborough's goalkeeper is down and needs treatment
  • 1:23pm
    Looks like Will Norris will carry on. He slipped on his own while Barnsley were attacking and the ball eventually rolled to him to collect
  • 1:24pm
    Poku taken off for Josh Knight
  • 1:26pm
    Decent chance for 2-0 from pretty much Posh's first attack of the half. Hector Kyprianou plays Jack Taylor through on the left and his close-range shot is well-saved by Isted's left foot
  • 1:29pm
    Benson, L Thomas and Tedic coming on. For Kane, Cotter, and Cole
  • 1:29pm
    Benson, L Thomas and Tedic coming on. For Kane, Cotter, and Cole
  • 1:30pm
    Another Taylor chance. Clarke-Harris wins the ball off Williams and pulls it back for the midfielder whose powerful 15-yard shot is straight at Isted
  • 1:30pm
    Nearly 1-1. A fine Benson cross is headed by Tedic but Norris does well to turn it behind
  • 1:31pm
    The corner was cleared then Posh win one at the other end
  • 1:32pm
    71 Posh corner on the right. Caught by Isted
  • 1:33pm
    Barnsley win a corner on the left
  • 1:34pm
    Benson's corner from the left goes over everyone and out
  • 1:35pm
    Into the final 15 minutes then. If Barnsley score they will knock Peterborough out of the sixth place they currently occupy. Ten man Derby losing at Hillsborough
  • 1:36pm
    Jack Taylor wins the ball off Kitching then his shot from outside the box is deflected for a corner
  • 1:37pm
    GOAL!
    Jack Taylor heads in a left wing corner
  • 1:38pm
    The midfielder heads in at the near post
  • 1:41pm
    Nicky Cadden shoots well wide from distance
  • 1:42pm
    The away end is bouncing. They look like they're joining Barnsley in the play-offs
  • 1:45pm
    Tedic's shot blocked behind for a corner on the left
  • 1:47pm
    Corner is cleared.
  • 1:47pm
    Attendance: 14 419 (1932 away)
  • 1:48pm
    Derby could still spoil this party for Posh if they equally with ten men at Hillsborough
  • 1:50pm
    Approaching the 90th minute now.
  • 1:51pm
    90 Benson's cross turned behind for a corner
  • 1:51pm
    Corner cleared then free-kick given against the Reds when Phillips crosses
  • 1:51pm
    Five added minutes
  • 1:53pm
    Barnsley have had a lot of pressure in the last 15 minutes but no real chances
  • 1:55pm
    So it looks like the league season will end in a damp squib defeat here but it's been a fine. campaign overall. and could end in promotion via the play-offs
  • 1:56pm
    FULL-TIME: Barnsley 0, Peterborough 2. The Reds will face Bolton Wanderers in the play-off semi-finals