Video - Barnsley 3 Walsall 0: Tykes' verve is rewarded to put return to Wembley in sight

Yet while the Reds’ odds may not have been as lengthy as those on Leicester City winning the Premier League before a ball was kicked in 2015-16, they would have been considerable when they tumbled to the bottom of the league after a 1-1 derby draw with Sheffield United on November 28.

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While Leicester’s story has been astonishing, the events 16 junctions up the M1 at Barnsley are surely not too far behind.

On Boxing Day, the Reds – embarrassed by Altrincham in the FA Cup the previous month – were in the relegation zone, while Saturday’s opponents Walsall were top of the table.

Fast forward to the present, with the magnificent Reds going a fair way to ending the Saddlers’ season – barring an amazing recovery in the West Midlands – with a barnstorming weekend victory. Further proof of football’s wondrous capacity for the abnormal.

The play-off clincher at Wigan was sublime, and this was every bit as delectable when the pressure was on again.

Against a side boasting the best away record in League One and fresh from a 5-0 demolition of Port Vale in the Potteries, Barnsley sauntered to a convincing victory that left them with one foot on the Wembley turf. Again.

An electrifying second half saw dazed Walsall wander around Oakwell in something resembling a stupor as Reds fans milked it all for what it was worth.

The refrain from home fans of “It’s just like watching Brazil” was a throwback to some wonderful days under Danny Wilson when Barnsley felt on top of the world and untouchable.

Headline act was Sam Winnall, who once again displayed his penchant for the big stage following his two-goal haul at the DW Stadium with a brace inside two manic, exhilarating second-half minutes.

Walsall’s away statistics may have been eye-catching, but there was some small print. Like when they travelled to Bradford on April 23 in their penultimate away game of the campaign and were eviscerated 4-0 in the second period after a goalless first half.

The joyous scenes at the final whistle on Saturay were in marked contrast to their previous home match with Colchester following the cruellest of levellers deep into stoppage time.

The intent of the Reds, fielding an unchanged line-up for the fourth successive game, was clear from an early juncture with Lloyd Isgrove embodying their desire and effervescence.

A dangerous cross just evaded Winnall before the loan winger went solo and saw a piledriver tipped over by Neil Etheridge.

Isgrove looked to have provided an opener after steering home Adam Hammill’s centre, only for linesman Mark Duncan erroneously to raise a flag when replays revealed that the winger was onside. Events would minimise the gravity of that mistake.

Walsall, for their part, contributed during an open first half, with Adam Davies pulling out a smart stop to turn away Anthony Forde’s free-kick before denying Jason Demetriou.

Tom Bradshaw then side-footed a low shot inches wide after Milan Lalkovic exposed the deficiencies of make-shift full-back Josh Scowen.

Barnsley engineered a breakthrough moments before the break when Winnall drove towards the byline before cutting the ball back invitingly to Hammill, whose low shot took a telling deflection off Demetriou.

On the restart, the Reds ramped up the pressure with Isgrove racing away and seeing his shot parried by Etheridge with a couple of team-mates in close proximity.

Davies denied the lively Lalkovic before, on 54 minutes, Winnall’s rising shot deflected in off O’Connor.

The home cry was “We’re going to Wembley twice” and it got a fair bit closer soon after when a surging run from Winnall ended with him deceiving Paul Downing before clinically and coolly firing past the onrushing Etheridge.

The dual haymaker from the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy winners left Walsall scrambling on the canvas for a spell, although they almost pulled one back when Forde’s low shot whistled across goal, and substitute Sam Mantom soon blazed wildly over.

But the evening belonged to Barnsley and their ecstatic fans – and one of their own in caretaker head coach Paul Heckingbottom.

He said: “It is the best atmosphere I have seen here for a long, long time and it was a great occasion and a good night. But it will mean nothing if we don’t see the job through.

“We have put ourselves in a good position. But we will go and try and win on Thursday night as well.”

Barnsley: Davies; Scowen, Roberts, Mawson, Williams; Isgrove (Chapman 84), Brownhill, Hourihane, Hammill; Fletcher (White 77), Winnall (Toney 67). Unused substitutes: Townsend, Cowgill, McCourt, Tuton.

Walsall: Etheridge, Demetriou; Downing, O’Connor, Henry; Chambers; Forde, Sawyers, Morris (Mantom 60), Lalkovic (Cook 84); Bradshaw (Hiwula 71). Unused substitutes: MacGillivray, Taylor, Preston, Osbourne.

Referee: P Bankes (Merseyside).