Barnsley ended their 26-game run without a clean sheet in a 0-0 draw at League One’s bottom club Port Vale on Tuesday, with Adam Phillips missing a penalty.
The Reds had the better chances throughout, especially late on when they missed a series of opportunities.
They stay 12th, eight points clear of the relegation zone, with five games to play.
Conor Hourihane made one change from the team that won at Rotherham on Saturday with Mael de Gevigney dropping out of the squad, apparently due to the wound on his head sustained at Burton, and being replaced by Marc Roberts. Luca Connell was on the bench after missing the weekend game after his partner gave birth while David McGoldrick was still not involved.
Adam Phillips headed over a Scott Banks free-kick in the second minute then, in the 20th, Vimal Yoganathan produced a fine block in the box from a Jordan Gabriel shot. Scott Banks had the first shot on target but his long-range effort was easily saved by ex-Red Joe Gauci then Eoghan O’Connell headed a Corey O’Keeffe corner well off target.
In first half injury-time, Yoganathan pounced on a loose ball on the edge of the box then, after some good footwork, shot just wide of the bottom left corner from 15 yards.
Vale brought on Dejaune Brown at the break and he nearly scored within a few minutes, turning over a few yards out from a Liam Gordon cross after Jono Bland lost the ball. The hosts then had their first shot on target but Owen Goodman easily saved Rhys Walters’ low effort from the edge of the box.
Barnsley won a penalty against the run of play when Yoganathan burst into the box and was tripped by Gabriel. It was the Reds’ first league penalty in 33 games across seven months. But Phillips saw his spot-kick kept out by his former Oakwell team-mate Joe Gauci.
Tom Bradshaw volleyed wide a difficult chance from a tight angle after meeting a cross by substitute Reyes Cleary. The same two combined again with Bradshaw’s header going just wide of the bottom right corner.
Bradshaw was denied at point blank range by Gauci in injury-time when he headed a few yards after Yoganathan nodded across goal. Bradshaw then saw a close-range shot blocked by Eli Campbell after good work by Cleary.
Gauci made a mess of a corner right at the end but Josh Earl headed towards goal and Patrick Kelly nodded over.
Barnsley (4-5-1): Goodman; O’Keeffe, Roberts, O’Connell, Earl; Phillips, Yoganathan, Bland (Connell 68), Kelly, Banks (Cleary 68); Bradshaw.
Unused: Flavell, Farrell, Shepherd, Watson, Ogbeta.
Yellow cards: Earl.
Port Vale (3-4-3): Gauci; C Hall, Humphreys, Campbell; Gabriel, Garrity, Walters (Croasdale 88), Gordon (Headley 88); Waine (Sherif 71), Stockley (Brown HT) G Hall (Archer 88)
Unused: Amos, Magloire.
