Adam Davies made a series of brilliant saves to help Barnsley to a 0-0 draw at Burton Albion on Saturday.
The Reds shaded the first half but Burton were well on top after the break only to be denied by an inspired visiting goalkeeper.The result stretches Barnsley's unbeaten run to three games and leaves them 13th in the table with 21 points from 16 games.
Paul Heckingbottom was boosted by the return of his captain Conor Hourihane from suspension and put him into the side at the expense of teenager Josh Kay who travelled with the squad after making his debut last week but was not on the bench.
Josh Scowen was back among the substitutes after serving a three-match ban but could not displace Sam Morsy from the starting line-up while Adam Hammill's last-minute leveller against Bristol City a week earlier did not put him in the 11.
Adam Armstrong almost opened the scoring in the second minute when he raced onto a long ball and was clean through but blazed over from a tight angle on the left when he had team-mates free to his right.
Former Barnsley striker Chris O'Grady then blasted a good chance horribly over the bar from just inside the box after a run and cross from Jamie Ward. O'Grady soon set up a shooting chance for Ward but Reds goalkeeper Davies got down well to his right to save the 20-yard effort.
Armstrong then came close again in the ninth minute but John Brayford made an incredible close range block after his goalkeeper spilled a powerful Marley Watkins shot.
Ward came off injured after an impressive first 11 minutes then the game quietened down a little bit for 20 minutes although Morsy sent two long-range shots just off target. Kent curled a shot wide from 15 yards out on the left of the area after Andy Yiadom played the ball easily through the Burton backline.
Burton started the second half on top with O'Grady drawing a fine save out of Davies from long range when firing the ball across the face of goal for Tom Flanagan who blazed over from close range with the miss of the game. Davies then made an outstanding double save to deny O'Grady from close range after stopping an initial shot.
Heckingbottom changed formation to 4-5-1 to try and stem the home tide with midfielder Scowen replacing striker Armstrong. The Reds almost netted against the run of play in the second half when Watkins' header Hourihane's free-kick straight at home goalkeeper Jon McLaughlin.
Davies saved Barnsley again when he denied Ben Turner from point blank range as the Burton centre-back met a Matty Palmer corner. The Reds stopper then kept out Stuart Beavon's close range effort with a superb reaction save from point blank range after a cross by Lloyd Dyer.
