Barnsley 4, Huddersfield Town 2

Jan 17 2005 By The Huddersfield Daily Examiner

It was the sending-off of Barnsley keeper Ross Turnbull on 50 minutes which helped open up the game - he tripped Beckett for a penalty after a brilliant through ball from Chris Brandon - and substitute keeper Nick Colgan could feel aggrieved to be penalised for moving off his line when saving Pawel Abbott's first spot-kick before the big striker blasted in the re-take for his 18th goal of the season.

Town, with their bank of fans responding magnificently to the revival, were suddenly back in business and, when Booth went on for the injured Andy Holdsworth with 35 minutes left, they were totally transformed.

All the 50-50s which were lost in the first half were now being won, Fowler provided width and passing range and, with Booth's aerial power seeming to scare Paul Hart's side, Town produced some fluent attacking moves.

Only a brilliant reaction save by Colgan prevented Sheffield United's Beckett netting from a Tony Carss and Booth build-up on the hour, and Hart was desperately trying to get on big substitute defender Matt Carbon when Booth reduced the deficit to just one with 69 minutes on the clock.

Town were all over the Reds at that stage - Boulding and Jamie Burns stemming the flow only with shots on the breakaway - and Jon Worthington was twice close with shots before Booth and Beckett had efforts saved on the line by the agile Colgan.

When Carss, playing freely at left-back, and Worthington combined to set up Abbott for a shot against the bar and Booth drilled another effort inches past the angle, an equaliser seemed inevitable and the Barnsley fans who had earlier chanted `we want seven' in recognition of that 1998 result were strangely silent.

They rediscovered their voice only when Rachubka conceded the penalty from which Town let in four at League level for the first time since Macclesfield last season, a result which proved a turning point in the campaign.