Reds face Bolton in play-offs after final day draw

Barnsley finished sixth in the final League One table – and secured a play-off semi-final against Bolton Wanderers – after conceding a last-gasp leveller in a 1-1 home draw with Northampton Town on the last day.

The Reds – who sacked Neill Collins earlier in the week and put Martin Devaney in interim charge – needed to win against their mid-table visitors to guarantee a place in League One’s top six, but losses for Lincoln and Blackpool meant a draw was enough.

The hosts took the lead early on through Herbie Kane then were marginally the better side in a tight game of few chances, before the visitors levelled with nearly the final kick.

Oxford won so Barnsley slipped a place to sixth and will now host Bolton next Friday before visiting the Trotters the following Tuesday.

Devaney made two changes from the team that lost at Blackpool a week earlier under Collins. Corey O’Keeffe and the fit-again Luca Connell came in for Barry Cotter and Conor Grant.

Very little happened until the hosts opened the scoring in the 18th minute after a fine move. Josh Earl’s excellent crossfield pass from the left was cleverly knocked down by Adam Phillips on the right of the box to Kane whose 20-yard shot just snuck into the bottom right corner.

Northampton’s Louis Appere was put clean through late in the first half but Jordan Williams made a fine last-ditch tackle, then Barnsley cleared a series of corners.

Devante Cole almost made it 2-0 on the stroke of half-time when he headed down a lofted pass into the box and beat goalkeeper Lee Burge but Jordan Willis blocked.

In the second half, Mitch Pinnock had Northampton’s first shots, both from outside the box, but one deflected over then the other was well wide.

It was nearly 2-0 on the hour-mark when Northampton lost the ball in their box and John McAtee’s shot was blocked on the line by visiting captain Jon Guthrie.

Liam Roberts made his first save on 77 minutes, easily catching a long-range Marc Leonard effort which may have been going wide.

Shaun McWilliams nearly levelled in the 90th minute but his header from Appere’s cross inside the box trickled just wide of the bottom right corner.

Appere levelled at the death when a Leonard free-kick was flicked on by Guthrie and volleyed in by Appere.

Barnsley (3-5-2): Roberts; Williams, de Gevigney, Earl; O’Keeffe (Cotter 90+3mins), Phillips, Connell, Kane, Phillips, Cadden; McAtee (Jalo 72), Cole (Cosgrove 83).

Unused: Killip, Grant, Marsh, McCart.

Yellow cards: De Gevigney, O’Keeffe, Kane.

Goals: Kane 18.

Northampton (5-3-2): Burge; Monthe (McWilliams 75mins), Willis, Guthrie, Sherring, Odimayo (McGowan 61); Pinnock, Leonard, Sowerby (Hondermarck 75); Bowie (Simpson 55), Appere.

Unused: Dodge, Fox, Springett.

Goals: Appere 90+4.