Darren Moore on the 4-0 first leg defeat against Peterborough: “It was a lonely place,” he tells Jobi McAnuff, who asks him who lifts Moore in a situation like that so Moore can lift his players. “I was hurting but it’s by the grace of God, leaning on him … because I was hurting. I didn’t go to bed until seven and then it was time to work again. and in those days before the second leg it was touch but the club needed me and the players needed me.”
Reaction from Wednesday manager Darren Moore
“I’m really emotional and really pleased for everyone connected to the football club,” he says. “With the emotions of what today carried, I’m just really pleased for everyone. For the chance to drop that way so late in the game, the composure from the cross and then for Josh to get on the end of it and score, it was a special moment.”
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Liam Palmer speaks: At Wednesday since he was seven years of age, the midfielder admits he thought Wednesday’s playoff goose was cooked after their 4-0 defeat in the first leg of the semi-final at Peterborough but says Darren Moore took them in for a debrief the next day and “made us believe”.
On today’s win: “Tough game today,” he tells Sky. “It always is in these kind of games. It was very edgy, nobody wants to make a mistake and a Windass winner at Wembley – his dad spoke it into existance and it’s come true.”
Match report: Barnsley 0-1 Sheffield Wednesday (aet)
League One playoff final: “It has not been a dull couple of weeks from a Sheffield Wednesday perspective,” writes Ben Fisher from Wembley Stadium. “With six seconds of extra time to play, Josh Windass’s diving header spared Wednesday another penalty shootout and sent them into the Championship.”
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Barry Bannan speaks ...
“It’s the best moment of my life,” says Bannan in an interview with Sky. “If you see what these fans means to us as players and what this club means to me since I came here … they’ve been great to me and I’ve loved every minute. I’ve always said I want to help get them back to where they belong and we’ve done that today. I think over the duration of the season the best teams went up. We had 96 points but missed out, then to go again shows the character of this squad. After the last game, being four goals behind we knew we could achieve anything if we put our minds to it.”
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Wednesday’s celebrations continue: Barnsley’s half of the stadium has emptied while Wednesday’s players and their fans are celebrating. Elsewhere on the pitch, Sky Sports are chatting to Dean and Josh Windass and dad is wiping tears of pride from his eyes.
“He’s done unbelievable,” says Josh, when asked what it’s like to play under Darren Moore. “I don’t know how he copes with me because I moan every single week about standards and things going wrong. He lets everybody come into his office and speak to him, he baiscally lets us run the dressing-room and has full trust in us. He gives us full freedom to play and luckily we got over the line.”
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Barry Bannan lifts the trophy
No longer debilitated by the cramp that forced him off the pitch with a few minutes to go, Barry Bannan climbs the steps with his teammates to take the trophy and the plaudits. Few will begrudge Wednesday and their wonderful man of a manager, Darren Moore, this promotion but Barnsley have every right to feel a little aggrieved at a couple of decisions that didn’t go their way early in the second half.
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Sheffield Wednesday are promoted to the Championship
A word from Josh Windass: “That was probably the worst standard of game you’ll ever watch,” he says in an interview with Sky Sports. “The standard from both teams was shocking, to be honest. There was no real quality on show but luckily we got the winning goal.”
Dean Windass? No, it was his son Josh who scored today’s late, late, late goal. Dean’s screamer for Hull came against Bristol City 15 years ago. Deano was in attendance today and will be a very proud dad.
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Full time: Barnsley 0-1 Sheffield Wednesday
Peep! Peep! Peeeeeeeeeep! It’s full-time at Wembley and it’s Sheffield Wednesday’s players and fans who are jubilant but Barnsley’s supporters should be very proud of their team. Denied a penalty at the start of the second half and reduced to 10 men three minutes early, they were outstanding in the face of two questionable decisions that did their chances of winning irreperable harm. Sadly for them, it’s Wednesday who march on to the Championship on the back of Dean Windass’s late, late, late goal.
