Barnsley will play Swansea City in the Championship play-off semi-finals after finishing the league season with a 2-2 draw at home to champions Norwich City.
Cauley Woodrow opened the scoring then, after Norwich levelled within seconds, Conor Chaplin made it 2-1 late in the first half. City levelled again just after the break.
Bournemouth's loss to Stoke City means the Reds moved up one place to fifth and will take on fourth-placed Swansea in the semi-final first leg on Monday May 17 then visit them on May 22.
They finished with 78 points, which is their fourth best ever tally.
The home side delivered a good performance overall, as they were on top in the first half before their visitors had the better chances after the break as the game began to fizzle out.
Reds captain Alex Mowatt was left out as a precaution due to a minor injury, in order for him to be fit for the play-offs.
Jasper Moon came in for Mowatt for his first career start while Toby Sibbick and Carlton Morris replaced Michael Sollbauer and Daryl Dike. Liam Kitching was on the bench for the first time following injury.
The Reds were very good in the first half, having by far the more shots and attacks while pressing their visitors well.
Chaplin had the first shot of the game in the sixth minute, firing over from 20 yards after Callum Styles' free-kick was headed down.
Moon then had the first shot on target in the 17th minute with a low effort from just inside the box which Tim Krul dived to his right to catch. That was after Barnsley were given a drop ball following a head injury and Styles again saw a cross headed out.
The opener arrived on 24 minutes when Morris outmuscled Andrew Omobamidele, amid cries of a foul by Norwich, then squared to Woodrow who tapped into an empty net for his 14th goal of the season.
But the lead lasted just two minutes as Max Aarons' cross from the right was turned in from close range by Emi Buendia.
Chaplin then had his second shot of the game but it was straight at the goalkeeper from just inside the box. Woodrow forced Krul into a better save, diving to his right to stop a 20-yard effort after fine touches by Chaplin and Mads Andersen in a good move. Woodrow then dragged another shot wide from the left of the box.
Chaplin made it 2-1 just before the break when he headed in an excellent left-wing Styles cross from seven yards out for his first goal in 11 games.
Norwich almost levelled with minutes again but Todd Cantwell sliced a shot wide from 15 yards out on the right of the box.
The visitors did make it 2-2 early in the second half when Jordan Hugill powered down the right wing and crossed low to Cantwell whose excellent touch set up Adam Idah to fire in seconds after coming off the bench.
Ismael responded by bringing on Victor Adeboyejo, fit-again Dominik Frieser and Dike for Morris, Woodrow and Chaplin.
Krul pushed away a powerful Adeboyejo shot from the left of the box then easily held Palmer's 20-yard effort.
Kitching came on for his Barnsley debut with ten minutes left, with Sibbick coming off.
Buendia missed a huge chance for the visitors in the 84th minute when he was put clean through but blazed wide of the left post.
Barnsley (3-4-3): Collins; Sibbick (Kitching 80mins), Helik, Andersen; Brittain, Moon (J Williams 67), Palmer, Styles; Chaplin (Frieser 56), Woodrow (Dike 56), Morris (Adeboyejo 56). Subs: Walton, Oduor, Halme, Sollbauer. Goals: Woodrow 24, Chaplin 43.
Norwich (3-5-2): Krul; Aarons, Hanley, Omobamidele, Giannoulis; Tetty (Sorensen 87mins), McLean (Idah 53mins); Cantwell (Hernandez 87), Vrancic, Buendia; Hugill (Dowell 72). Subs: Nyland, Mumba, Quintilla, Placheta, Stiepermann. Goals: Buendia 26, Idah 53.
AS IT HAPPENED
  • 11:24am
    Good morning and welcome to the Chronicle’s live text coverage of Barnsley’s final game of the Championship season at home to Norwich City from 12.30pm.
  • 11:25am
    Team news is expected at 11.30am. Dominik Frieser is likely to return to the squad and could be joined by Liam Kitching.
  • 11:32am
    Barnsley: Collins; Sibbick, Helik, Andersen; Brittain, Moon, Palmer, Styles; Chaplin, Woodrow, Morris. Subs: Walton, J Williams, Kitching, Dike. Oduor, Halme, Sollbauer, Frieser, Adeboyejo.
  • 11:32am
    Reds captain Alex Mowatt is not in the squad. It is a precaution due to a minor injury, in order for him to be fit for the play-offs. We will find out more after the game.
