Bristol Rovers 2-1 Barnsley: Ten-man Tykes forced to settle for runners-up spot
- Published
Barnsley had looked like ending the season with five straight wins when Kieffer Moore gave them an early lead
Ten-man Barnsley lost at Bristol Rovers as they had to settle for League One's runners-up spot behind Luton Town.
Both sides were promoted in midweek and Luton's win over Oxford ultimately meant only a huge margin of victory would have seen the Tykes overhaul them and clinch the title.
Things did start well for Barnsley at the Memorial Stadium when Kieffer Moore headed home from close range but the match turned when defender Liam Lindsay was given a second yellow card just before half-time.
Rovers then dominated the second half, eventually equalising through Alex Rodman's deflected shot before winning it deep in injury time when the winger fired home his second goal.
Daniel Stendel's side may have missed out on the League One title in the German's first season in English football but promotion back to the second tier is a very different story to 12 months ago, when final-day relegation led to the immediate sacking of short-lived boss Jose Morais.
This term's points tally of 91 is the most achieved by a Barnsley team in a season, and along with Luton they went unbeaten on their home ground for the entire league campaign.