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Oh my! It’s heartbreak for Barnsley who concede deep into added time at the end of extra time. Lee Gregory sent in an inch-perfect cross and the unmarked Windass the Younger powered a diving header past Harry Istead from eight yards. What a finish, in every sense of the word. It’s all over and Sheffield Wednesday are promoted to the Championship.
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GOAL!!!! Barnsley 0-1 Sheffield Wednesday (Windass 120)
JOSH WINDASS SCORES FOR WEDNESDAY!!! Like his father Dean before him, Josh Windass scores a crucial goal to decide a play-off final.
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ET30+2: With two teammates waiting in the middle, Sheffield Wednesday’s Michael Smith sends a cross from the byline straight into the arms of Harry Isted.
ET28: James Norwood, who came on for the second half, looks like he’s succumbed to a calf injury and is about to be substituted. He tells his manager Michael Duff he’s OK to continue and soldiers on. He’s been excellent this afternoon and will almost certainly be among Barnsley’s penalty-takers if the game goes to a shoot-out.
ET27: Lee Gregory connects with a pull-back from the byline but his goalbound shot is heroically blocked by Barnsley captain Mads Andersen.
ET26: Wednesday substitution: Barry Bannan can’t continue and reluctantly leaves the field. He’s replaced by Fisayo Dele-Bashiru.
ET23: Barnsley win a free-kick a long way out and loft the ball into the Wednesday penalty area. It’s cleared. Barry Bannan goes down with cramp again; he’s really struggling.
ET21: Vaulks sends a cross into the Barnsley penalty area and it’s hacked clear. Sheffield Wednesday are turning the screw but their south Yorkshire rivals are defending stoutly. For the second time in a couple of minutes, Barry Bannan goes down with cramp and is attended to by his teammate Lee Gregory, on foot stretching duty.
ET19: There’s a break in play so the linesman can have some running repairs done on the battery pack of his comms. Play resumes and Barry Bannan sends a looping volley straight at Harry Isted from outside the Barnsley penalty area.
ET16: VAULKS SCORES … OR AT LEAST THINKS HE DOES! Will Vaulks scores with a beautiful shot from distance into the top corner and wheels away to celebrate with his team-mates. Unbeknownst to them all, the flag has gone up for an offside in the build-up and the goal won’t count.
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Second half: Barnsley 0-0 Sheffield Wednesday
ET16: Barnsely get the second half of extra time under way, having been down to 10 men since the 49th minute. If this goes to penalties you’d fancy them to win as their goalkeeper is having a brilliant game.
Half-time: Barnsley 0-0 Sheffield Wednesday
It’s half-time in extra time and Barnsley goalkeeper Harry Isted has pulled off a world class save, along with another out of the top drawer, to keep Wednesday at bay. At the other end of the pitch, Luca Connell missed a glorious opportunity to fire 10-man Barnsley ahead.
ET14: Sheffield Wednesday substitution: Jack Hunt on for Reece James.
ET12: Liam Kitching drives forward for Barnsley on the counter-attack. He plays the ball wide to Luke Thomas, who puts it on a plate for Luca Connell. With the goal gaping, he sends his effort wide from eight yards. That’s an awful, awful miss.
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ET10: Sheffield Wednesday are hammering on the door but Barnsley are just about keeping them out. A low Barry Bannan drive from outside the penalty area is headed for the bottom corner but Isted dives to keep it out.
ET8: On loan from Luton, Barnsley goalkeeper Harry Isted saves his side’s bacon, somehow keeping out a Michael Smith effort from three yards with a strong right-hand. The follow-up is blocked by Jordan Williams.
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ET6: Josh Windass takes the free-kick and makes a bit of a dog’s breakfast of it but wins his side a corner. The ball breaks to Bannan, who shoots over the cross-bar from a couple of yards outside the penalty area.
ET5: Barry Bannan is brought down by Bobby Thomas, who earns a yellow card for bringing down the Wednesday skipper as he threatened to skin him by the byline.
