Barnsley 1 Cardiff City 1: Resolute Reds show strong jaw for once - with fans by their side

A plethora of tennis balls were thrown onto the pitch by a section of unhappy Barnsley supporters amid a brief protest against the club’s owners in the first half of Saturday’s game against Exeter City.

In terms of the Reds’ League One season in 2025-26, it has been one which - to paraphrase the legendary John McEnroe - ‘you cannot be serious’ about.

Barnsley’s very modest away form is testament to that. As is the fact that, while just three rival League One clubs had registered more home goals ahead of Tuesday night’s programme, only one had also let in more as well.

It implies that while Conor Hourihane’s side are a good watch in third-tier circles, they aren’t serious players at this level, given the goals against column.

Here, in fairness, they did look determined to say something about that.

Criticised for their lack of defensive application for much of this season, with it used as a stick to beat them with consistently, they showed a strong jaw for once in repelling significant second-half pressure from a promotion-chaser to claim a gutsy point and show a fair amount of character in the process.

In the first 20 minutes, this was a mismatch with the Reds looking totally inferior and trailing to a Rubin Colwill opener which came with an air of total inevitability.

Out of nowhere, to their credit, they summoned up an excellent response, buoyed by Scott Banks’ well-taken leveller and started to get at Cardiff. Back to that word ‘character.’

Those home supporters, who had hitherto been somewhat apathetic, started to get on board and warmed to the side’s efforts.

Cardiff came into the game on the back of a high-profile defeat. As they did on the last time they visited South Yorkshire pretty recently, with their response being an emphatic one by virtue of a crushing 4-0 win at Doncaster Rovers.

Not that Barnsley needed any sort of warning, having been hammered by that margin in the Principality back in January.

One of their tormentors that night in Chris Willock was one of five changes and such is the strength and quality of the Bluebirds, that they were able to bench three members of their backline following their top-of-the-table loss to Lincoln without negating their strength.

In the first 20 minutes, it was one-way traffic as Men of Harlech rung out from the away section, as it did during Cardiff’s win at Doncaster, Rotherham and Bradford earlier this year.

Barnsley, who restored Jono Bland and Banks to the starting line-up, were struggling and were hardly afforded a kick of the ball by a fluid, interchangeable Bluebirds. Like at Rovers, they were not playing with a conventional centre-forward.

They struck early.

A lofted diagonal pass from Alex Robertson monetarily caught out Jack Shepherd, again operating at left-back after being passed fit. The dangerous Ollie Tanner picked up the ball close to the byline and threaded it to Rubin Colwill, whose crisp pinpoint drive flew into the far corner.

It looked like being a long evening for the hosts. Tanner fired a downward shot over and then tested Goodman. Barnsley did not go under and countered with a solid punch.

Debutant Calum Scanlon lost the ball close to the halfway line to Vimal Yoganathan and Barnsley broke down the right.

Bradshaw, in space and with Cardiff stretched, squared the ball to the supporting Banks, and he finished nicely.

After assuming total control before that moment, the visitors suddenly had a bit more to think about.

Omari Kellyman fired a chance wide for Cardiff, but Barnsley were demonstrably heartened by their leveller, for sure and the crowd started to get engaged and buy into their plucky efforts.

The game was a contest again and home punters should have been celebrating a lead when Bland found Corey O’Keeffe, whose first-time low cross found David McGoldrick. Of all people, he lacked composure and fired an excellent chance over.

The Reds’ main man scored more poise with a free-kick late in the half, but Nathan Trott was equal to it.

Half-time came at a useful juncture for Cardiff. They showed signs of responding initially on the restart, but Barnsley had been emboldened enough to continue to ensure it was a contest and weren’t cowed and their followers had their backs.

The Bluebirds called upon some strong bench options and one went close to restoring their lead with Kian Ashford’s stinging drive beaten out by Goodman after McGoldrick’s initial error.

Kellyman soon headed wide before Goodman was called upon again, to turn away Rubin Colwill’s drive. McGoldrick chipped over from a tight angle in a rare foray at the other end.

Cardiff threw plenty at the hosts.

A drilled drive from substitute David Turnbull flew inches wide before McGoldrick was afforded another sight of goal, but shot straight at Trott.

Visibly tiring, the hosts had to dig in during the final quarter. They held out and earned applause at the final whistle.

Barnsley: Goodman; O’Keeffe, de Gevigney, O’Connell, Shepherd; Bland, Connell; Banks (Phillips 65), Yoganathan, McGoldrick; Bradshaw (Cleary 65). Substitutes unused: Flavell, Ogbeta, Gent, Lennon, Watson.

Cardiff City: Trott; Ng, Chambers, Lawlor (Fish 80), Scanlon (Bagan 56); Wintle; Willock (Ashford 56), Robertson (Turnbull 69), R Colwill, Tanner; Kellyman (Robinson 69). Substitutes unused: Kpakio, J Colwill.

Referee: W Finnie (Beds).

Attendance: 9,677 (977 Cardiff fans)