  • 11:32am
    Jasper Moon comes in for Mowatt for his first career start while Toby Sibbick and Carlton Morris replace Michael Sollbauer and Daryl Dike.
  • 11:47am
    Norwich: Krul; Aarons, Hanley, Omobamidele, Giannoulis; Tetty, McLean; Cantwell, Vrancic, Buendia; Hugill. Subs: Nyland, Mumba, Quintilla, Sorensen, Dowell, Hernandez, Placheta, Stiepermann, Idah
  • 11:47am
    Good to see Liam Kitching on the Barnsley bench for the first time. It's been a tough time since signing in January with a groin injury that took a lot longer to heal than expected. By all accounts he's done very well in training over the last few weeks
  • 11:51am
    The Reds are currently sixth. After today, they will face play-off semi-finals with the first leg at home on Monday, May 17 and the second leg away the following Saturday. The play-off final at Wembley is on May 29.
  • 12:00pm
    Barnsley’s 2-0 loss at Preston North End on Saturday means they are set to finish either fifth or sixth and play one of Brentford or Swansea in the play-offs.
  • 12:00pm
    Brentford have secured third place, while the Reds cannot realistically overtake fourth-placed Swansea whose goal difference is 11 goals higher than Barnsley’s. Valerien Ismael’s side are level on points with Bournemouth, who also have a far superior goal difference, so the Reds would have to better the Cherries’ result at home to Stoke City to finish fifth.
  • 12:05pm
    Ismael has collected 73 points from 38 league games since he was appointed in late October with the Reds fourth-bottom and winless in their first seven.
  • 12:16pm
    Victory against Norwich would mean Barnsley have equalled a club record for 24 wins in a second tier season, matching the total accumulated by Dave Bassett’s play-off finalists in 1999/2000.
  • 12:16pm
    A win would also mean they finish on 80 points, their joint third best ever tally – equal with the total of Danny Wilson’s 1996/97 side who reached the top flight.
  • 12:21pm
    Championship champions Norwich have 96 points from 45 games, with 29 wins.
  • 12:24pm
    They secured an immediate return to the Premier League with five games to play then lost their next two to fellow top six sides Watford and Bournemouth. They then won 3-1 at QPR before thrashing Reading 4-1 to secure the title.
  • 12:24pm
    The teams have met twice this season. The Reds lost 1-0 at Carrow Road – where they have not won in 19 attempts since 1937 – on January 2 with a goal by Emiliano Buendia who has 14 goals and 16 assists this season.
  • 12:24pm
    Three weeks later, Barnsley won 1-0 at home to City in the fourth round of the FA Cup thanks to Callum Styles’ goal.
  • 12:24pm
    Norwich’s top-scorer Teemu Pukki and star midfielder Oliver Skipp are injured.
  • 12:24pm
    Norwich’s manager is Daniel Farke who Ismael knows from coaching courses in Germany. The Reds boss believes his friend deserved to be named Manager of the Year, despite many calls for that award to go to Ismael. Ismael said: “Daniel deserved the award. Norwich were so dominant all season. He is my friend but I think it is the right choice.”
  • 12:25pm
    Ismael added: “It’s a great game for us. It is good preparation for the play-offs. We face teams who are more possession-based which suits us much better. Norwich is the right game to prepare the players.”
  • 12:25pm
    Defender Toby Sibbick said, after the loss at Preston on Saturday: “We have to get it out of our system and move forward to Norwich who are a top side, a Premier League team now. We want to go out and showcase our talent. We need a good performance and a win to give us more confidence and belief going into the play-offs.”
  • 12:25pm
    Jasper Moon added: “We know as a team that the last few games, apart from Huddersfield, we haven’t been at it 100 per cent. Against Norwich we will be all guns blazing and back to basics of what we are good at. They are the perfect warm-up for the kind of team we will play in the play-offs. They have just got promoted to the Premier League and we want to get ourselves there.”
  • 12:25pm
    Norwich have not won any of their last three visits to Oakwell, drawing 1-1 in 2018 after a 2-1 loss in 2016. That was their only defeat to the Reds in 16 league meetings since 2000. Barnsley have won just five of 32 league meetings since the Second World War.
  • 12:25pm
    The Canaries have the best away record in English professional football, with 48 points from 22 games including 15 wins. Of their last eight away games, they have won seven and drawn one.
