SLIDESHOW- How Barnsley progressed to the League One play-off final at the expense of Walsall

THE WEMBLEY WAY: Barnsley's Ash Fletcher celebrates scoring the second goal. at Walsall.
Picture : Jonathan Gawthorpe — THE WEMBLEY WAY: Barnsley's Ash Fletcher celebrates scoring the second goal. at Walsall. Picture : Jonathan Gawthorpe

The Reds, Johnstone’s Paint Trophy winners at the national stadium just last month, had a comfortable 3-0 lead from the first leg in Yorkshire on Saturday but they did not rest on their laurels at the Banks’s Stadium on Thursday night and had chances to extend their overall advantage before Adam Hammill did so after 18 minutes.

Walsall 1 Barnsley 3 (agg 1-6): Superb Reds return to Wembley with plenty to spa...

The chances continued to come for the visitors, but they had to wait until the 66th minute before Ashley Fletcher extended their lead.

Substitute Jordan Cook’s superb long-range goal five minutes from time was a strike deserving of more than mere consolation but the scoring was not finished as Josh Brownhill netted late on to make it 3-1 on the night - a repeat of Barnsley’s win at Walsall in the league in March.

The Reds will be back at Wembley on May 29 where they will bid to become the first team since Grimsby in 1998 to win the Football League Trophy and clinch promotion via the play-offs. They will face either Yorkshire rivals Bradford or Millwall, who resume their semi-final tie at The Den on Friday night with the Lions 3-1 ahead.

Have a look at our slideshow of both games between Barnsley and Walsall, thanks to our photographers Bruce Rollinson and Jon Gawthorpe.