Barnsley 1, Birmingham City 1: Colin Tattum's big match verdict

Mar 11 2009 by Colin Tattum, Birmingham Mail

Costly’s soft-shoe shuffle party piece was given its airing – to great cheers – and it almost provided a goal for Lee Carsley, who burst to the near post for the cross and had his close range attempt skewed away by a sliding tackle.

Mifsud missed a good opportunity for Barnsley, also in the first-half and, as both teams continued to plug away honestly without real panache, a goal less draw seemed likely.

Barnsley, who had had a week’s rest and changed their usual system to go quicker and mobile and adjust to injuries and suspension, wanted Johnson sent-off shortly into the second half.

He had been booked for a typically unflinching tackle that caught the ball and Bobby Hassell on the knee before dumping Hugo Colace on his backside.

Colace laid it on thick, although Johnson was treading a fine line and was replaced.

Substitute Scott Sinclair went to the left flank and Keith Fahey moved inside.

They provided flashes, but neither could really get Blues fully firing.

Barnsley felt they should have had a penalty when Larsson clipped across Jamal Campbell-Ryce.

And they then took the lead when Campbell-Ryce’s cross from the right brushed off Taylor’s head to Mifsud.

Taylor’s aghast reaction said it all, as did a clenched fist and gritted teeth after he put the scores level by popping Larsson’s free-kick low past Muller with a hooked sidefoot.

Barnsley finished strongly and gave Blues a couple of scares thereafter, although a point apiece was about fair, if not hardly what Blues ideally wanted.

BLUES (4-4-2): Maik Taylor 6. Carr 6. Queudrue 7. Jaidi 6. Martin Taylor 6. LARSSON 7. Johnson 5 (Sinclair 62, 5), Carsley 6. Costly 6 (Bouazza 74), Jerome 6. Fahey 5. Not used: O’Connor, de la Cruz, Doyle.

BARNSLEY (4-1-3-2): Barnsley: Muller, Van Homoet (El Haimour 84), Moore, Souza, Kozluk, Campbell-Ryce, Colace, Hassell, Mifsud, Bogdanovic, Macken (Hammill 77). Not used: Steele, Devaney, Rigters.

Referee: G Horwood (Bedfordshire).