Barnsley 0-1 Sheffield Wednesday: Josh Windass wins League One play-off final in last minute of extra time
- Published
- comments
Sheffield Wednesday are back in the Championship after two seasons away
Josh Windass scored the winning goal in the League One play-off final with the last action of extra time as Sheffield Wednesday beat 10-man Barnsley in the most dramatic circumstances.
With a third EFL play-off final in as many days seemingly destined for penalties, Windass headed beyond Harry Isted's despairing dive to send the Owls up to the Championship at the expense of their South Yorkshire rivals.
It was cruel on the Tykes who had been a man down since the 49th minute when Adam Phillips was shown a straight red for a poor challenge on Lee Gregory.
In an action-packed period of extra time, Isted saved brilliantly from Michael Smith and Barry Bannan and Luca Connell missed a sitter for the Reds before Wednesday came up with the latest of late winners.
It was perhaps fitting for Wednesday to win promotion in such remarkable fashion given their run to this Wembley showdown.
Darren Moore's men looked on course for automatic promotion with a club-record 23-game unbeaten run.
However, that ended when the Tykes beat them 4-2 in March and they eventually finished third behind Plymouth and Ipswich with 96 points - the highest number of points ever accumulated to not be enough to go up automatically.
They then fell to a thumping 4-0 defeat in the first leg of their play-off semi-final with Peterborough to leave their promotion hopes in tatters as fans booed the team from the pitch.
Backed by a raucous Hillsborough they stunned Posh to equalise the tie on aggregate with the final kick of the 90 minutes in the second leg before winning on penalties. It was the first time a team had ever overcome more than a 2-0 deficit in a play-off semi-final.
For long periods of Monday's League One final it seemed like that would be as good as it got for the Owls. But in the last seconds of the game, Windass dived to head Gregory's cross in powerfully and send 44,000 Wednesday fans into pandemonium while breaking Barnsley hearts.
Brilliant Isted finally beaten
There was little sign of the drama to come after a first half which had started brightly but quickly faded.
The game came to life after the break though, first Gregory seemed to be fortunate to get away with a challenge on Liam Kitching in his own penalty area with VAR checking it but deciding to stick with referee Tim Robinson's decision not to award a penalty.
Moments later Gregory and Phillips went in for a slide tackle 40 yards from Wednesday's goal and, after taking a moment, Robinson produced his red card for Phillips. Again, the decision went to VAR and they stuck with Robinson's call.
Barnsley played for almost 80 minutes with 10 men
Despite being a man down Michael Duff's men used the setback to push on.
Kitching deflected a Nicky Cadden volley on to the crossbar with his head and Cameron Dawson was forced into smart saves by Cadden and James Norwood. Barnsley's backline stood up comfortably to Wednesday's long balls.
After such a long season and on a hot day at the national stadium the two teams could have been excused for dropping off in extra time but the additional 30 provided unbelievable drama.
Luton loanee Isted, who made a good save in the first half from Dominic Iorfa, pulled off a miraculous stop from Smith from close range and then got down brilliantly to turn Bannan's effort around the post.
Kitching then charged forward from centre-back and played Luke Thomas in before he squared for Connell at the back post. Just six yards out and with the goal gaping he skewed his shot wide to the disbelief of the Barnsley fans.
Wednesday substitute Will Vaulks then thought he had given the Owls the lead after half-time in extra time but the celebrations were curtailed by an offside flag.
Tykes skipper Mads Andersen produced a great block from Windass from close in and that looked to be the final meaningful act.
However, Windass, like father Dean, who scored the winning goal for Hull City in the Championship play-off final in 2008, would have the final say.
Duff reflects on 'cruellest defeat'
Though it will not feel like it now, Barnsley boss Duff has enjoyed a superb first campaign with the club.
The former Burnley defender left Cheltenham to take over at Oakwell after they were relegated from the Championship in 2021-22 following a dreadful season.
Michael Duff guided Barnsley to 26 league wins this season but it was still only enough for fourth place
A young but highly organised side, led through the season and in the final with distinction by Danish centre-back Mads Andersen, challenged at the top end of the table all year and put together a run of nine successive wins through to April which briefly saw them threaten the top two.
Duff was unhappy with the decision not to award his side a penalty for Gregory's clumsy clash with Kitching.
"I thought the players gave everything they could today," he said.
"I've not seen the incidents back but I've had enough messages from everyone and I spoke to (pundits) Jobi McAnuff and Clinton Morrison, who told me it should have been a penalty and shouldn't have been a red card.
"I thought it was a booking for Adam, he mistimed it, but I don't think there was any malice in it. It's disappointing.
"We've not had a penalty all season and then to not get one in the biggest game of all, when there is VAR, is a real bugbear."
Duff said he was unlikely to watch Windass' winning goal back.
"There's no guarantee we'd have won the penalty shoot out but it would have been a fairer way to go out," he added.
"It's the last kick of the game. I've not seen it back and I don't think I ever will. It's pointless.
"I'm gutted for them. I'm 45, I've seen quite a lot and lost quite a lot, and that is the cruellest way I have ever been beaten."
'The expectation was huge'
Sheffield Wednesday boss Darren Moore is celebrating his first promotion as a manager
Sheffield Wednesday boss Darren Moore told Sky Sports:
"I'm just really pleased for everyone connected with the club, to win in that manner was tremendous.
"Coming into the game, the expectation was huge, the only way to get over the line was by being together and we had that today.
"There was a lot of interest [after the semi-final], but we just wanted to get back on the pitch and go through the basic dynamics and just settle them down, saying the job isn't done yet. They're a humble group, I'm grateful to work with them.
"For the football club, we don't want to stand still, we want to move forward."
Sheffield Wednesday goalscorer Josh Windass, told Sky Sports:
"It's one of the fan bases in the country. I've played for a couple of big clubs but look at this, it's unbelievable.
"We've been good on the pitch this year. The club's got a lot of work to do to catch up with the other clubs off the pitch, but hopefully we can do that and start being the giant club that we are."
Dean Windass, father of Josh, told BBC Radio Sheffield:
"There's no words, there's no words. Wow. I knew he'd score, this morning when I woke up at 5.30 I was nervous and even with his head as well - I can't believe he's headed it.
"I'm so proud for him.
"When I scored here I thought my life would change. I've got two boys but this boy - it's unbelievable."
Owls midfielder Barry Bannan told Sky Sports:
"It's the best moment of my life, you can see what these fans mean to us as players and what this club means to me.
"Since I've come here they've been great to me and I've loved every minute. I've always wanted to get them back to where they belong and we've done that today.
"Over the duration of the season, the best team's gone up through the play-offs. We deserved it, we got 96 points, missed out and then you go again. It shows the character of this squad."