​BRISTOL CITY 3, BARNSLEY 3

 

Valiant City twice came from behind to earn a point as Keith Millen took charge of a home game for the first time since being made manager.

Andy Gray fired the Tykes in front from the penalty spot after just four minutes and doubled the lead soon afterwards as the visitors exploited some sloppy defending.

But spirited City showed what they are made of, netting twice in the space of two minutes through Marvin Elliott and recent signing Albert Adomah to restore parity.

Adam Hammill put Barnsley back in front six minutes after the break, only for City to come back once again, David Clarkson netting from the penalty spot after Ivan Sproule had been brought down by Jay McEveley.

City are still without a win in three Championship outings this season and, to make matters worse, they lost skipper Cole Skuse with a knee injury in the seventh minute.

Desperate to start well and register their first victory of the season, City instead endured a torrid opening few minutes. Barnsley’s first attack of the game culminated in a shooting opportunity for Hugo Colace, who was unceremoniously upended by a rash tackle from Cole Skuse, who went to ground to concede a penalty.

Just as he was when beaten by Billy Sharp from the spot at Doncaster a week ago, Robins keeper David James was sent the wrong way by Tykes striker Andy Gray.

To compound his frustration, Skuse was carried off on a stretcher two minutes later after collapsing in a heap following an innocuous challenge just outside City’s 18 yard box.

And worse followed on 12 minutes when Kieran Tripper out-paced Jamie McAllister and delivered a telling cross for the in-rushing Gray to net his second goal from close-range.

Gray should have completed his hat-trick soon afterwards, surging onto a lofted through ball and somehow shooting over when it appeared easier to score.

City urgently needed a response and it came on 19 minutes, Barnsley skipper Jason Shackell only half clearing Nicky Hunt’s floated free kick and Marvin Elliott drilling the ball past stranded keeper Luke Steele to register his first goal since he netted against the Tykes in a 3-2 win at Oakwell in October last year.

Clearly rattled by the goal, Barnsley conceded another two minutes later. But this time they were undone by a brilliant move involving Albert Adomah and David Clarkson.

Adomah initiated the attack, holding the ball up, shielding it and playing Clarkson in. Displaying an acute awareness of the situation, the Scot glided past Jay McEveley before dragging the ball back into the path of Adomah, who side-footed the ball beyond Steele from 12 yards out for his first goal since arriving from Barnet in the summer.

The comeback complete, City ought to have taken the lead 10 minutes before the interval. Ivan Sproule lead a lightning-quick breakaway and fed Adomah, only for the Londoner to go for goal when Clarkson was much better-placed to score. Steele made a comfortable save and the visitors breathed a collective sigh of relief.

Adam Hammill volleyed wide following a corner kick at the other end, while the home side again threatened when Hunt’s thunderous free kick was deflected behind. Liam Fontaine then headed just off target from the resultant flag kick.

Having been given no chance with either of the goals, former England keeper James made a fine save to keep out an angled shot from Diego Arismendi in the closing moments of a hugely-eventful first half.

The action continued unabated after the break, Barnsley regaining the lead through Adam Hammill in the 51^st minute. City’s defence backed off the loan signing from Liverpool and his shot took a wicked deflection off a red-shirted defender on it’s way into the net to completely wrong-foot James.

City again faced an uphill struggle and they clawed their way back onto level terms 11 minutes later. Flying winger Sproule was tripped by left-back Jay McEveley inside the 18 yard box and referee Andy Penn had no hesitation in awarding the second penalty of the game.

Clarkson stepped up to confidently side-foot past Steele and open his goal-scoring account for the season.

City boss Keith Millen introduced striker John Akinde in the 73^rd minute in a bid to win the game, withdrawing Jamal Campbell-Ryce and switching to a 4-4-2 formation with Adomah deployed on the left wing.

There was a glimmer of opportunity for Clarkson moments later, but Stephen Foster intervened before the Scot could get in a shot.

Making his presence felt from the outset, Akinde then went agonisingly close to giving City the lead, surging past three defenders to create space for a shot which made the side-netting bulge.

Akinde was again to the fore moments later, threading a pass through to Sproule, who put the ball into the net, only to be flagged offside.

Barnsley remained a threat on the counter-attack and McEveley should have won the game for them five minutes from time, shooting woefully high when he should have made James work at the very least.

City almost sneaked victory in the dying seconds, Steele pulling off a tremendous diving save to keep out an attempted clearance from Foster that went skewed off his boot and threatened an own goal. 

City (4-2-3-1): James; Hunt, Stewart, Fontaine, McAllister; Skuse, Elliott; Sproule, Clarkson, Campbell-Ryce (Akinde, 73); Adomah.

Barnsley (4-5-1): Steele; Hassell, Foster, Shackell, McEveley; Tripper (Neumann 87), Colace, Arismendi (Doyle 82), Lovre, Hammill; Gray.

Referee: Andy Penn (West Midlands)

Attendance: 13,585