Reds concede late leveller

Barnsley conceded a late leveller in a 1-1 draw at Bristol Rovers who dominated the second half.

Nicky Cadden netted an early goal but Rovers created a series of chances, eventually levelling in the 81st minute.

Both sides could have won it late on but the hosts were the better team and had by far the better chances.

There was one change from the 7-0 win over Port Vale in the opening game a week earlier, as Barry Cotter came in for the injured Corey O'Keeffe with Kyran Lofthouse on the bench.

Liam Kitching had a long-range shot easily saved in the fourth minute after a one, two with Barry Cotter, but the Reds scored in the seventh minute through a good move.

Cotter won a tackle high up the pitch then Devante Cole found Max Watters who drove towards the box then slipped in Cadden on the left and his powerful shot from a tight angle flew in off the frame of the goal.

Rovers reacted well to the goal and, after ex-Red Luke Thomas saw a shot blocked in the box by Cadden, he later won the ball off the same player and set up Antony Evans to cross from the right which should have been headed home by the unmarked John Marquis but he somehow missed.

Soon after, Aaron Collins was played clean through and looked likely to score one-on-one or set up Thomas for a tap in but Kacper Lopata put in a remarkable last-ditch tackle to send the ball behind for a corner.

Barnsley almost made it 2-0 when, after good work to win the ball, Jon Russell threaded a clever pass to Callum Styles who took a touch in the box then saw his eight-yard shot blocked by the goalkeeper.

Marquis missed another decent chance just after the break, curling wide of the bottom right corner from just outside the box after Collins found him from the right wing.

Marquis then curled a shot from just inside the box onto the crossbar after Collins again ran down the left wing following a mistake by Jordan Williams.

Marquis finally had Rovers’ first effort on target when he met a cross under pressure from a defender and could only loft a header towards Liam Roberts to catch easily.

The hosts eventually levelled in the 81st minute when a long ball put substitute Scott Sinclair clean through and he supplied a cool finish into the bottom right corner from the left of the box.

Sinclair had three excellent chances to net the winner – heading over a Thomas cross then blazing high after a one, two with Collins in the box before being played clean through and shooting too close to Roberts who saved diving to his left.

At the other end, Williams smashed just over from 25 yards then substitute Oli Shaw was almost gifted the winner by a loose backpass but the goalkeeper just got there first. Russell flicked on a Cotter throw in the 96th minute to Shaw who took a touch but was tackled. Connor Taylor headed over a 97th-minute left-wing cross.

Barnsley (3-5-2): Roberts; Williams, Lopata, Kitching; Cotter (Lofthouse 90+7mins), Kane, Russell (Chapman 90+7), Styles, Cadden; Watters (Dallas 58), Cole (Shaw 75).

Unused: Killip, Winfield, Shepherd.

Yellow cards: Cotter.

Goals: Cadden 7.

Bristol Rovers (4-4-2): Cox; Hoole, Crama, Taylor, Gordon (Grant 73mins); Thomas, Ward, Finley (Sinclair 73), Evans; Collins, Marquis.

Unused: Hall, Connolly, Loft, McCormick, Jones.

Goals: Sinclair 81.