A last-gasp Jacob Mellis goal prevented the Blues from claiming four league wins in a row for the first time since 2004. Sub Jason Scotland had put Town ahead with eight minutes left, only for the Barnsley midfielder to hit back seconds before the final whistle.

Boss Paul Jewell named both the same 11 and same 18 as for the last two games. New signing Andy Drury was the only other player to make the trip but was again left waiting for his first involvement in a senior squad. Former Blue Danny Haynes was included in the Barnsley line-up on the right of a four-man midfield.

On a muddy, bobbly pitch, Jimmy Bullard lashed an early volley well over for the Blues, then in the seventh minute on-loan West Ham striker Frank Nouble cut in from the left and hit a low shot which Márton Fülöp gathered to his right. Moments later, Priskin cleverly turned a Martin cross from the right over the bar, but with the linesman flagging.

Skipper David Norris was replaced in the 15th minute have suffered a heavy knock to what appeared to be his knee a few minutes earlier. Colin Healy, who spent the 2005/06 season with the Tykes, took over in the Blues midfield.

The home side ought to have gone in front in the 17th minute when Matt Hill sent in a freekick which former Canary Jason Shackell knocked it down to Garry O’Connor, Márton Fülöp doing well to spread himself and block his effort at point blank range. The loose ball fell to the Scot, but his rebound troubled only the stewards in the stand behind the goal.

Town had the ball in the net in the 24th minute when Nathan Doyle deflected a Bullard freekick into the air and on to the top of his own crossbar. Damien Delaney reached the loose ball and sent it back across goal to Tamás Priskin, who thought he had headed his side ahead until the referee signalled that the ball had already gone out of play for a corner to the Blues.

Three minutes later, Damien Delaney picked up the game’s first booking for blocking Haynes as the ex-Blue looked to receive a return pass as the Tykes broke.

Town were trying to play the better football but it was far from an easy task on a surface which was little better than Sunday morning standard. Bullard frustratedly pulled back Jacob Mellis in the 33rd minute after being caught out by a bobble and joined Delaney in referee Darren Drysdale’s book.

On 39 Grant Leadbitter blocked a Matt Hill shot from the left after a Barnsley break — the source of most of their threatening moments — after a Wickham lay off to Bullard on the edge of the Tykes box had got stuck in the mud.

Martin shot over as a forgettable half moved towards its final moments, then in injury time, O’Connor was caught offside when found inside the Town area having got in behind the Town defence.

There were few highlights in an essentially drab first period, the home side having had the most notable chance when Fülöp saved from O’Connor. The Blues came closest to scoring when Bullard’s freekick struck the woodwork via Doyle. Aside from that, it was difficult to recall a serious Town chance.

The dreadful pitch had been a big factor on the game with mistakes on the ball common and given the difficulty of a passing game, the ball had too often been played long by both sides.

A Mellis freekick flew dangerously across the Town area soon after the restart, then Edwards had a lucky escape when his clearance struck the Barnsley midfielder but nearer Fülöp than Nouble.

There was a further scare for the Blues on 48 when the Tykes on-loan Hammers striker’s first touch let him down when in the clear after being found by a long ball down the middle and Fülöp was able to claim.

The Town keeper was in action again in the 51st minute when Danny Haynes hit a 25-yard deflected effort, which the Hungarian pushed around the post to his right. Three minutes later, Bobby Hassell’s shot deflected off Damien Delaney into Fülöp’s arms.

The Blues had started the second half very slowly but might have gone in front in the 55th minute when Leadbitter dispossessed Stephen Foster just inside the and fed Martin down the Town left. The winger crossed, Healy dummied but Wickham scuffed weakly to Barnsley keeper Steele.

With rain now falling the evidently injured Foster made way for on-loan Manchester City defender Kieran Trippier and Haynes shot through to Fülöp. McAuley forced Steele into a save with a header from a corner.

As the game moved towards the hour mark, Steele saved from Martin from a tight angle on the right, then stopped Priskin’s low strike from 25 yards.

The Blues should have gone in front in the 65th minute when Wickham played Priskin in on goal. The Hungarian frontman shot early but Steele had come off his line quickly to block with his chest. A minute later the Tykes keeper stopped another Priskin effort, this time a well-struck shot from 20 yards.

Chances were coming thick and fast and in the 68th minute Nouble diverted a cross from the right over, only for referee Drysdale to award a corner from which the Tykes almost went ahead. Trippier’s ball from the right was knocked back across the box, O’Connor headed goalwards but Kennedy was on the line to nod away. Seconds later, Nouble shot well wide.

The home side were having most of the game with the Blues largely pumping balls forward towards Priskin. On 73 Wickham failed to make the most of an opportunity on the left of the area, the ball getting caught under his feet as he looked to shoot.

Healy made a hugely important block from Mellis in the 77th minute when the midfielder had time and space inside the area to shoot. From the corner, McAuley missed the ball and fortunately for the Blues Bobby Hassell headed wide.

The Tykes continued to look like the more likely scorers and as the game moved towards the final 10 minutes sub Jacob Butterfield hammered a powerful shot from the edge of the box which Fülöp pushed around the post.

But despite the Tykes having most of the chances, it was the Blues who would go in front with eight minutes remaining on the clock. Edwards cleared to Scotland just inside the Town half and the Trinidadian striker sent Martin away down the left. The winger hit a shot which Steele couldn’t hold and Swansea target Scotland was on hand to add the final touch for his eighth goal of the season.

Darren O’Dea replaced Jimmy Bullard for the final four minutes, taking up a holding midfield role. As the game moved into its final scheduled minute Martin shot straight at Steele from a tight angle with Leadbitter screaming for it in space. Following the corner, Martin was booked for a dive inside the area, having lost control of the ball.

In injury time Wickham almost scored another fine solo goal, taking the ball on from deep past a number of defenders but this time found Steele in his way. For the home side, Shackell headed to Fülöp, then for Town Martin scraped a low effort wide from just outside the area.

Town looked to have done enough to secure four league wins on the trot for the first time since 2004 until with virtually the final kick of the game the game the Tykes equalised. Martin failed to deal with a cross which had been flicked on to the far post, Trippier played the ball inside to Mellis on the edge of the box and the midfielder stuck a shot through a crowd of players off a diving O’Dea and into the net.

Soon after, the whistle went to signal what was probably not an unfair result, even if the Blues will feel they should have claimed all three points having gone in front and having had a number of subsequent chances.

The second half was significantly better than the dreadful first and Town rode their luck before going in front, after which they might have added a second had they shown more composure in and around the area.

Barnsley will feel they deserved the late goal having had most of the earlier chances and ultimately the Blues would probably have been happy with a point before kick-off.

Town: Fülöp, Edwards, Kennedy, McAuley, Delaney, Bullard (O’Dea 86), Leadbitter, Norris (Healy 15), Martin, Wickham, Priskin (Scotland 74). Unused: Lee-Barrett, Peters, Smith, Civelli.

Barnsley: Steele, Hassell, Hill, Shackell, Foster (Trippier 57), Doyle, Arismendi (O’Brien 85), Mellis, Haynes, Nouble, O’Connor (Butterfield 76). Unused: Preece, Butterfield, O’Brien, Colace, Lovre, Gray. Referee: Darren Drysdale (Lincolnshire). Att: 10,904 (Town: 816).

Photo: Action Images

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