ET2: Sheffield Wednesday win a throw-in deep in Barnsley territory and Will Vaulks hurls the ball into the penalty area. The ball is half-cleared, recycled by Wednesday and Vaulks sends a cross towards the far post. Michael Ihiekwe wins the header and his downwzard effort is cleared a yard or two from the line by Mads Andersen, showing great anticipation.
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ET2: Wednesday win a corner and Bannan sends the ball into the Barnsley penalty area. It’s headed clear by Bobby Thomas.
Extra time: Barnsley 0-0 Sheffield Wednesday
ET1: For the first time ever, all three end of season EFL play-off finals go to extra time. Wednesday get the ball rolling here.
Full time: Barnsley 0-0 Sheffield Wednesday
We’ll have extra time! With the deadlock unbroken at the end of regulation time, we’ll have another 30 minutes and then spot-kicks if required. Following the dismissal of Barnsley midfielder Adam Phillips, Sheffield Wednesday have a man extra but have thus far failed to make their numerical superiority count.
90+5 min: The ball breaks to Bannan about 25 yards from the Barnsley goal. He sends it wafting high over the bar.
90+3 min: Wednesday dominate possession but are unable to create a chance as the clock ticks down. It’s the fans of Barnsley who are currently singing loudest with their own bespoke reworking of Hey Jude.
89 min: Barnsley substitute Josh Benson limps off injured and is replaced by Jon Russell. We’ll have five minutes of added time.
87 min: James Norwood plays Cadden into the left side of the Wednesday penalty area with a wonderful ball around the corner. He waits and waits for reinforcements to enter the penalty area but his cross eventually goes out for a throw-in.
85 min: James Norwood is fouled by Bannan just inside the Wednesday half and Barnsley win a free-kick. Their goalkeeper, Harry Isted, sends the ball forward and Wednesday clear for a throw-in. Barnsley have played ever so well since going down to 10 men.
82 min: Jordan Williams handles the ball just inside his own half, blocking an attempted Barry Bannan pass upfield. I’m not sure how much the Barnsley player knew about it, or if indeed he could have got his arm out of the way, but Wednesday are awarded a free-kick.
80 min: James Norwood cuts inside from the right, shoots from a tight angle and his effort is fizzing towards the top corner. Sheffield Wednesday goalkeeper Cameron Dawson saves superbly, tipping over the bar. Nothing comes from the subsequent set-piece. That’s an outstanding save.
79 min: Wednesday substitution: Will Vaulks comes on for Paterson, who gets a hug and handshake from his manager, Darren Moore.
78 min: Callum Paterson outmuscles Bobby Thomas down by the corner flag, deep inside his the Sheffield Wednesday half. He clears the ball upfield.
74 min: The 10 men of Barnsley advance, outnumbered but thus far unbowed. They win a corner deep in Wednesday territory and Bobby Thomas slings the ball into the opposition penalty area. Wednesday clear.
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72 min: Barnsley double-substitution: Josh Benson and Luke Thomas come on for Herbie Kane and Devante Cole.
71 min: Marvin Johnson wins a corner for Wednesday. Nothing comes of it.
68 min: It’s time for another drinks break.
66 min: George Elek, from the mighty Not The Top 20 podcast, tweets. It’s worth remembering that Barnsley had a man sent off mere moments after they were denied a penalty that should definitely have been given.
Barnsley been absolutely cooked there. Both decisions wrong imo, and both should have been overturned.
— George Elek (@GeorgeElek) May 29, 2023
64 min: Gregory makes a run in behind to contest a bouncing ball on the edge of the Barnsley penalty area with Bobby Thomas. He’s penalised for nudging Thomas in the back but I think the defender slipped as he tried to turn in a bit of a panic.
61 min: It’s interesting that, with VAR available, referee Tim Robinson didn’t take the time to consult his pitchside monitor before producing the red card. He might not have changed his mind but it was surely worth another look. For all that, arnsley have responded brilliantly since going down to 10 men but on such a warm day, being a man down is inevitably going to take its toll. Wednesday are already starting to dominate possession.
