Last-day stalemate at Oakwell
Last Updated: April 28, 2012 3:13pm
O'Brien: Set up a late chance for Barnsley
Neither Keith Hill's Barnsley nor Gus Poyet's Brighton were able to finish the season on a high in a 0-0 Championship stalemate at Oakwell.
Barnsley, who finished fourth from bottom, gathered enough points during the first half of the campaign to stave off relegation, but the season could not finish quick enough for Hill after a promising start.
Brighton's play-off hopes nosedived last month and they have mustered only one win in their last 10 games to finish nine points adrift of the top six, so it was little wonder neither side was able to light up Oakwell on the final day.
Barnsley had much the better of the second half after an even first period, with teenage substitute John Stones heading Jim O'Brien's stoppage-time free-kick agonisingly wide.
Jordan Clark made his full debut for Barnsley and fellow teenage striker Danny Rose made only his second start for the club, while defender Scott Golbourne returned to the side.
Brighton recalled goalkeeper David Gonzalez and midfielder Gary Dicker.
Barnsley's Jim McNulty, Jim O'Brien and Rose were all wayward with long-range shots in the opening exchanges before Brighton striker Ashley Barnes pulled his side's first effort wide from inside the penalty area in the 28th minute.
The visitors then spurned a gilt-edged chance to take a first-half lead when Barnes headed Joe Mattock's fine cross off target eight minutes before the interval.
Dicker then forced a brilliant save from David Button with a shot from the edge of the area and Mattock's 25-yard drive was comfortably held by the Barnsley goalkeeper as Brighton finished the first half with a flurry.
Strikers Craig Davies and Rose responded for Barnsley with shots from outside the area shortly after the restart.
Poyet sent on striker Gai Assulin and midfielder Alan Navarro for Will Buckley and Dicker just after the hour mark and Barnsley's 18-year-old Clark made way for Matty Done.
O'Brien lashed in a drive from out side the area that Gonzalez did well to hold and Davies' instinctive 12-yard volley flashed wide of the post as Barnsley enjoyed their best spell.
Hill sent on the third teenager in his matchday squad, 17-year-old defender Stones, for Golbourne with 15 minutes left, while another shot from O'Brien from the edge of the area was gathered by Gonzalez.
Tykes midfielder David Perkins' angled drive was inches over the crossbar and at the other end Brighton midfielder Rodriguez Vicente blazed over a rare second-half chance for the visitors.
Vicente's late free-kick flew wide in the closing stages and Stones headed off target from O'Brien's free-kick from six yards in time added on.
Matches
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npower Championship
Table
npower Championship
| Pos | Team | P | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cardiff City | 46 | 87 |
| 2 | Hull City | 46 | 79 |
| 3 | Watford | 46 | 77 |
| 4 | Brighton and Hove Albion | 46 | 75 |
| 5 | Crystal Palace | 46 | 72 |
| 6 | Leicester City | 46 | 68 |
| 7 | Bolton Wanderers | 46 | 68 |
| 8 | Nottingham Forest | 46 | 67 |
| 9 | Charlton Athletic | 46 | 65 |
| 10 | Derby County | 46 | 61 |
| 11 | Burnley | 46 | 61 |
| 12 | Birmingham City | 46 | 61 |
| 13 | Leeds United | 46 | 61 |
| 14 | Ipswich Town | 46 | 60 |
| 15 | Blackpool | 46 | 59 |
| 16 | Middlesbrough | 46 | 59 |
| 17 | Blackburn Rovers | 46 | 58 |
| 18 | Sheffield Wednesday | 46 | 58 |
| 19 | Huddersfield Town | 46 | 58 |
| 20 | Millwall | 46 | 56 |
| 21 | Barnsley | 46 | 55 |
| 22 | Peterborough United | 46 | 54 |
| 23 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 46 | 51 |
| 24 | Bristol City | 46 | 41 |
