Crystal Palace 2 Barnsley 1: Barnsley pay penalty despite Steele display almost earning point

The 75th-minute penalty moved the Eagles seven points clear of the bottom three, but it was harsh on the Yorkshire side.

Neil Danns had put the hosts in front at Selhurst Park in the 29th minute, but Marlon Harewood brought Barnsley level two minutes before the break with his third goal since joining on loan from Blackpool.

Steele performed heroics in the second half, keeping out Danns’s rasping drive that looked destined for the top corner and then stopping Vaughan’s point-blank header.

But referee Karl Evans gave Palace the decisive spot-kick after Diego Arismendi climbed on Vaughan’s back in the area and the striker went to ground.

Barnsley manager Robins was adamant the penalty should never have been given and felt his side were well worth a point.

He said: “If that was a penalty then there should have been four or five because there was a lot of pulling and pushing in the box by both sides.

“I am disappointed that we could not get the second goal. We did all right and I am happy with some of what I saw.

“We got in some good areas, but failed to shoot. We passed it well but sometimes we concentrated too much on the passing. Then we conceded two terrible goals.”

Crystal Palace boss Dougie Freedman claimed he was now looking up the table rather than back at the relegation zone.

Palace remain just one place above third-bottom Sheffield United, but the cushion now looks a comfortable one.

Crystal Palace: Speroni, Clyne, McCarthy, Moxey, Gardner, Ambrose (Zaha 69), Danns (Scannell 84), Agustien, Dikgacoi, Iversen, Vaughan (Easter 88). Unused substitutes: Price, Davis, Garvan, Counago.

Barnsley: Steele, Hassell (Arismendi 70), Shackell, McShane, Hill, Doyle, Haynes (Devaney 80), Butterfield, Colace, Gray (O’Connor 89), Harewood. Unused substitutes: Preece, McEveley, O’Brien, Lovre.

Referee: Karl Evans (Lancashire).

Man of the match: Luke Steele.