Barnsley FC defy league table and a gift of a concession to claim deserved point against West Brom

Barnsley's Jordan Williams challenges West Brom's Charlie Austin.

Barnsley had picked up 10 points in seven games since Gerhard Struber had taken over, transforming what looked a doomed campaign into one of genuine survival hope.

Make that 11 points from a possible 24 now after Aapo Halme found himself in the right place at the right time to redirect Connor Chaplin’s cross-shot past the hitherto unbeatable Sam Johnstone in the Baggies goal.

That 90th-minute intervention cancelled out a fifth-minute opener from Filip Krovinovic after a howler from Sami Radlinger that for a long time looked like being the decisive act in a game in which Barnsley more than matched their vaunted opponents.

West Bromwich Albion's Filip Krovinovic celebrates his goal.

Games against teams bound for the Premier League are unlikely to determine whether Barnsley retain their second-tier status, but if a point would have been unlikely before kick-off, it certainly wasn't on full-time, no matter how late the equaliser came.

Indeed, by half-time there was a feeling Barnsley might live to rue not equalising when on top.

Such was the volume of chances they created, it was goalkeeper Johnstone’s name that West Brom fans chanted when the teams left the field.

The former England Under-20s keeper had just saved from Chaplin following a lovely move involving Luke Thomas and Cauley Woodrow.

But prior to that he had already denied Jacob Brown and Woodrow with smart saves, while Mads Andersen also crashed a header against the crossbar.

Which made the fact Barnsley trailed all the more maddening, given it was such a soft goal to concede.

Andersen’s pass back on five minutes to Radlinger was not too tricky to deal with but the goalkeeper scuffed his clearance into the path of Filip Krovinovic who took a touch 25 yards and looped a shot back over the embarrassed Radlinger via a slight deflection.

Radlinger did atone before the break, denying Charlie Austin after Jordan Williams’ weak header backwards had left the former Premier League striker clean through on goal.

Johnstone continued to prove unbeatable after half-time, turning away a curling effort from Luke Thomas that was bound for the bottom corner.

That was until the final minute of normal time when Finland Under-21s international Halme stepped up to convert Conor Chaplin’s cross-shot and send the Reds faithful home delighted.