Barnsley's Adam Davies takes pride in vital save as Ashley Fletcher savours finest moment

Step forward goalkeeper Adam Davies.

His marvellous point-blank save to parry Oxford United’s Liam Sercombe’s deflected 
strike with the game on a knife-edge at 2-1 to Barnsley with 20 minutes left should most definitely be filed in the top-drawer category alongside Hammill’s thrilling strike to clinch it four minutes later.

Davies and Hammill, both boyhood Liverpool supporters, shared hero status in the northern section final second leg penalty-shoot-out triumph at Fleetwood – and they both stepped up to the plate once more.

Davies told The Yorkshire Post: “I think it was a match-winning save.

“At 2-1, they would have got the momentum and luckily I made the save and it kept us in it and we got the third goal.

“I knew I would have to make that one (key) save and I knew that they would get a chance. I just thought hopefully I would make the save and I did.

“I knew the lads up front would have the quality to score two or three goals and thankfully we did.

“Although six added-on minutes was a bit scandalous, but we saw it out and were professional in the end.

“Winning the cup still feels a bit of a whirlwind and I had to get 20 or 30 extra tickets for my family and it will be a nice after party”

After Chey Dunkley’s own goal early in the second half, which cancelled out Callum O’Dowda’s first-half opener, it was left to Keighley lad Ashley Fletcher to give the Reds the lead, which they never relinquished despite a few hairy moments in a tense second period.

Despite being on the books of one of English football’s establishments clubs in Manchester United, the loan striker says that his goal against Oxford was right up at the very top of his footballing accomplishments.

Fletcher, who celebrated his goal with wild abandon in front of the massed Barnsley ranks after a tough game up to that point, said: “It is the best moment of my career at the moment. Words can’t describe situations like that.

“It had definitely been frustrating up until then. Oxford defended really well and handled me and Sam (Winnall), but when we get chances, we do put them away.

“There was a lot of emotion in my celebration.

“It is what you dream of as a boy really.

“Scoring in front of the Barnsley supporters was fantastic and I was visualising it in my mind on Saturday night. I didn’t really get much sleep.

“It has paid off and I can say I have scored at Wembley.”

Victory was also savoured by young Barnsley defender George Williams, who was beaten at the near post by O’Dowda for Oxford’s opener – but who provided an assist in the build-up to Barnsley’s second goal.

Williams, who had a loan spell at Barrow earlier this term and was preferred to James Bree at right-back, said: “It was incredible, words cannot describe how I am feeling now.

“It was a great journey down and a great atmosphere with the fans.

“I have kept my head down and worked hard and took my chance and am learning the whole way and feel I am getting better and better and really enjoying my time at Barnsley.

“It is a dream come true to play at Wembley and to play in a final and win a trophy is fantastic.

“For their first goal, he (O’Dowda) won the header.

“But at the end of the day, we won the game, so I am not too bothered.

“Credit to the lads, we dug in and got the win.”

Defender Alfie Mawson was as much relieved as ecstatic after a draining 90 minutes on the vast expance of a Wembley surface.

And after claiming the club’s first piece of cup silverware in over a century, Mawson wants to bring Barnsley back next month in the League One play-off final.

“The build-up to this game was massive, but to come away with a winner’s medal is fantastic,” said Mawson, whose side are four points behind sixth-placed Millwall with a game in hand.

“Now we want to go back a second time and we have to focus on the league again and cement our place in the play-offs.”