Barnsley 2 Ipswich Town 2: Frustrated Wilson still extracts positives from Barnsley’s draw

These sentiments were uttered by the wise old sage of Barnsley, Norman Rimmington, regarding one of Oakwell’s own in Mick McCarthy ahead of the Ipswich Town manager’s return to his old stomping ground on Saturday.

His thoughts, as ever, were both far-sighted and perceptive.

The East Anglian outfit certainly showed the redoubtable traits of their manager to rescue a point at Oakwell, which looked highly unlikely at 2-0 down with 10 minutes to go.

As for Barnsley, they – just as McCarthy did in the fledgling days of his playing career back in the Seventies – must dig deep in their quest to prove the doubters wrong, many of whom, with increasing confidence, are predicting relegation to League One.

Two-nil up with 10 minutes to go through goals from top-scorer Chris O’Grady and substitute Tomasz Cywka, the Reds were on the cusp of victory on a day when relegation rivals Yeovil Town, Charlton Athletic, Doncaster Rovers and Millwall all lost.

But Championship comeback kings Ipswich – who famously rallied from a 2-0 deficit at Oakwell to triumph 5-3 in December 2011 on an afternoon which effectively saved former boss Paul Jewell from the sack – spoiled the story.

Goals from Christophe Berra and David McGoldrick provided a belated birthday gift for McCarthy, who turned 55 on Friday.

Seven days from their last-gasp heartache at Hillsborough, Barnsley were afforded another late bruising, although pragmatic manager Danny Wilson maintained some perspective, given that the Reds’ survival fight is highly likely to go down to the wire if it is to prove a successful one.

Just as good friend McCarthy stated that his initials did not stand for Merlin the Magician upon being brought in to resurrect Wolves’ fortunes in July 2006, so Wilson is not suggesting he has a magic formula for success other than hard graft, attitude, spirit and organisation. And, more than anything else, fight.

Wilson, whose 23rd-placed side are four points adrift of safety, but with a game in hand on Bolton and Millwall and two on next opponents Doncaster Rovers, said: “Even from a frustrating game, it’s a point closer to the teams above us. It’s still half-decent.

“There’s quite a few teams down the bottom and it’s a case of more the merrier from our perspective.

“We’ve been down there all season and teams who drop in it all of a sudden will find it very difficult to appreciate they are in a relegation fight. They are all having the same problems as we have.

“It’s a really tough league and you have to be on your mettle in every game you play. You have to stick at it and the commitment from the lads has been fantastic.

“There’s little bits of quality in areas of the park where we can do better at times, but I think any manager could say that.

“But the confidence we are playing with at certain times in games is a credit to the boys and it’s important we maintain that belief to get out of it.”

The Reds certainly displayed confidence in a first-half showing in which they were full value for an interval lead, garnered thanks to a fine 12th-minute strike from Chris O’Grady.

The Reds’ leading marksman, shortly after fluffing a good chance in front of goal, swivelled superbly after latching onto a cross from Jack Hunt and evaded Tommy Smith before firing a low precise shot on the turn past Dean Gerken.

With Dale Jennings and Hunt posting threats on either flank, the Reds shaped up well with the wind advantage, Ipswich’s most threatening moment coming when Aaron Cresswell’s fine curling free-kick hit the woodwork.

On the restart, it was a different story and while the elements started to batter Oakwell, so Ipswich began to beat up the Reds in a footballing sense.

Jay Tabb and Cole Skuse, twice, and substitute Paul Anderson spurned chances before Steele denied Daryl Murphy and Anderson in quick succession, with Ipswich encamped in the Reds’ half.

After hanging on, the Reds doubled their lead in a rare moment of attacking threat when interval replacement Cywka saw his well-struck low free-kick take a slight deflection off McGoldrick to nestle in the far corner on 74 minutes.

The relief was palpable, but it lasted a mere seven minutes, Berra bundling home after Jim O’Brien’s weak clearance on the line following Smith’s header.

Stephen Hunt then fired wide with the goal at his mercy, but the respite for home fans was temporary with McGoldrick’s swirling free-kick flying into the net, aided by a deflection, six minutes from time.

Substitute Paul Green almost sealed the comeback for the visitors, with home captain Martin Cranie blocking his goalbound effort in the nick of time.

Offering his own take on his eventful return ‘home’, McCarthy said: “I love coming back (to Barnsley).

“But I usually get my a*** slapped and nearly did again.

“You heard the fans singing, ‘Mick McCarthy is a Red’. Well I am and always will be, but they don’t give me anything when I come back and I don’t give them anything lightly and that’s the way it should be.

“They wouldn’t have liked me so much as a player if I gave things away.

“It looked like being the most one-sided 2-0 defeat with nine minutes to go that there’s ever been.

“But by a good stretch, we deserved it (a point) although I think we should have won.”

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