Barnsley 0 Derby County 0: Barnsley target unbeaten finish to reach target of staying up

Both sides struggled to create clear-cut opportunities and showed why they are still not guaranteed to avoid the drop, but the draw leaves the Tykes eight points above third-bottom Sheffield Wednesday, with Derby seven points better off than the Owls with three games remaining.

But Barnsley's assistant manager John Breckin says the club are not taking survival for granted yet.

He said: "I thought it was a typical end-of-season game.

"We've kept a clean sheet but they made it very difficult for us and we had one or two lads who weren't 100 per cent. We could have been playing till tomorrow and we wouldn't have scored.

"It's taken us a long time to claw out of the situation we were in but the job's not done yet.

"We've got three games left and we are on an unbeaten run, albeit we've drawn four matches in a row.

"We want to go unbeaten till the end of the season. We are nearly over the line and (then) we will be in this league next year."

Nigel Clough's visiting side had marginally the better of the play, with Tomasz Cywka impressive in his first start since his loan move from Wigan.

Clough said: "I don't think our keeper had a shot to save. We could have had three in five minutes."

The visitors had the best chance to open the scoring in the 56th minute but they were denied by Barnsley full-back Luke Potter.

The ball fell to Cywka after a mix-up between goalkeeper Luke Steele and Bobby Hassell on the edge of the box. The on-loan Pole tried to place it into the empty net from 20 yards but Potter raced back and cleared off the line.

A minute later Steele dropped a cross but somehow Barnsley managed to clear the danger.

Clough said: "It was a magnificent clearance off the line."

He added: "I thought Cywka played very well for his first start.

"I am also very pleased for (Barnsley boss) Mark Robins because when he came they were struggling but I am delighted for him."

Barnsley: Steele, Hassell, Foster, Shotton, Potter, Teixeira (Butterfield 87), Colace, Doyle, Hammill (Devaney 55), Macken, Bogdanovic (Gray 69). Unused substitutes: Preece, De Silva, Moore, Noble-Lazarus.

Derby County: Bywater, Hunt, McEveley, Anderson, Barker, Green, Savage, Tonge, Davies (Dave Martin 77), Hulse, Cywka. Unused substitutes: Deeney, Porter, Sunu, Teale, Moxey, Pringle.

Referee: Paul Taylor (Hertfordshire).