Reds Let Two Points Slip as Northampton Snatch Late Leveller

Barnsley 2-2 Northampton Town
League One - Tuesday 3rd February

A frustrating evening at Oakwell ended with honours even as we let a winning position slip through our fingers yet again. Barnsley 2-2 Northampton Town tells the story of another game where we had enough possession and chances to put the result to bed, but somehow managed to hand the Cobblers a lifeline when they needed it most. For a side scrapping at the bottom of the table, they'll take that point and run – we're left wondering how we didn't claim all three.

Early sucker punch sets the tone

The warning signs were there from the first whistle, but we ignored them like a smoke alarm with a dying battery. Just three minutes in, Guinness-Walker was celebrating after the simplest of finishes, tapping home after Goodman could only parry McGeehan's effort straight into his path. Shepherd was already in the referee's book a minute later, summing up the kind of start that had most of us reaching for something stronger than our half-time Bovril.

It's the sort of goal that makes you question whether our defenders actually met up before kick-off or just hoped they'd bump into each other on the pitch. The Cobblers had managed four shots inside the opening exchanges while we were still trying to get our passing game going. Credit to them – they came with a plan and executed it perfectly while we were still finding our feet.

McGoldrick delivers when it matters

The veteran showed exactly why experience matters in this division, timing his run to perfection to meet Banks' free-kick delivery on the half-hour mark. McGoldrick's header was never going anywhere but the back of the net, the kind of finish that comes from years of knowing exactly where to be when the ball drops. It was our best moment of the first half, and frankly about time too given the amount of possession we'd enjoyed without doing much with it.

Both Yoganathan and Kelly had spurned decent opportunities before that equaliser, the kind of chances that come back to haunt you if you're not careful. We were dominating the ball – ending up with over 60% possession – but turning that control into genuine goal threats was proving harder work than it should have been against a side desperate for points.

Phillips makes his mark

The substitute hadn't been on the pitch more than a few seconds before he was wheeling away in celebration, touching home McGoldrick's cross with the kind of instant impact that managers dream about. Phillips' finish gave us the lead we probably deserved based on our dominance, and for a brief moment it looked like we might cruise to a comfortable victory.

Twenty-two shots to their fourteen tells its own story about who was creating the better opportunities, but football has a habit of punishing teams who don't make their superiority count when it matters. The Tykes were well on top at this point, winning aerial duels, creating chances, and looking like the side with genuine promotion aspirations rather than relegation fears.

Defensive lapse costs us dear

What followed was the kind of defending that belongs in a Sunday league highlights reel rather than League One. Dyche's equaliser came from capitalising on some truly woeful marking, the sort of goal that has you questioning whether our backline had collectively decided the job was done. Ten minutes was all it took for Northampton to drag themselves level and earn a point that could prove crucial in their survival bid.

The timing couldn't have been worse from our perspective. Just when it looked like we had enough control to see the game out comfortably, we switched off at exactly the wrong moment. It's becoming a familiar pattern this season – decent performances undermined by moments of individual or collective madness that hand opponents gifts they simply don't deserve.

Points dropped, lessons unlearned

Kelly's late yellow card in the fifth minute of stoppage time summed up our evening perfectly – unnecessary, avoidable, and ultimately pointless. We'd had more than enough opportunities to kill this game off long before Dyche's leveller, but our inability to put teams away when we're on top continues to cost us valuable points.

Moving up to 14th feels like cold comfort when you consider how many games like this we've failed to win this season. The Cobblers will be delighted with their point – it moves them to within touching distance of safety and ends a four-game losing streak that was threatening to drag them deeper into trouble. For us, it's another case of what might have been in a campaign that's been full of them.

Team Line-ups:

Barnsley (4 - 1 - 4 - 1):
O. Goodman, T. Watson, J. Shepherd, E. O'Connell, C. O'Keeffe, J. Bland, R. Cleary, P. Kelly, V. Yoganathan, S. Banks, D. McGoldrick
Subs: T. Chirewa, M. de Gevigney, L. Farrell, K. Flavell, N. Ogbeta, A. Phillips, M. Roberts
Goals: D. McGoldrick (30'), A. Phillips (62')
Yellow Cards: J. Shepherd (4'), P. Kelly (90+5')

Northampton Town (3 - 4 - 3):
R. Fitzsimons, M. Forbes, M. Dyche, J. Willis, N. Guinness-Walker, D. Campbell, T. Taylor, J. Wormleighton, S. Hoskins, J. Vale, C. McGeehan
Subs: L. Burge, T. Eaves, T. Fornah, E. List, C. McCarthy, J. Perkins, K. Swyer
Goals: N. Guinness-Walker (3'), M. Dyche (71')
Yellow Cards: C. McGeehan (58')

Match Stats:

Statistic	Barnsley	Northampton Town
Possession	64.3%	35.7%
Shots	22	14
Shots on target	5	4
Goalkeeper saves	2	3
Aerial duels won	30	16
Fouls committed	15	6
Corners	6	7

Final Whistle

This draw perfectly encapsulates our season so far – plenty of good football, bags of possession, and ultimately not enough to show for it when the final whistle blows. We controlled large periods of this game and created the better chances, but our habit of switching off at crucial moments continues to haunt us. McGoldrick rolled back the years with his equaliser and clever assist for Phillips, showing the kind of composure in front of goal that we'll need more of if we're serious about climbing this table. But all that good work counts for nothing when you're defending like you've never met your teammates before.

The statistics tell the story of our frustration – 64% possession, 22 shots, and 30 aerial duels won should be enough to see off any side fighting relegation. Instead, we're left to rue another missed opportunity while Northampton head home with a precious point that could prove vital come May. They'll be buzzing with that result, and fair play to them for sticking to their game plan even when we were dominating. Dyche's equaliser was nothing more than reward for their persistence and our sloppiness.

Moving forward, Hourihane needs to find a way to cure this team's inability to kill games off when we're in control. We're not far away from being a decent side – the football we played for large spells tonight proves that – but these dropped points add up quickly in a division this tight. Fourteenth place is respectable enough for now, but performances like this suggest we should be aiming higher. The frustrating thing is, on nights like this, you can see exactly how much higher that should be.