  • 12:25pm
    Barnsley striker Carlton Morris began his career at Norwich City but made just one substitute appearance while being loaned out eight times before moving permanently to the Reds in January.
  • 12:29pm
    Striker Cauley Woodrow said: "It’s another game that we want to win. Our last two performances have not been good at all. We lost at Preston and the manager made it clear that we can’t perform like that. We don’t need any more points to get into the play-offs but we still want to win. We can go to fifth which change who we will play. We want momentum, a win and a good feeling going into two massive games in the play-offs."
  • 12:31pm
    Norwich City get us underway.
  • 12:34pm
    3 Early pressure for the Reds has yet to yield any chances, but they're squeezing the visitors into their own half. Grant Hanley wins a free kick right by the corner flag.
  • 12:36pm
    6 Norwich nearly catch Barnsley on the counter, Todd Cantwell dummying for Emiliano Buendia to carry the ball and play in Max Aarons who was overlapping. Some good footwork in the box from the full back, but he loses the ball and Callum Brittain clears.
  • 12:38pm
    6 Conor Chaplin fires over from 20 yards following a free kick.
  • 12:41pm
    10 Todd Cantwell called offside after a long through ball along the ground almost catches the Reds' defence on the hop.
  • 12:43pm
    13 Dimitris Giannoulis advances into the centre from his left back position and hoofs the ball out for a goal kick - not sure if he was trying to switch the ball or optimistically catch Brad Collins off his line.
  • 12:45pm
    14 Callum Brittain wins a throw with a nice bit of dribbling, and then takes the throw in long - it's cleared out of the Norwich box.
  • 12:46pm
    16 A break in play as Max Aarons takes a ball to the face and goes down. He's helped off the pitch and it's going to be a dropped ball.
  • 12:47pm
    17 Jasper Moon with a decent effort from the edge of the box, as Callum Styles plays it in right-footed from the left following the dropped ball. Tim Krul forced to make a save.
  • 12:50pm
    19 Michal Helik does well to cut out a through ball as Mario Vrancic ran into a gap left by Toby Sibbick on the right of the Reds' defence. Helik finds Carlton Morris who advances into the left channel and tries to cut it back, but it's cleared.
  • 12:55pm
    GOAL!
    24 Cauley Woodrow nets after Carlton Morris' cut back from the left.
  • 12:56pm
    25 More than a hint of a foul as Andrew Omibamidele had the ball, facing towards his own goal, and was dispossessed by Carlton Morris before the striker advanced into the box. But the Reds will take it.
  • 12:57pm
    GOAL!
    27 Immediate equaliser for Norwich as Emiliano Buendia heads in.
  • 12:58pm
    27 Max Aarons with the cross from the right sees Emiliano Buendia found in space in the middle of goal, to easily nod it to Brad Collins' right.
  • 1:01pm
    30 A comfortable save for Tim Krul as Conor Chaplin takes a touch and then a right-footed effort from just inside the box.
  • 1:03pm
    32 Tim Krul rushes to enthusiastically punch the ball clear from a cross, but it's as far as Romal Palmer who plays it to Carlton Morris. The striker backs into his man and his shot is blocked for a corner.
  • 1:06pm
    34 Barnsley force a poor clearance and Conor Chaplin, pointing to where he wants Cauley Woodrow to go as the ball is in the air, turns and plays the forward in. Woodrow's low shot is saved by Tim Krul, but was a decent effort.
  • 1:10pm
    40 A neat bit of passing to the left of goal, Romal Palmer flicking it in to Conor Chaplin who chests it down for Cauley Woodrow. The angle was against him though and his strike rolls past the near post.
  • 1:12pm
    42 Todd Cantwell offside again but he lifts the ball over Brad Collins anyway - would've been a good finish.
  • 1:13pm
    GOAL!
    43 Conor Chaplin heads in from Callum Styles' cross from the left. Well worked goal.
  • 1:14pm
    43 Romal Palmer had wrong-footed the Norwich back line with his return ball to Callum Styles, whose cross was inch-perfect for Conor Chaplin to head past Tim Krul having found space between the two centre backs.
  • 1:15pm
    45 Awful attempt from Todd Cantwell who'd beat the Reds defence on the right. He dribbled towards the near post, but the strike was wild and over the bar.
  • 1:18pm
    HALF-TIME: The Reds go into the break ahead and, on balance, their play probably deserves it. Both sides are playing well.
