Barnsley 2 Bradford City 2: Conor Hourihane bombshell and sending off cannot deny heroic Reds
PENNY for the thoughts of Barnsley players after it was announced that head coach Conor Hourihane would be leaving the club at the end of the season - just three hours before a home derby.
Even accounting for some strange things that have happened over the years at Oakwell, the timing was thoroughly bizarre.
It made for far from ideal preparation for Reds players ahead of a fixture that looked hard enough on paper in any case.
They faced an upwardly-mobile Bradford City side seeking to nail down a play-off place with three points, backed by a huge contingent of 5,144 supporters packed into the North Stand.
A sea of claret and amber raucously hailed City’s players as they completed their warm-up. The home sections of the stadium were deserted by contrast. It really felt like a home match, in all honesty.
The degree of difficulty Barnsley were facing soon got worse when young midfielder Vimal Yoganathan was sent off just eight minutes in for a reckless challenge on Ibou Touray. In today’s climate, it was a thoroughly expected dismissal and was right in front of referee Charles Breakspear, who showed no hesitation in brandishing a red card.
With 10 men, Barnsley had no option but to man the barricades and battled gamely. On a strange day all around, they hinted at claiming an unlikely win thanks to Eoghan O’Connell’s maiden goal for the club on 50 minutes.
With 10 men, you can sometimes score too early.
Four City substitutes energised the visitors on 66 minutes. Like O’Connell, Nick Powell was afforded a milestone moment to nod Bradford level, a first in Bantams colours on 73 minutes.
They went in front eight minutes from the end of normal time when Marc Roberts glanced the ball into his own net following Ibou Touray’s cross.
In an engrossing second half, things weren’t finished and there was a massive twist at the death. Keeping in the theme of players netting their first goals for the club, Leo Farrell was on hand to convert in the sixth minute of stoppage time to level it up from Cleary’s cross as this second meeting between the two sides in 2025-26 ended 2-2.
City - who recalled Matt Pennington, one-time Barnsley player Kayden Jackson and Will Swan, with Antoni Sarcevic starting on the bench - started out at a decent lick.
Good combination on the right ended with Jenson Metcalfe firing wide, while at the other end, a superbly-timed challenge from Aden Baldwin denied ex-City loanee Scott Banks.
A sweet curler from Metcalfe then sailed just wide, before Yoganathan received his marching orders for a wild one, which landed the hosts in a heap of trouble.
It looked like being a long afternoon for the Reds. Their fight and organisation for the rest of the half, with Partick Kelly dropping back in from his number 10 role to support Jono Bland was impressive.
City struggled to create that moment of quality for the rest of the first half and a touch of angst started to surface among their huge support.
Barnsley actually had the best chance. A booming long throw from Marc Roberts on the right wasn’t cleared and Adam Phillips’ cross found O’Connell.
After his initial shot was blocked, the rebound fell nicely but he blazed over when well placed.
On the restart, City were attacking their sell-out following. An early chance saw Curtis Tilt’s downward held by Goodman following Touray’s delivery.
Given their numerical disadvantage, the mission for Barnsley was to hang in for as long as possible.
In the event, they got a hefty bonus when O’Connell nodded home from Roberts’ exorcet.
Stirred into action, City had a big chance to level, with Swan volleying wastefully over following Neufville’s cross.
The action was starting to become end to end, with Banks going close to a second on the break for the hosts, with Sam Walker showing athleticism to parry his deflected shot.
Goodman then had to be alert to field Swan’s header at his far post. It was becoming a derby after a low-key first half.
Touray dragged a shot wide as things started to get frantic.
Needing a goal, Alexander soon rang the changes with a quadruple change midway through the half.
City went close with Goodman clearing in the nick of time to deny George Lapslie after a header across goal from fellow sub Powell following Humphrys initial flick on following a corner.
Powell then had his moment with a much-needed leveller as far as the visitors were concerned, a clinical header from Humphrys’ cross.
Soon after, Humphrys got away and his cross found Neufville at the back stick and his effort was beaten away by Goodman.
City seemingly had Barnsley where they wanted them, only for play to switch to the other end. Cleary bore down on goal before going down following a challenge in the box from Harrison Ashby. Breakspear booked the Reds player for simulation.
You sensed another goal was coming somewhere and it arrived in crushing fashion for the hosts - and in relieving fashion for the visitors.
But the action wasn’t finished. There was another goal.
Barnsley: Goodman; O'Keeffe (Farrell 89), Roberts, O'Connell, Earl (de Gevigney HT); Bland, Yoganathan; Phillips (Connell 62), Kelly, Banks (Cleary 61); Bradshaw (Watson 79). Substitutes unused: Flavell, Shepherd.
Bradford City: Walker; Pennington (Sarcevic 66), Baldwin, Tilt; Neufville, Metcalfe (Lapslie 66), Power, Touray; Swan (Powell 66), Humphrys; Jackson (Sarcevic 66). Substitutes unused: Hilton, J Wright, Evans.
Referee: C Breakspear (Surrey).
Attendance: 14,906 (5.144 Bradford City fans).