Barnsley were held to a fifth successive home draw as their Easter Monday match with fellow mid-table side Brentford ended 1-1.

Marley Watkins put the Reds ahead in a first half they dominated but Brentford levelled just before the break then had a penalty brilliantly saved by Adam Davies two minutes into the second half.

The Reds continued to create the better opportunities but could not find the winner and slipped back one place to 14th. Their points tally of 57 is now their best at Championship level since the 1999/2000 season.

Paul Heckingbottom made one change to the side that threw away a 2-0 lead in a 3-2 loss at Wigan Athletic on Thursday, with Josh Scowen replacing Adam Armstrong. Scowen started on the right of a 4-4-2 with Watkins and Tom Bradshaw up front.

Brentford's Spanish attacker Jota fired just wide from 25 yards with the first shot of the game, but the Reds had the better of the first half. Ryan Kent beat a defender on the left wing before swinging in a cross which Watkins headed wide from eight yards out under pressure from his marker. Matty James then shot over from just outside the Brentford box after winning the ball deep in their half.

Bradshaw had the first shot on target when his 25-yard effort was caught comfortably by Brentford goalkeeper Jack Bonham. Watkins gave the Reds the goal their early dominance deserved after 28 minutes when he smashed the ball high into the net from 15 yards out after Brentford failed to clear a Scowen cross.

Bradshaw fired a 20 yard shot wide from the right side of the box then Bonham missed a cross which fell straight to Scowen but the shot hit the goalkeeper in the face when Barnsley looked almost certain to double their lead.

Instead it was 1-1 within a minute as Jota's pass opened up the home defence and Florian Jozefzoom beat Davies in a one-on-one with his side's first shot on target.

The Bees had a great chance to take the lead when Angus MacDonald clearly handled a Sergi Canos shot in the box but Davies dived to his left to push Jota's spot-kick onto the left post.

Barnsley's George Moncur then had a low 20-yard shot tipped wide of the left post by Bonham before Canos headed against the bar from close range after Marc Roberts left a cross from the right. A loose pass in the Brentford defence allowed Scowen to put Bradshaw clean through on goal but Bonham rushed out to block on 55 minutes.

Moncur again came close from long range as another fine effort this time clipped the top of the crossbar and went over, then Scowen was just off target with a 25-yard free-kick. Watkins was put clean through on 73 minutes by Scowen's superb crossfield pass but fired a glorious chance over the bar from just inside the box.

Watkins later hit a 25-yard shot just over the bar after substitute Armstrong had headed wide from a cross by Saidy Janko. At the other end, Davies saved comfortably after Canos turned and shot from the edge of the box.

James beat Bonham to a Kent free-kick but headed just wide then was denied by the visiting goalkeeper who tipped his 25-yard effort over the bar.