Barnsley won their third straight Premiership game to continue their stunning
attempt to avoid relegation, beating a Southampton side who have previously been
past-masters of the great escape.
But manager Danny Wilson's side remain in the bottom three after Everton's win
over Blackburn and Tottenham's draw against Liverpool - albeit with a game in
hand over both clubs. Barnsley went into the game bubbling as they had won their
previous two Premiership matches - for the first time this season - while
Southampton were also flying following a run of four wins in five games which
had propelled them into the top half of the table.
But what transpired was a remarkable seven-goal thriller and an injury
nightmare for Barnsley.
The first half was a sensational, see-saw affair and one in which Barnsley
eventually went into the break with a one goal cushion as the two sides shared
five between them.
At one point just after the half hour mark, and with Barnsley 2-1 up, manager
Danny Wilson saw both his early goalscorers depart the field within the space of
two minutes.
Ashley Ward had given his side the lead in the 17th minute, even though
Southampton should have been in front inside four minutes.
Kevin Richardson's ball from the left into the area was headed back across the
six yard box by former Tyke striker David Hirst, and with goalkeeper David
Watson stranded, Matthew Le Tissier seemed to have the simplest of chances to
make it 1-0.
But his half-volley, although straight and true, was remarkably cleared off
the line by Chris Morgan, before Barnsley scrambled clear.
The Tykes then regained their composure and went in front via Ward, netting
his ninth of the season.
Martin Bullock played the £1.3million striker through and with his back to
goal, he turned marker Claus Lundekvam before unleashing a 15-yard left foot
drive into the bottom left hand corner.
In the eight previous matches in which Ward had scored, Barnsley had won seven
and only lost one, with four of the games ending in 1-0 victories - but that was
never going to be the case today.
Skipper Neil Redfearn saw his 18-yard drive deflected narrowly over in the
24th minute, before Saints were level within seconds.
Former Barnsley midfielder John Beresford, who spent three seasons at Oakwell
between 1986 and 1989, combined with Le Tissier and Hirst to set up Norwegian
international Egil Ostenstad with a 10-yard half-volley for his seventh of the
season.
Just seven minutes later, however, Barnsley were back in front when young
defender Scott Jones, hero of the FA Cup replay win over Manchester United,
headed home his third goal in four games.
Jones, who scored a brace against United, raced in unmarked to nod a powerful,
downward ball past his namesake in the Saints goal from a Darren Sheridan
free-kick.
Jan-Aage Fjortoft then attempted two curlers - one from the right which forced
Jones into a full stretch save and the other from the left which was narrowly
over angle of bar and post - before Barnsley's Jones and Ward both departed.
Jones went to the dressing room for treatment to a badly swollen and cut left
eye after an accidental collision with Hirst, while Ward limped off with what
appeared to be a hamstring pull, and was replaced by Andy Liddell.
With Jones off-the-pitch and with Barnsley down to 10 men, the Saints then
equalised for the second time when Le Tissier simply headed in his ninth this
term after being picked out by a pinpoint cross from Jason Dodd in the 41st
minute.
But the scores were level for just two minutes as Barnsley went in front for
the third time just as Jones took to the field again.
Fjortoft beat the keeper with a flicked shot over his body for his fourth
since his move from Sheffield United in mid-January after being played in by
Bullock following a delightful move on the left.
Liddell should have made it four in injury time, with Bullock again
thecreative supplier from the right on this occasion, but Jones pulled off a
stunning block.
The reprieve for Southampton was short-lived as it was 4-2 in the 57th minute
due to a highly-dubious penalty, with Lundekvam being penalised for a shirt pull
on Fjortoft by referee Gerald Ashby.
It allowed leading scorer and skipper Neil Redfearn to step up and sidefoot
home his 11th of the season, with Jones only a whisker away from making the
save.
But within a minute, Wilson then lost his second striker of the game asLiddell
walked off groggily following a challenge by Lundekvam, which led to £1.5million
club record signing Georgi Hristov coming on.
But the game was not over yet as Sheridan was then called for a foot up on
Beresford just outside the box and this gave Le Tissier the opportunity for a
free-kick special into the bottom right-hand corner for his second of the game
and 10th this term.
The closing stages were a tense, nervous affair yet again for Wilson and the
18,000-plus crowd, but Barnsley again hung on bravely.
Teams:
Barnsley: Watson, Eaden, Sheridan, Moses, Redfearn, Bullock,
Jones (Tinkler 82), Barnard, Ward (Liddell 37), Morgan, Fjortoft,
Liddell (Hristov 68).
Subs Not Used: Marcelle, Leese.
Goals: Ward 17, Jones 32, Fjortoft 42, Redfearn 57 pen.
Southampton: Jones, Dodd, Monkou, Lundekvam, Le Tissier, Oakley,
Ostenstad, Beresford, Benali, Richardson (Williams 58), Hirst.
Subs Not Used: Slater, Dryden, Moss, Johansen.
Booked: Lundekvam.
Goals: Ostenstad 25, Le Tissier 41, 71.
Att: 18,368
Ref: G R Ashby (Worcester).
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