59 min: Barnsley goalkeeper Harry Isted saves brilliantly after a goal-bound shot from Marvin Johnson takes a wicked deflection off the outstretched foot of his team-mate Bobby Thomas.
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57 min: Nicky Cadden runs into a pocket of space on the edge of the Wednesday penalty area and tries his luck. His rising shot is saved by Cameron Dawson. We’ve had more excitement in the past 10 minutes than in the entire first half.
56 min: Barry Bannan cuts inside from the left and tries to curl a right-footed shot into ther top corner. It’s wide but not by much.
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54 min: Barnsley hit the cross-bar! After a corner was only half-cleared, Liam Kitching steers a Nicky Cadden shot that was heading wide on to the cross-bar with a superb header.
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51 min: That seems harsh, I have to say, having seen it a few times and having no dog whatsoever in this particular fight. There was on malice whatsoever in Adam Phillips’s challenge and it didn’t look particularly dangerous. He was trying to clear the ball, missed it and caught Gregory’s leg instead. Other opinions are almost certainly available.
RED CARD! Barnsley are down to 10 men!
50 min: Adam Phillips is shown a straight red card for a foul on Lee Gregory. He slid in to contest the ball, missed it completely and clattered into the Wednesday striker. There’ll be a VAR check … and the red card stands! Wow!
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47 min: Interesting. Barnsley appeal for a penalty after a coming together between Lee Gregory and Liam Kitching, who was definitely kicked on the calf by the Wednesday striker as they contested a bouncing ball. There’s a fairly lengthy VAR check but Gregory gets away with it, possibly because referee Tim Robinson wasn’t deemed to have made a clear and obvious error. If he’d awarded a spot-kick his decision almost certainly would not have been overturned.
Second half: Barnsley 0-0 Sheffield Wednesday
46 min: Play resumes and Barnsley have made a substitution. Striker James Norwood is on as a concussion sub for Slobodan Tedic, who shipped a blow to his noggin in the first half. This means Sheffield Wednesday can make an extra substitution, should they wish to do so.
Half-time: Barnsley 0-0 Sheffield Wednesday
Peep! Tim Robinson blows for the break and the players troop off. It’s tight as a drum at Wembley, where goalscoring chances have been at a premium. It’s an intriguing contest but a goal for either side would liven it up no end.
45+4 min: Tedic is picked out in the Wednesday box by lovely along the deck from Adam Phillips. The Serb’s first touch is poor and Barry Bannan gets back to hack the ball out for a corner before Tedic can regroup get a shot off.
45+2 min: Jordan Williams does well to track a Lee Gregory run towards the Barnsley goal. Gregory makes first contact but the ball goes out for a corner off the defender. Weirdly, Barnsley get a goal-kick.
45+1 min: Now Bobby Thomas takes towel in hand before Delapping the ball into the Wednesday box. Barnsley win a corner, the ball’s is swung into the mixer and Thomas sends a looping header over the bar. The cross was a mite too high and he couldn’t keep the ball down.
45 min: Callum Paterson towels down the ball and sends a long throw into the Barnsley penalty area. The Tykes clear.
42 min: A defensive Wednesday wobble at the back almost presents a chance for Tadic but he’s quickly shut down by Reece James before he can swing his boot at the bouncing ball.
41 min: There’s little or nothing to between the two sides as the clock ticks towards half-time. It’s an absorbing game but hardly a thriller.
39 min: “It’s been quite the season as a Wednesday fan,” writes William Preston, who signs off by saying he is off to the pub. “One that I think I have enjoyed the most in years: the march up the table, the slip down it, that first play off semi final before what I can only describe as getting a first class stomp on and thrilling heroics to finally arrive here.
“I think Barnsley are the better team to win, though. They’ve seemingly put out out a steady drum beat of solid results and it’s that kind of consistency that should get them up. However, with the crowd filling their sails, Wednesday really do react well, and I think this’ll go to penalties.”
