Josh Windass scored the winning goal in the League One play-off final with the last action of extra time as Sheffield Wednesday beat 10-man Barnsley in the most dramatic circumstances.
With a third EFL play-off final in as many days seemingly destined for penalties, Windass headed beyond Harry Isted’s despairing dive to send the Owls up to the Championship at the expense of their South Yorkshire rivals.
It was cruel on the Tykes who had been a man down since the 49th minute when Adam Phillips was shown a straight red for a poor challenge on Lee Gregory.
In an action-packed period of extra time, Isted saved brilliantly from Michael Smith and Barry Bannan and Luca Connell missed a sitter for the Reds before Wednesday came up with the latest of late winners.
It was perhaps fitting for Wednesday to win promotion in such remarkable fashion given their run to this Wembley showdown.
Darren Moore’s men looked on course for automatic promotion with a club-record 23-game unbeaten run.
However, that ended when the Tykes beat them 4-2 in March and they eventually finished third behind Plymouth and Ipswich with 96 points – the highest number of points ever accumulated to not be enough to go up automatically.
They then fell to a thumping 4-0 defeat in the first leg of their play-off semi-final with Peterborough to leave their promotion hopes in tatters as fans booed the team from the pitch.
Backed by a raucous Hillsborough they stunned Posh to equalise the tie on aggregate with the final kick of the 90 minutes in the second leg before winning on penalties. It was the first time a team had ever overcome more than a 2-0 deficit in a play-off semi-final.
For long periods of Monday’s League One final it seemed like that would be as good as it got for the Owls. But in the last second of the game Windass dived to head Gregory’s cross in powerfully and send 44, 000 Wednesday fans into pandemonium while breaking Barnsley hearts.
More to follow.
Line-ups
Barnsley
Formation 3-5-2
- 1Isted
- 12ThomasBooked at 95mins
- 6Andersen
- 5Kitching
- 2Williams
- 30PhillipsBooked at 49mins
- 48Connell
- 8KaneSubstituted forBensonat 72′minutesSubstituted forRussellat 90+1′minutes
- 7CaddenSubstituted forWattersat 105′minutes
- 31TedicSubstituted forNorwoodat 45′minutes
- 44ColeSubstituted forThomasat 72′minutes
Substitutes
- 3Russell
- 9Norwood
- 10Benson
- 16Thomas
- 24Cundy
- 40Collins
- 47Watters
Sheff Wed
Formation 3-4-1-2
- 25Dawson
- 6Iorfa
- 20Ihiekwe
- 33JamesSubstituted forHuntat 103′minutes
- 13PatersonSubstituted forVaulksat 79′minutes
- 2Palmer
- 10BannanSubstituted forDele-Bashiruat 116′minutes
- 18Johnson
- 11Windass
- 24Smith
- 9Gregory
Substitutes
- 3Brown
- 4Vaulks
- 8Adeniran
- 17Dele-Bashiru
- 31Stockdale
- 32Hunt
- 44Flint
- Referee:
- Tim Robinson
- Attendance:
- 72,492
Live Text
Match ends, Barnsley 0, Sheffield Wednesday 1.
Second Half Extra Time ends, Barnsley 0, Sheffield Wednesday 1.
Goal! Barnsley 0, Sheffield Wednesday 1. Josh Windass (Sheffield Wednesday) header from the centre of the box to the top right corner. Assisted by Lee Gregory with a cross.
Delay over. They are ready to continue.
Delay in match because of an injury James Norwood (Barnsley).
Foul by Dominic Iorfa (Sheffield Wednesday).
Liam Kitching (Barnsley) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Attempt missed. Josh Windass (Sheffield Wednesday) header from the left side of the six yard box is too high. Assisted by Jack Hunt with a cross.
Attempt blocked. Lee Gregory (Sheffield Wednesday) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Jack Hunt.
Substitution, Sheffield Wednesday. Fisayo Dele-Bashiru replaces Barry Bannan because of an injury.
Delay over. They are ready to continue.
Delay in match because of an injury Barry Bannan (Sheffield Wednesday).
Foul by Liam Palmer (Sheffield Wednesday).
James Norwood (Barnsley) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Josh Windass (Sheffield Wednesday) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Foul by Liam Kitching (Barnsley).
Delay over. They are ready to continue.
Delay in match because of an injury Barry Bannan (Sheffield Wednesday).
Attempt saved. Barry Bannan (Sheffield Wednesday) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the top left corner.
Offside, Sheffield Wednesday. Will Vaulks tries a through ball, but Jack Hunt is caught offside.