Barnsley's automatic promotion hopes took an almighty knock at Oakwell but they can thank themselves lucky that they salvaged a point against the
Baggies.
Neil Shipperley's last-minute strike denied the visitors three vital points in their fight against relegation after shocking the home side into action after
a pulsating second half of football.
West Brom were lucky to survive calls for a penalty with just two minutes on the clock.
Shipperley brought the ball down expertly on the right and jinked it into Darren Barnard who surged into the box. Just as the Welshman seemed to
have got the better of his marker, centre-back Paul Raven seemed to haul him to the ground but Tring referee William Jordan waved away furious
protests.
Mike Sheron forced a save from keeper Brian Jensen with an instinctive half-volley and was almost in again after a nod on by Shipperley but
defender Tony Butler cleared.
Raven again came to his side's rescue midway through the first half after heading Craig Hignett's goalbound free-kick off the line with Jensen
beaten.
It was to be Raven's last act of the game after rather innocuously going down in his own half and Daryl Burgess was called off the bench on 32
minutes.
Barnsley looked the more creative side and in another Hignett inspired raid Shipperley did well with his back to goal to turn and test Jensen who
saved with his feet.
But the Baggies fired a warning of what was to come and could have scored twice within a minute.
Bob Taylor's acrobatic overhead kick looked to be in all the way but keeper Kevin Miller dived low to palm it clear and from the ensuing corner
midfielder George Santos should have done better but headed wide.
The game couldn't have restarted in any more spectacular fashion as virtually from the kick-off the visitors broke down the right.
Defender Steve Chettle looked to have made a good tackle on striker Fabian De Freitas on the right of the six-yard box but the big forward stayed
down and a penalty was awarded.
Responsibility fell to Richard Sneekes and he sent Miller the wrong way.
It didn't take long for a reply and on 52 minutes Barnard curled home an exquisite 20-yard free-kick.
But the relegation fighters regained the lead just three minutes later when Bob Taylor looped a header over Miller from Jason Van Blerk's free-kick.
Barnsley switched things around with Matty Appleby being replaced by former England man Geoff Thomas.
Taylor forced a save out of Miller from the edge of the box before De Freitas and Sean Flynn joined Santos in the referee's note book.
The impressive Jensen did superbly to keep Hignett's curling free-kick out of the back of the net but the Tykes couldn't get that equaliser.
Macedonian striker Georgi Hristov was thrown on for Sheron with 13 minutes remaining in what looked like a last thrown of the dice.
Van Blerk was cautioned for bringing down Hristov as Barnsley piled on the pressure and the Baggies looked to hit them on the break, sub James
Quinn wasting a good chance to seal it.
His miss was to prove so costly as Shipperley popped up in the melee to stab home the equaliser with just seconds of the game remaining.
It could have been even worse for the visitors as the home side went for the throat and only a timely block stopped Shipperley from crashing in an
unlikely winner.
But with both Manchester City and Ipswich cruising to victories elsewhere the play-offs now look the likeliest bet for Dave Bassett's side after what
mounts up to two points thrown away.
Teams:
Barnsley: Miller, Curtis, Barker (Eaden 72), Chettle, Morgan, Tinkler, Appleby (Thomas 64), Barnard, Shipperley, Sheron (Hristov 77), Hignett.
Subs Not Used: Jones, Van Der Laan.
Booked: Barnard.
Goals: Barnard 53, Shipperley 90.
West Brom: Jensen, Van Blerk, Butler, Flynn (Oliver 90), Raven (Burgess 32), Lyttle, Clement, Sneekes, Santos, Taylor, De Freitas (Quinn 85).
Subs Not Used: Evans, Adamson.
Booked: Santos, De Freitas, Flynn, Van Blerk.
Goals: Sneekes 47 pen, Taylor 55.
Att: 16,329
Ref: W Jordan (Tring, Herts).
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