Middlesbrough 1 Barnsley 1: Mowbray accepts Boro got lucky as Robins disputes McShane exit

Barnsley were a goal up after Marlon Harewood forced home a first-half opener.

Tykes midfielder Nathan Doyle’s shot was blocked by Kevin Thomson and from Kieran Trippier’s subsequent corner the ball fell to Harewood six yards out and the on-loan Blackpool striker converted into the bottom corner.

The visitors seemed in no danger until McShane was shown a red card for his part in a flare-up with Boro midfielder Kevin Thomson that sparked a mass brawl.

The Boro man was shown just a yellow card.

In the closing stages Boro piled forward to claw back a late leveller from Scott McDonald.

Estonian striker Tarmo Kink, a 74th-minute replacement for Barry Robson, provided the cross from the left for McDonald to head beyond Luke Steele into the bottom corner.

Robins said: “I don’t think either (McShane or Thomson) should have been sent off. It was a classic case of handbags.

“The referee could have avoided the problem by giving a free-kick either way earlier in the build-up but the incident itself was just routine bodily contact as they battled for the ball. It was 50-50.

“What happened after that with players from both sides was 50-50 too and possibly he could have sent the Boro man off too. For me neither of them should have gone.

“But what was disappointing was that with us being down to 10 men swung the game Boro’s way. It was their only way back into the game.

“We dominated the game for long spells and we should have been out of sight by half-time.

“But that has been our problem. We have gone to good teams like Boro and even QPR and created good chances but not finished teams off and paid the price.”

Middlesbrough manager Tony Mowbray admitted that his side profited from the sending-off and agreed the red card was harsh. “The fracas was just exuberance that boiled over,” he said.

“Sometimes when you get competitive and macho players fighting for the ball like that there is pushing and shoving. The problem comes when other players get involved to pull each other away from the fracas.

“Whatever happened you have to say we benefited. That fired up the crowd a bit and maybe it fired up the team as well and gave us a bit of a psychological push in the closing stages against 10 men.

“I don’t think we played well at all. We started slowly and we looked leggy and tired at times and we weren’t playing short passes when we should, or long passes when we should.

“But the positive I’ll take from this is the desire this team is now showing to come from behind and the desire not to lose football matches.

“I think it is four games in a row at home we have come from behind now and that is a big, big positive.”

Middlesbrough: Smith, McMahon, Davies, McManus, Bennett, Robson (Kink 74), Thomson (Smallwood 74), Rhys Williams, Taylor, McDonald, Halliday (Flood 60). Unused substitutes: Coyne, Grounds, Haas, Tavares.

Barnsley: Steele, Hill, Shackell, Trippier, McShane, Haynes (O’Brien 73), Mellis (Foster 72), Doyle, Butterfield, Gray, Harewood (Arismendi 90). Unused substitutes: Preece, McEveley, Clark, Taylor.

Referee: Chris Sarginson (Staffordshire).