  • 1:35pm
    We're back underway and Barnsley are instantly pulled back for offside.
  • 1:37pm
    47 Goal kick for Norwich after some decent play to the left of goal from Cauley Woodrow, Callum Styles and Carlton Morris. Barnsley starting where they left off.
  • 1:40pm
    50 Kenny Mclean is stopped by Michal Helik as he attempts a strike, after a neat flick from Todd Cantwell on the edge of the Reds' box. The home side counter, but the midfielder stays down - as he struck the ball, Helik slid in and got a foot to it, which can be a painful one.
  • 1:41pm
    SUB ON
    52 Adam Idah replaces the injured man.
  • 1:41pm
    SUB OFF
    52 Kenny Mclean.
  • 1:43pm
    GOAL!
    54 Adam Idah nets with his first touch after coming on. A good team move from the visitors sees the sub net from close range after Todd Cantwell found him on the left post.
  • 1:44pm
    SUB OFF
    55 Conor Chaplin, Carlton Morris and Cauley Woodrow.
  • 1:45pm
    SUB ON
    55 Dominik Frieser, Victor Adeboyejo and Daryl Dike.
  • 1:46pm
    56 Victor Adeboyejo and Romal Palmer both test Tim Krul in the Norwich goal, but he's equal to both.
  • 1:50pm
    60 It's becoming a midfield battle, but the first-time Reds pairing of Jasper Moon and Romal Palmer are looking good against their Norwich counterparts featuring the much more experienced Alex Tettey.
  • 1:52pm
    YELLOW CARD
    63 Romal Palmer booked for a charge on Tim Krul as the 'keeper had the ball at his feet.
  • 1:54pm
    64 Two moments lacking quality from Barnsley's wing backs, first Callum Brittain who is in acres of space but plays the ball over the heads of the three Reds forwards, and then Callum Styles who gives it straight to Tim Krul from a tight angle.
  • 1:55pm
    YELLOW CARD
    66 Toby Sibbick body-checks Adam Idah and is booked as the visitors look to break down their left.
  • 1:56pm
    SUB OFF
    67 Jasper Moon.
  • 1:56pm
    SUB ON
    67 Jordan Williams.
  • 1:58pm
    68 A free kick is swung in by Mario Vrancic and Jordan Hugill fires wide with a diving header. He stays down in the box.
  • 2:00pm
    71 Dominik Frieser's long throw is nodded on by Mads Andersen, but it's out for a goal kick.
  • 2:01pm
    SUB OFF
    72 Jordan Hugill.
  • 2:01pm
    SUB ON
    72 Kieran Dowell.
  • 2:05pm
    74 As it stands, Barnsley will finish 5th due to Bournemouth losing 2-0 at home to Stoke City. Going down will be Sheffield Wednesday - who have just equalised at Derby County - Wycombe... and the Rams.
  • 2:08pm
    79 Sheffield Wednesday are now leading against Derby County, which doesn't change who's going down unless Rotherham also concede.
  • 2:10pm
    80 Ten minutes to go and the Reds are still trying. Victor Adeboyejo has changed the dynamic up front - a few minutes ago he outstrengthed Grant Hanley, but his cross was wayward. Callum Brittain has also moved into centre midfield following the introduction of Jordan Williams.
  • 2:11pm
    SUB OFF
    82 Toby Sibbick.
  • 2:11pm
    SUB ON
    82 Liam Kitching makes his debut.
  • 2:13pm
    84 Emiliano Buendia fires wide in a good position, having found some between between the centre backs directly in front of goal. His half-volleyed effort crept past the left post.
  • 2:16pm
    SUB OFF
    87 Todd Cantwell and Alex Tettey.
  • 2:16pm
    SUB ON
    87 Onel Hernandez and Jacob Sorensen.
  • 2:19pm
    89 Alex Tettey got a standing ovation from the Norwich dug-out, and most of their other non-playing staff, as he made his way off the pitch. An indication of how much this result means to the visitors.
  • 2:20pm
    ADDED TIME
    3 minutes
  • 2:21pm
    90+1 Not a lot of miles left in the fixture, looks to be grinding out to a draw. But otherwise it's been a spirited affair, particularly in the first half. Barnsley will gain a fair amount of confidence - and the much-discussed 'momentum' - from this ahead of the play-offs.
  • 2:23pm
    FULL-TIME: Barnsley 2, Norwich City 2.

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