Barnsley came from behind twice to draw 2-2 at high-flying Bradford City in a game which featured a miraculous Reyes Cleary goal from within his own half.

The hosts took the lead after eight minutes but Cleary levelled midway through the first half with a remarkable strike from about 70 yards then ex-Red Stephen Humphrys made it 2-1 to the hosts just before half-time.

Substitute Patrick Kelly levelled midway through the second half with his first Reds goal to make the spoils shared in an entertaining game.

The hosts should have been several goals ahead but Barnsley showed real character to come back to claim a draw at a side who had won every home game this season and were second.

They slipped down a place to tenth in League One and are winless in six in all competitions.

Conor Hourihane kept the same 11 from the draw at Wycombe a fortnight earlier but Marc Roberts, who has returned from injury, and Vimal Yoganathan were back on the bench in place of Jake Rooney and Jon Russell.

The Reds began the game sloppily, losing the ball often, and conceded after eight minutes. Nathanael Ogbeta’s throw-in was gifted straight to the hosts then, after a cross was not fully cleared, Alex Pattison’s low cross from the left was met by Calum Kavanagh who was denied from point blank range by Murphy Cooper but Antoni Sarcevic put in the rebound.

Adam Phillips shot wide from distance then, at the other end, it should have been 2-0 but defender Joe Wright nudged the ball wide a few yards out after Humphrys shot following a poor Luca Connell header.

Cleary levelled with an extraordinary goal midway through the first half. After Connell won a tackle, the Reds forward shot from the edge of the centre circle in his half then the magnificent effort dipped under the crossbar past the flailing goalkeeper Sam Walker and in front of the astonished but delighted away end.

Bradford finished the second half strongly as Cooper easily saved a header from a free-kick then Kavanagh made a mess of a good headed chance.

The hosts were incredibly close to going 2-1 up in first half stoppage time when a goalmouth scramble saw Humphrys head onto the bar then Cooper made an astonishing point blank save from Kavanagh. Ogbeta immediately conceded a free-kick which was played by Max Power low to Humphrys to find the bottom right corner from about 12 yards amid poor marking.

Despite scoring a magnificent goal, the Reds were clearly second best in the first half. Hourihane made a double change at the break, bringing on Mael de Gevigney and Patrick Kelly for Tennai Watson and Caylan Vickers.

Josh Neufville’s deflected effort from the right of the box bounced just wide of the bottom left corner then the same player beat Ogbeta easily in the box and dinked the ball onto the top of the crossbar.

Humphrys was put clean through but denied by Cooper before Kavanagh’s looped effort was headed off the line by Shepherd.

Connell’s free-kick was well-saved by Walker then, from the resulting corner, Davis Keillor-Dunn hooked wide of the bottom right corner.

The Reds levelled when the two half-time substitutes combined as de Gevigney’s low cross from the right was deftly finished by Kelly at the near post.

Barnsley almost took the lead soon after when, after a Kelly pass, Phillips’ strike from the edge of the box smashed against the underside of the bar then Kelly’s rebound was kept out by the legs of Walker.

Bradford substitute Andy Cook shot straight at Cooper when well-placed after meeting an Ibou Touray cross from the left.

Bradford dominated injury-time as there were appeals for a foul in the box by Vimal Yoganathan on Will Swann then Neufville saw another shot deflected wide.

Bradford (3-4-2-1): Walker; Wright, Byrne, McIntyre (Wright 86 mins); Neufville, Pattison (Metcalfe 25mins), Power, Touray; Kavanagh (Swan 75), Sarcevic; Humphrys (Cook 75).

Unused: Hilton, Halliday, Leigh.

Goals: Sarcevic 8, Humphrys 45+4.

Barnsley (4-2-3-1): Cooper; Watson (de Gevigney HT), Shepherd, Earl, Ogbeta; Bland (Yoganathan 80mins), Connell; Phillips (McGoldrick 86), Vickers (Kelly HT), Cleary; Keillor-Dunn.

Unused: Flavell, Roberts, Farrugia.

Yellow cards: Ogbeta.

Goals: Cleary 23, Kelly 65.