35 min: Lee Gregory backs into Liam Kitching Harry Kane-style as the defender was leaping to head a ball clear and wins a free-kick. It is Gregory who should be penalised and possibly booked because that’s a downright dangerous manoeuvre. Nothing comes from the set-piece.
34 min: Barry Bannan stands over a free-kick and sends the ball into the Barnsley penalty area from deep. Michael Ihiekwe doesn’t win the header cleanly and Tedic hacks clear.
30 min: Nicky Cadden wins a corner for Barnsley, putting the ball out of play off Callum Paterson. The ball comes in and is cleared, but only as far as Cadden. He blasts over the bar from a few yards outside the penalty area.
28 min: Barry Bannan slides in to put a wonderful ball up the touchline towards Devante Cole from Nicky Cadden out for a throw-in down by the technical areas.
27 min: OK, water it is, then, seeing as we’re all on duty. Play resumes.
24 min: A little over a quarter way through the 90 minutes and it’s time for a scheduled drinks break due to the heat. Mine’s a G&T with plenty of ice and a slice, please. The best chance of the game so far as fallen to Wednesday defender Dominic Iorfa, who fired straight at Barnsley goalkeeper Harry Isted.
23 min: Reece James clears a cross into the Wednesday penalty area from Thomas.
21 min: Wednesday striker Michael Smith is penalised, somewhat harshly in my humble opinion. for backing into Bobby Thomas as he contested a ball forward into the Barnsley half.
19 min: Tedic chases a ball sent into the Wednesday box from deep which seems to spin backwards into his path after bouncing. He’s outmuscled by Ihiekwe after Cameron Dawson had hesitated before rushing off his line.
18 min: There’s a break in play as Tedic receives treatment for what seemed an innocuous collision with Sheffield Wednesday defender Michael Ihiekwe.
14 min: Barnsley string a few nice passes together with Luca Connell pulling the strings in midsfield. Adam Phillips skies a half-decent opportunity high over the bar after running on to a knock-down into the middle of the penalty asrea from Slobodan Tedic at the far post.
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12 min: Apologies, it was Callum Paterson who went down injured after contesting that high ball with Isted. He’s passed fit to continue.
11 min: Barry Bannan sends a free-kick into the Barnsley penalty area, where Harry Isted leaps to punch clear under pressure from Lee Gregory, who goes down injured after shipping a blow to the head from the goalkeeper.
10 min: Wednesdasy defender Dominic Iorfa pounces on a knockdown in the Barnsley penalty but shoots straight at Harry Isted, who parries the ball clear. Sheffield Wednesday are starting to dominate proceedings.
8 min: A terrible defensive header from Jordan Williams sits up nicely for Barry Bannan. He takes the ball down on his chest and rifles the ball goalwards. His effort is blocked by Bobby Thomas.
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7 min: Barnsley win a free-kick wide on the left. The ball is sent into the Wednesday penalty area but is far too close to Cameron Dawson, who gathers.
5 min: Wearing the bespoke protective face-mask he lost during the post-match celebrations against Peterborough, only to have it returned by a fan who’d picked it up and taken it home as a souvenir, Lee Gregory is unable to get to a cross swung into the Barnsley penalty area by Callum Paterson. Barnsley goalkeeper Harry Isted claims comfortably at his near post.
3 min: On the touchline, Darren Moore drinks thirstily from a water-bottle as his team take a throw-in halfway inside their own half. No chances to report on so far.
2 min: Another free-kick for Barnsley, for a foul on Herbie Kane by Wednesday midfielder Liam Palmer. It’s quite the physical battle already.
Barnsley v Sheffield Wednesday is go ...
1 min: Sheffield Wednesday get the ball wrong on a beautiful day at Wembley and play it straight back to goalkeeper Cameron Dawson, who lumps it forward. Michael Smith leads with his arm in a challenge on Mads Andersen and concedes a free-kick to Barnsley. He avoids a yellow card and is perhaps lucky to do so.
