Video '“ The Verdict: Barnsley keep Wolves from the door with defiant display

Given Saturday’s evidence, Barnsley’s majority shareholders probably know differently.

Chinese-American billionaire Chien Lee and US businessman Paul Conway were in town to check on their new investment, with Wolves’ owners, comprising representatives from Chinese conglomerate group Fosun International, flanking them to their left in Oakwell’s West Stand.

The Wanderers hierarchy can confidently expect to be wined and dined at the Premier League table from August onwards. But while the fare on offer at Barnsley is unlikely to be as grand, it should not be third-tier either, certainly on the strength of the weekend viewing.

Wolves had devoured many a Championship rival this term and were unbeaten in their past six away outings, which had yielded five wins, with their last defeat arriving at the end of October.

Taking the field against a side without a home victory since early November, the innate confidence of the visitors – more especially their 4,701 travelling contingent – was manifest.

But Wolves have not escaped from the clutches of the Championship just yet.

After professing to feeling heartily sick after his side’s cruel last-gasp defeat at Molineux in the autumn, Reds head coach Paul Heckingbottom will not have been feeling as ropey after his side produced a performance of heart, proficiency and resolve to check Wanderers’ promotion bandwagon ever so slightly.

Granted, Barnsley did not trade attacking punches, blow for blow, with their Black Country counterparts. But they boxed clever all the same to become just the fourth Championship side this season to prevent Wolves from scoring, with their efforts lapped up by home supporters.

It also helped the Reds record a fourth clean sheet in six league matches – the sort of statistics which possesses weight when you are down among the dead men at the bottom of the table.

One of Barnsley’s leading performers, Liam Lindsay, immaculate in the heart of defence and enjoying a sound first season in English football, said: “It was a good point and a good clean sheet. I thought it was a fair result.

“We went a little while without clean sheets, but they are coming now. That gives us a great chance to go and win games.

“We have had injuries and a bit of change, but myself and Ethan (Pinnock) have been playing well. Hopefully, we can lock down the positions now as we compliment each other well.”

On whether the draw constituted arguably Barnsley’s best result of the season, the Scot added: “I would probably say so. It was a good performance and a good clean sheet.

“We could have even nicked it, but did not really have the best chances. But we take massive confidence from the result. Wolves have been going out and beating teams for fun and we did not let them get a shot on target. We were a bit lucky, but we can take a lot of confidence from it.

“Everything is about consistency. They are top of the league because of their consistency and we are down there because we have not been. We have got a new team but everything is clicking now and, hopefully, that means we can push on.”

The luck element that Lindsay alluded to centred on two late moments, which went in Barnsley’s favour but few could deny them a touch of fortune.

In a game of few clear-cut chances, Diogo Jota lashed a thundering angled strike against the woodwork, before somehow inexplicably lifting the ball over a gaping goal from a yard out after some majestic wing-play from dynamic substitute Ivan Cavaleiro.

A Wolves breakthrough would have been punishing upon Barnsley, but the fates, thankfully, provided clemency.

The goalless scoreline also provided the Reds with a touch of hope late on in their efforts to nick a win, and that moment could have arrived when George Moncur screwed a shot wide as the Pontefract Road end spied some choice drama at the death in an engrossing finale.

The script was also not quite written for newcomer Kieffer Moore to mark his Reds bow with a memorable match-winning contribution after coming off the bench. At least he avoided the fate of Barnsley’s last expensive recruit to make his debut at home to Wolves, with Alex Mowatt lasting just 42 minutes before being dismissed in a nightmare bow last January.

No goals, but Moore – and Barnsley – did just fine as the hosts became one of the few sides this season to successfully execute a gameplan against Wolves and stymie their much-vaunted attacking armoury.

It was an on-message display in which defensive aptitude and organisation was eye-catching and the midfield authority of Gary Gardner, in particular, was also striking.

Limited chances, for sure, but an important step in the Reds’ season, nevertheless.