Analysis of Barnsley's 2-2 home draw with Bradford on Saturday. Vimal Yoganathan was sent off after seven minutes but Eoghan O'Connell put the hosts in front. Bradford went 2-1 up then Leo Farrell levelled deep in injury-time.

CONOR EXIT CONFIRMED ON FRENETIC DAY AT OAKWELL

ENOUGH happened at Oakwell in a few hours on Saturday to fill several weeks or months.

The players were informed not long after they arrived by head coach Conor Hourihane that he would leave the club in the summer by mutual consent.

They then had to play for 90 minutes with ten men but produced a heroic display, being denied a clear penalty at 1-1 before an academy product scored his first senior goal in the 96th minute.

It’s never dull at Barnsley FC.

Hourihane’s exit was not a huge surprise - he had seemed increasing browbeaten during a disappointing season in which the Reds have been wildly inconsistent and unable to keep goals out. But the timing was not expected, just three hours before an all-Yorkshire game.

It would be hard to argue Hourihane has been a success but the constant churn of managers seems to be getting the Reds nowhere and chairman Neerav Parekh said in January the rookie coach would be allowed to be inconsistent.

We may never know the exact reasons behind the split, and it might work out for the best for all parties, but it just seems like another tiring restart as they remain mired in third tier mediocrity.

Ironically, this was one of the more enjoyable performances under Hourihane.

Watching his team show real guts and the crowd get behind them in an entertaining match, he must have felt conflicted about walking away.

But the result meant Barnsley had won one in nine and conceded 93 goals in all competitions. They mathematically cannot go down and are 12 points off the play-offs with four games left.

The Reds are winless in five at Oakwell, with Stockport to visit on the final day on May 2, and have the 15th best home record in the division with 33 points while no side has conceded more on their own turf.

REDS SHOW REAL GUTS IN ENTERTAINING GAME

Lunchtime kick-offs are often sleepy affairs but this was a pulsating, full-blooded game with mistakes, controversial referee decisions but also plenty of passion and some quality on show.

Bradford were poor overall against ten men and, although it may have been an off day, them being fourth in the table is more evidence that this is a particularly poor version of League One. Having played two sides on the brink of relegation in the previous game, this was not as big a step up as expected against a team likely to finish in play-offs.

After Vimal Yoganathan was sent off on seven minutes, Barnsley battled well with ten men and had the best chance of the first half. Bradford had most of the ball but looked unsure of how to break down the hosts’ dogged 4-4-1 formation and their passing in the final third was very poor, with the away end booing them.

Barnsley deservedly took the lead early in the second half then, after the suckerpunch of conceding twice after Bradford made series of changes against a tired home side, the Reds dug deep yet again to level.

The crowd was the second biggest at Oakwell this season, behind the visit of Huddersfield in August. That was swelled by more than 5,000 away fans despite their team losing seven out of the previous nine on the road. They have not won at Barnsley in nine visits since 1999.

CENTRE-BACKS HEAD IN AT DIFFERENT ENDS

Both Barnsley centre-backs had generally strong games and headed in but, sadly, one was an own goal.

Eoghan O’Connell nodded into the bottom right corner to open the scoring.

It was only the second goal scored by a Barnsley defender this season, after Josh Earl against Reading in December, and a rare strike from a set piece for the Reds.

It was O’Connell’s first goal since a 5-1 win for Wrexham over Oldham in the National League on April 1, 2023 - just over three years ago.

That was from one of several dangerous long throws by Marc Roberts, who had had a good game, making 11 clearances.

But he scored an own goal to put Bradford 2-1 up, glancing a dangerous Touray cross past his goalkeeper and in on 82 minutes. It was cruel on Roberts who looked devastated.

The first Bradford goal nine minutes earlier had seen Nick Powell easily beat Mael de Gevigney in the air and head into the bottom right corner. De Gevigney played out of position at left-back, replacing Josh Earl at half-time who was struggling physically in his third game in a week after missing three months with injury. Nathanael Ogbeta stayed on the bench despite being a left-back.

RED CARD FAIR BUT REDS DENIED CLEAR PENALTY

There was a huge moment at 1-1 when, after Tom Bradshaw won the ball, Reyes Cleary beat a defender and surged into the box then went down. He had been tripped by Harrison Ashby but referee Charles Breakspear booked him for diving.

It was a very poor decision by the official and denied the Reds a huge chance to retake the lead, even if they did miss a spot-kick in the previous game.

Hourihane was nonplussed by the decision but accepted the early red card for Yoganathan’s tackle on Ibou Touray.

It was a rash challenge and right in front of referee Breakspear who had no choice but to send him off. It was the earliest red card since Mael de Gevigney was dismissed in the third minute at Birmingham just over a year ago.

After an impressive run of performances, Yoganathan will now miss the next three games before being able to return for the final match. Roberts had played a loose pass with led to Yoganathan’s challenge.

It was the 20-year-old’s second red card of the season, after getting two yellows at home to Bolton in August.

His fellow midfielders stepped up in his absence with Patrick Kelly and Jono Bland putting in huge shifts, as did Adam Phillips before he was replaced by Luca Connell. Scott Banks played on the left and was a nuisance against his old club, especially early on, before making way for Cleary.

MAGIC MOMENT FOR FARRELL

The Barnsley equaliser saw Leo Farrell turn in a few yards out after meeting a Cleary cross from the left following a defence-splitting pass by Kelly, who had been found by Bland.

It was the 20-year-old striker’s first Barnsley goal in his sixth league appearance, all from the bench, having been recalled from a successful loan at non-league Scunthorpe last month.

The last time Bradford visited Oakwell in 2019, one of the scorers was Jacob Brown who is also from Halifax like Farrell.

The Reds had taken their only starting striker Bradshaw off on 79 minutes, bringing on full-back Tennai Watson with Cleary going up front. But Bradford scored soon after so Farrell was thrown on with Cleary going out to the left.

Farrell has been at Oakwell since he was ten and was in the same under 18s squad as Bland, Yoganathan and loaned-out duo Fabio Jalo and Rogan Ravenhill - with the Reds having high hopes for all five.

Barnsley have scored equalisers in the 90th minute or later three times in the last six games.

Cleary’s assist was his 15th in all competitions this season and 13th in the league - more than any other EFL player.

He has been superb in the last two games off the bench.