Barnsley 1-1 Sheffield Wednesday: Josh Windass scores on Owls debut in derby draw
- Published
Josh Windass scored just nine goals in 56 appearances for Wigan but opened his Sheffield Wednesday account only 16 minutes into his Owls tenure
Barnsley striker Cauley Woodrow cancelled out Josh Windass' debut goal for Sheffield Wednesday as their South Yorkshire derby ended in a draw that helped neither side's plight at opposite ends of the table.
Windass drilled home at Brad Collins' near post to put the Owls ahead in his first game since a loan move from Wigan on transfer deadline day.
However, Woodrow's 12th goal of the season quickly levelled matters as he capitalised on Owls keeper Cameron Dawson's poor clearance to fire into an empty net from around 35 yards.
The draw keeps 23rd-placed Barnsley rooted in the Championship relegation zone while Wednesday, in 11th, are six points adrift of the play-off places.
Both sides came into the contest in poor form, Wednesday's top-six hopes having been damaged by a run of just one win in seven games, while Barnsley had suffered three straight Championship defeats.
It was little surprise, then, that both goals came from errors - Windass pouncing on a ricochet off two Barnsley defenders to give the visitors the lead before Woodrow punished Dawson's wayward punt downfield.
Dawson did partially make amends for that error by saving well with his feet from Jacob Brown late in a first half that the Tykes shaded.
Wednesday created the better of the chances after the break but Alessio Da Cruz volleyed wide from a Fernando Forestieri cross and Connor Wickham, another arrival on deadline day, headed over.
Barnsley have now gone 12 meetings, dating back to 2009, without a win over Wednesday and this was the fourth successive 1-1 draw at Oakwell between the sides.
Barnsley boss Gerhard Struber:
"I'm happy with the performance but in our situation, one point is not enough. That is the disappointing reality, it's not easy because we played so well.
"We worked so hard to get the momentum, we had the momentum. The opposition's goal was very lucky, but we never gave up after that.
"It's a good next step for my team in their mentality. Hopefully we will kick on after a frustrating time, this was the next stop in the right direction.
"Sheffield Wednesday are a very big team with great experience and key players with special quality, but we worked so hard defensively, not just on the ball."
Sheffield Wednesday manager Garry Monk:
"We knew it was going to be a battle. I think for both teams, being a local derby, it was a fight to win that battle.
"I appreciate it was difficult conditions being a derby, but we have to be able to make decisions at the right times. We didn't do that at the right times.
"The competitive side was there from both teams, but both teams didn't show that care on the ball. The times we did that, we looked a threat, but it just let us down today.
"This is a big job, there's a lot of things that need to be corrected to move forward. Everyone is frustrated, I'm frustrated we're in a patch where we're not coming out the right side of it."