Analysis of Barnsley's 1-1 home draw with Peterborough United on Easter Monday. The visitors took the lead but Jon Russell netted a fine leveller on the stroke of half-time.

REDS SHOW SOME PROMISE IN DEAD RUBBER

Barnsley have not had a true ‘dead rubber’ for a long time but Monday's game felt one.

The matches in recent weeks, even when promotion was realistically out of reach, seemed like they had at least something riding on them as Conor Hourihane hadn’t won or been given the job.

Other than fixtures when they were secured in the play-offs or relegated, the last true dead rubbers were at end of the 2017/18 season when they last finished in mid-table in after Hourihane and others were sold when in a Championship promotion race.

He also played in a 1-1 draw at home to Peterborough almost a decade to the day before this game – with Luke Berry heading in his corner late on – which was followed the next season by promotion. That should be the aim again but there is plenty of work to do to arrest their long-term slump in results and improve the squad.

One of the most eye-catching elements of this game was that Sir Alex Ferguson was there, watching his son Darren’s side at the club his brother once played for.

Barnsley played reasonably well. It certainly had an end-of-season feel about it but the Reds put some attractive moves together, created chances throughout and finished as the side pushing for a win against a Posh team clinging onto the point they needed to stay up.

They were far more solid than in the collapse at Orient on Friday but could not fully build on the excellent win over Bolton in the previous home game.

FANTASTIC RUSSELL GOAL THE HIGHLIGHT

Barnsley’s goal was easily the highlight of the afternoon and a new contender for Goal of the Season in an already packed field of candidates.

After Josh Earl robbed Malik Mothersille of the ball and found Davis Keillor-Dunn, he beat a couple of defenders then brilliantly backheeled a pass into the path of Jon Russell who, 15 yards out on the left of the box, beautifully curled a shot into the top right corner.

Russell is now onto nine goals for the season, and has three in his last three games, while he has scored excellent strikes in both games against the Posh this season. He also had 90 per cent passing accuracy in this game.

As for the other midfielders, Adam Phillips hit the post and played some very good passes while Luca Connell was unlucky not to get an assist but made the crucial error for the goal Peterborough scored.

Barnsley were disappointed that they conceded a counter-attack goal after being warned about the pacy Posh attack’s threat on transition. Harley Mills - who was sent off in the reverse fixture - won the ball in his box with a forceful tackle on Fabio Jalo then found Mothersille who cleverly nudged it on to Abraham Odoh. Connell dived into a tackle and did not win the ball which left the hosts totally open and Odoh was able to run deep into the Reds half then pick out Ricky-Jade Jones who found the bottom right corner from just inside the box.

DKD MISSES CHANCES BUT GETS ANOTHER ASSIST

Unsurprisingly, against a side who have conceded 74 goals this season – the second worst record in the division – Barnsley created chances. What was more surprising was that the player who missed the best of them was their usually clinical top-scorer.

Keillor-Dunn has been easily Barnsley’s best player this season, so still has plenty of credit in the bank. He could have levelled within seconds of the opener but shot over after Phillips headed down a Marc Roberts pass, then volleyed off target late on from right-wing crosses by Connell then substitute Jonathan Bland. He registered his seventh assist of the season - going level with Phillips and Corey O’Keeffe for the most in the Reds’ squad - and could have had a couple more from corners.

SOME OTHER SOLID PERFORMANCES

There were some decent performances.

Dexter Lembikisa made his full debut at right-back in place of Bland. The Wolves loanee has had some very poor showings off the bench but was far more defensively solid in this game, and played a part in some decent moves down the right flank.

Earl, although losing the ball a couple of times in key areas, generally did well to keep dangerman Kwame Poku quiet. He also set up the goal.

Mael de Gevigney returned from suspension in place of Conor McCarthy and had a much better game than in the disastrous week which culminated in his early red card at Birmingham. Next to him, Roberts lost the ball in his half a couple of times and was lucky not to be punished.

Fit-again Joe Gauci replaced Kieren Flavell in goal. Replacing an academy player with a loanee suggests the Reds feel they have a chance of Gauci returning next season, although the official reason of giving Flavell a ‘breather’ also makes some sense.

Barry Cotter – starting for the first time since New Year’s Day – replaced the injured Stephen Humphrys on the left of the front three and, although there were flashes of his usual dynamism, he looked like a right-back playing on the left wing at times.

Jalo suffered what looked like a serious knee injury and was stretchered off, likely ending an injury-plagued season but hopefully not impacting the next campaign.

Bland, having played at right-back recently, came off the bench in his natural position of central midfield and impressed, winning second balls often and almost setting up the winner.

REDS MUST END HOME SEASON ON HIGH AGAINST BOTTOM CLUB

The 12th-placed Reds have won one of their last ten games and taken 16 points from the last 19.

They now surely must beat relegated bottom club Shrewsbury – who are winless in 15 – when they finish their home season on Saturday.

That would at least mean they had taken seven points from their final three matches at Oakwell this season. Their home record will be well below what is acceptable for Barnsley at this level but a seventh win would at least finish a tough campaign on a modest high.

They will also be hunting a seventh league clean of the league season against the only side to keep fewer than them in the division, while Hourihane will look to collect his first win as permanent head coach and his second in total in his ninth game including the interim spell.