Halme rescues point at Luton

Former Reds man Luke Berry put the hosts in front after 14 minutes but the visitors dominated the remainder of the first half without scoring. The second half was much less eventful until Halme levelled in the 84th minute then both sides could have won it late on. 

The result means the Reds are three two points from safety in 22nd place, once Wigan Athletic’s 12-point deduction is applied.  Gerhard Struber made two changes from the side that lost 4-0 at Stoke City on Saturday. Jordan Williams came in for his namesake Ben while Mike Bahre made his first appearance since the re-start in place of Luke Thomas. They returned to their 3-4-1-2 formation with Jordan Williams in the back three and Marcel Ritzmaier and Kilian Ludewig the wing-backs.

The Reds forced home goalkeeper Simon Sluga into two saves in the first six minutes as he tipped over a Conor Chaplin header from a Ritzmaier cross within seconds of the start then pushed up a Jacob Brown shot from the edge of the box after good work from Ritzmaier on the left.  Luton’s first shot on goal came in the ninth minute when Danny Hylton headed a right-wing cross towards the bottom right corner but Walton dived to his left to save easily. 

The hosts took the lead in the 14th minute when Elliot Lee, the former Barnsley player, was played in on the right of the box and unleashed a low shot which went across Walton and hit the base of the left post. It fell perfectly to another ex-Red Luke Berry who smashed into the top right corner from eight yards out on the left of the box.

Chaplin should have levelled midway through the first half when Brown headed down a Ritzmaier cross but he sliced a volley over the bar from five yards out on the left. Luton defender Sonny Bradley headed the ball straight at Cauley Woodrow in his box then blocked the shot from close range. 

Barnsley then had a succession of corners, mainly taken short with one ending with a shot by Woodrow which was turned around the bottom right corner by Sluga in the 35th minute. Sluga then made a far better save after 42 minutes to claw out a Woodrow header from just under the bar. 

Luton changed formation in the second half, using wing-backs which allowed them to play five across the back with three midfielders in front of them. 

The second half was very dull, until the last six minutes. Luton’s Berry dragged a shot wide from the edge of the box while Brown had two opportunities from a similar distance but fired well over then dragged a weak effort straight at Sluga. 

Struber brought off his top-scorers Woodrow and Chaplin with eight minutes left, introducing Halme and Patrick Schmidt. Centre-back Halme – playing as a makeshift striker – levelled soon after as he smashed in from close range after Simoes’ shot was blocked. 

Brown then had a shot deflected just wide and, from the resulting Ritzmaier corner, Schmidt headed  just wide. Luton substitute Harry Cornick then went clean through in the 87th minute but Walton made an excellent one-on-one save. Brown and Halme were inches away from a low cross by Styles in the 95th minute but the game was drawn. 

Luton (4-4-2 diamond): Sluga; Bree, Bradley, Carter-Vickers, Potts; Cranie Berry, Mpanzu; Lee (Shinnie HT),  Hylton (Cornick 72), Collins Subs: Shea, Tunnicliffe, Pearson, McManaman, Moncur, Butterfield, Kioso. Yellow cards: Sluga, Potts, Berry, Cranie.  Goals: Berry 14 

Barnsley (3-4-1-2): Walton, mark out of ten: 8; Sollbauer 7, Andersen 7, J Williams 8 (Styles 80mins); Ludewig 7, Mowatt 7, Bahre 6 (Simoes 59mins), Ritzmaier 8, Woodrow 6 (Halme 83); Brown 6, Chaplin 6 (Schmidt 83). Unused: Collins, B Williams, Oduor, Thomas, Wolfe. Yellow cards: Sollbauer, Andersen.  Goals: Halme 84.