Barnsley 1 Ipswich Town 1: Dagnall’s loud ovation is proof Tykes’ fans appreciate his work

The 26-year-old Liverpudlian has endured a stop-start time in South Yorkshire since Keith Hill was reunited with a striker who netted 54 goals in 140 appearances at Spotland.

After joining the Tykes in January this year, he made nine appearances last season without scoring before being packed off on loan to Bradford City.

Now back at Oakwell, he has formed an impressive partnership with Craig Davies to spearhead the Tykes’ attack this year.

The latter may have grabbed the headlines with a four-goal personal haul nine days ago in a 5-0 demolition of Birmingham City, but Dagnall was credited with having a helping hand in most of the goals.

And while he has yet to open his Championship goals account after Saturday’s draw with struggling Ipswich Town despite hitting the woodwork – his only two goals so far this season came in the Capital One Cup – a standing ovation from the home fans will have been music to Dagnall’s ears.

“We hurt Ipswich, we had plenty of chances, goalscoring opportunities,” said Barnsley assistant manager David Flitcroft.

“We just didn’t have that lucky break, which maybe someone like Chris Dagnall deserves.

“The one he hit the post with, I thought it was inside the post, and I think his work (on Saturday) has probably deserved a goal, which he has not got.

“A goal wouldn’t stop Dagnall’s running and closing down. What was great was he got a standing ovation and it looks like he has been accepted now.

“We have accepted Dagnall from day one, since we work with him, and other players who score off the back of him.

“Craig Davies got four goals last week probably off the back of the battering ram which is Chris Dagnall.

“Chris knows his strengths, he works to his strengths; he works every day on his finishing – and he has done for the last two or three years – and he will continue to do so.

“If one goal drops in, I am not going to say a hatful will, but certainly it will give him that little lift which he probably needs a little bit.

“But I think the standing ovation will give him a great lift and show that he has been accepted by the Barnsley public.

“When you have not been accepted for six or seven months – which he wasn’t at this football club – it’s nice to sometimes hear that acceptance, so hopefully Dagnall will go home feeling good about himself.”

It certainly looked like being one of those frustrating days for the Reds after they fell behind in the sixth minute to a free-kick routine which created acres of space for Aaron Cresswell to fire home.

Barnsley goalkeeper Ben Alnwick should have done better to keep out the 20-yard shot, and it looked like his blunder could prove costly as Paul Jewell set his Tractor Boys up to frustrate the Tykes.

The visitors changed formation to try to contain Keith Hill’s free-flowing side, with Guirane N’Daw his midfield enforcer who was charged with keeping the influential Jacob Mellis quiet.

A half-time bust-up as the two sides left the field meant referee Trevor Kettle having a quiet word with Jewell about N’Daw’s behaviour, so when he picked up a booking early in the second half he was quickly substituted and that freed the shackles from former Chelsea midfielder Mellis.

It was total one-way traffic now, as Barnsley peppered Scott Loach’s goal.

Davis found himself close to a chipped cross from the excellent Scott Golbourne, and then the striker hammered over a free-kick after Mellis was chopped down by Luke Chambers as he looked to pull the trigger from 22 yards.

Barnsley should have scored when Golbourne again provided the thrust down the left flank, and Dagnall was picked out ghosting into the box, but his low shot hit the inside of a post and rebounded to safety.

Mellis then offered a chance to substitute Danny Rose, but he failed to take it, then Davies had claims for handball and a penalty when his fierce shot was charged down.

Finally, the Reds’ persistence paid off as Stephen Dawson grabbed a deserved equaliser – his first goal for the Reds – with 16 minutes remaining, volleying home Mellis’s cross.

Davies stung the palms of Loach with a thunderous drive as Barnsley drove forward in search of a late winner.

The Town goalkeeper was also on hand to tip over a 20-yard effort from Dawson in a frantic finale, and Tomasz Cywka headed over from eight yards deep into stoppage time.

Barnsley did have the ball in the back of Loach’s net in the first half, but centre-half Stephen Foster was penalised for challenging Loach as the ball looped under the crossbar.

Flitcroft added: “I was frustrated in the first half with our play. We were slow and we didn’t get an angle on the game.

“The first half was 45 minutes wasted; we didn’t work out quickly enough to get the ball out to our full-backs. I thought the way that Ipswich set out to stifle us showed us how much respect they had for us.

“In the second half the players did what we asked them at half-time and they played at the right tempo.”