Snapshot: Brian Howard rescued a point for Barnsley with seven minutes remaining, denying Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink's seventy second minute header, which had until that point looked like being enough to see the three points travel back to South Wales.

On reflection the draw was probably just about right based on the post-match stats. The match was an action packed affair, seeing both teams battle and fire forward in an end to end encounter. In both halves City started well, with Barnsley coming into their own in the mid-section of both forty five's. The main talking point however will be of the denied penalty for Cardiff as referee Dowd's refusal to award a spot kick following a trip on Joe Ledley incensed Dave Jones enough to see him sent to the stands for his protests.

The second half like the first saw both teams go for the winner, both hitting the back of the net via headers to see a share of the points. The final whistle led to a feeling of disappointment at what could have been. As the tight nature of the Championship shows, at one point we were tenth, but closed the day in seventeenth place on nine points from our eight played. Thoughts of Liverpool should take a distant back-seat as the more important task of league football returns on Tuesday night, with another long trip north to face Sheffield united.

Team News: Cardiff were unchanged from the starting eleven responsible for our passage to the Carling Cup Fourth Round; Dave keeping faith with the same squad as the more important matter of League business resumed following the glamour draw against Liverpool.

BARNSLEY: Muller, Foster, Souza, Nyatanga, Kozluk, Campbell-Ryce, Howard, De Silva, McCann, Ferenczi, Odejayi. Subs: Colgan, Reid, Mostto, Togwell, Devaney.

CARDIFF: Oakes, McNaughton, Capaldi, Johnson, Loovens, McPhail, Rae, Fowler, Hasselbaink, Ledley, Sinclair. Subs: Turnbull, Parry, Whitingham, Green, Gunter.

Chronological Report: Cardiff were the first to put pressure on the opposition back line, as two minutes in Fowler and Hasselbaink combined before Jimmy fired another long range drive from twenty five yards - this time the ball flying over the bar. Barnsley immediately countered, though Kayode Odejayi's rebounding shot off the post that was called offside even though it didn't hit the target.

Play was even and end to end, with Cardiff having the early share of chances. After six minutes Ledley sent a crisp pass to McPhail, who in turn found Hasselbaink. Jimmy ran forward but was pulled back on the edge of the area by Robert Kozluk for a free kick. Robbie stepped up and sent a shot towards the top left corner, denied by the save from Tykes 'keeper Muller who was grateful for the lack of pace on the ball.

Seconds later City came close again as Robbie broke into the box, pulled a clever ball back to McPhail who forced a good save from Muller. Sinclair and Hasselbaink then aimed to capitalise on the loose ball, but couldn't capitalise.

The opening ten minutes continued in our favour as Jimmy forced a fumble from Muller that almost came to Fowler - the Barnsley 'keeper however doing well to collect at the second time of asking.

Barnsley then began to assert themselves, mainly through the efforts of the impressive Howard, who was fouled in quick succession by both McPhail and Rae. The Tykes slowly but surely began to find more of the ball, steadily forcing Cardiff back. Glenn Loovens in particular was impressive as he continued to deny Howard, Odejayi and their colleagues, with City on the back foot covering successive corners and holding a strong line to force a number of offside decisions.

After twenty three minutes and a number of Barnsley corners, another from De Silva came from the left which was met in the air by Odejayi who headed down, forcing McNaughton to clear off the line.

Barnsley had been dominant, but Cardiff after the half hour looked to have weathered the storm - finding more of the ball again as possession became more even. McPhail under a torrent of banter from the Oakwell faithful was calm and professional in his approach, looking good as he pulled the strings from midfield.

As half time approached an opening goal looked unlikely, but not through any lack of effort from either team; Barnsley looking much more of a prospect this term than they had on our last two encounters.

Late chances came for Fowler after well found by a well worked combination from McNaughton and Sinclair - the shot flying over the bar.

Then as stoppage time was upon us Joe Ledley was clearly cut down inside the area just as he was cueing up a shot - his leg was whipped from under him. The decision however was lacking from the referee who then proceeded to send a furious Dave Jones to the Oakwell stands for his protests.

HALF TIME: BARNSLEY 0 - 0 CARDIFF

Dave watched on from the stands as the second half got underway - the first moment of note coming as the referee booked McCann for a strong tackle on Trevor Sinclair.

The opening five minutes carried on where we left off, with both teams busting a gut to break forward. Sinclair was then chopped down again, this time by Kozluk who was yellow carded for his efforts. Barnsley continued to lack discipline as Campbell-Rice fouled McNaughton as Kevin looked to prevent a Barnsley break - the Tykes player also added to the book to make three bookings in five minutes.

Barnsley came close to finding the opener after fifty four minutes, having seen out Cardiff's opening ten minutes of superiority.Odejayi found himself attacking goal with only Loovens standing in his way of Oakes in goal, and again pulled off a great tackle as last man to deny a goal-scoring chance.

A minute later Joe Ledley continued to impress fro midfield, forcing his way to the Tykes corner, then whipping the ball in towards the path of Fowler who came miraculously close to another goal on the volley, but just missing goal as the ball fired wide from twelve yards.

As per the first half, Barnsley began to dominate proceedings midway through the half - Brian Howard and Campbell-Rice continuing to cause problems, denied largely by Loovens who was strong at the back.

The end to end nature continued with neither side able to find the killer ball. After sixty five minutes Hasselbaink was inches wide at the end of a well worked City move, his shot narrowly missing the target to the relief of the home support. The first change of the match then came a minute later as Trevor Sinclair was replaced by Paul Parry on the right of midfield.

A goal was looking like it had to come based on the attacking nature of the match - and the opener finally came after seventy two minutes, thanks largely to the efforts of substitute Parry who no doubt had a point to prove after spending recent matches on the bench.

The telling cross came from Parry from the right channel and was met in the air by Hasselbaink and buried the ball into the bottom right of goal after drifting inside. To his credit Muller did manage to get a touch on the ball but was unable to prevent the power and subsequent goal.

GOAL: BARNSLEY 0 - 1 CARDIFF. Hasselbaink. 72 mins

Barnsley continued with their already planned substitution after the opener, as Campbell-Rice came off for Devaney. Just after the change McPhail was booked for an altercation with an ex team-mate. Two minutes later our hosts were unlucky not to find the equaliser as Odejayi's deflected shot was prevented from finding the top corner, instead only winning a corner.

McPhail's centre-stage placement and attention from the Oakwell faithful must have found its way under the one time Barnsley player's skin, as after seventy nine minutes left his foul on Devaney allowed the referee to offer a final caution.

We were constantly checking the clock with hope for another three points, but were denied as danger man Howard capitalised to equalise for the ecstatic home support. Odejayi initially forced a great save from Oakes, but the ball fell kindly for our hosts, with the ball sent in by Foster to the head of Howard who offered Oakes little chance.

GOAL: BARNSLEY 1 - 1 CARDIFF. Howard. 83 mins

The goal clearly lifted the Barnsley squad who dominated in the closing exchanges, winning a number of corners for their efforts. Miguel Mostto and Paul Parry then came close with shots apiece, but the match closed to a stalemate. Next up comes Sheffield United on Tuesday night, the Blades having lost 2-1 to Southampton on the weekend. It'll be another tough and long trip north, with hope of maintaining and building on our unbeaten away record this season.

FULL TIME: BARNSLEY 1 - 1 CARDIFF

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