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Not long now: Led by their managers, both sets of players walk out on to the Wembley sward, the players of Barnsley in red shirts, their opponents in blue and white stripes. The last of the pre-match formalities are under way and kick-off is just a national anthem, a few handshakes, a coin-toss, a few more handshakes and a shrill blast of referee Tim Robinson’s whistle away.
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Michael Duff: The youngest side in the Championship goes up against the oldest today and Barnsley’s Tykes are living up to their nickname with an average of 24 compared to Wednesday’s 29. Michael Duff doesn’t think his team’s comparative inexperience will stand against them today.
“They’ll have 1,000s more games than us and that might help them, it might not,” he said in an interveiw with BBC Radio Sheffield. “Our youth and naivety might help us. I’m not concerned about anyone freezing. It might happen but it could happen with older players as well. It’s a one-off occasion and whoever can handle it best.
“We talk about youthfulness, intensity and quality. That’s the strapline we’ve used for this team all season. If we can bring all three to the party on Monday then we have got a good chance.”
Darren Moore: Dubbed “so special” by Pep Guardiola in the wake of their team’s unbelievable semi-final comeback from four goals down, Sheffield Wednesday fans are expected to outnumber their Barnsley counterparts by two to one at today’s Wembley showdown. ““It’s nice,” Moore told the Sheffield Star.
“I want the club to get those accolades and the words about the supporters. We know nationally the game reached so many people nationally because of the excitement the game brought. Internally we were just managing the game but externally it hit all sorts of communities and people that in the modern world of social media and so on, have a platform. When they speak, a lot of people listen, so it’s great to hear some of the views expressed towards the football club on that night. It was a special moment for us as a football club.”
In the immediate aftermath of the mother of all comebacks against Peterborough, Moore told his players to enjoy their evening but was quick to remind them that there’s more work to do. We shall find out this evening if this storied club’s players have it in them to put their collective shoulder to the wheel for one last effort against their comparatively impoverished rivals. Sheffield Wednesday skipper Barry Bannan earns £21,000 per week, while the average wage of Barnsley’s players is seven times less.
Match preview: “The 80th iteration of this South Yorkshire derby will contain more spice than any of its predecessors and it is a reminder, too, of the sky high standards set in this season’s third tier,” writes Nick Ames.
Barnsley v Sheffield Wednesday line-ups
Barnsley: Isted, Bobby Thomas, Andersen, Kitching, Williams, Phillips, Connell, Kane, Cadden, Tedic, Cole..
Subs: Collins, Russell, Norwood, Benson, L Thomas, Cundy, Watters.
Sheffield Wednesday: Dawson, Iorfa, Ihiekwe, James, Paterson, Palmer, Bannan, Johnson, Windass, Smith, Gregory.
Subs: Stockdale, Brown, Vaulks, Adeniran, Dele-Bashiru, Hunt, Flint.
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Today's match officials
Referee: Tim Robinson
Assistant referees: Shaun Hudson and Akil Howson
Fourth official: John Busby
VAR: Tony Harrington
Early team news
Barnsley manager Michael Duff has a fully fit squad to choose from and may well opt for the same team that edged past Bolton Wanderers by the only goal of the game in the semi-final second leg at Oakwell. A 32-year-old veteran in a team whose average age is under 25, striker James Norwood was on the bench for both legs of the semi-final and will almost certainly be among the substitutes today with Devante Cole and Slobodan Tedic expected to start up front.
Darren Moore has declared a clean bill of health for his squad too and despite not having played since 11 March due to a hamstring injury, midfielder George Byers is expected to be named among the Wednesday substitutes.
League One playoff final
A place in the Championship is up for grabs at Wembley, in a match football fans the length and breadth of the country are calling “the only game that’s on today”. But what a game it is, a winner-takes-all Yorkshire derby between Barnsley and Sheffield Wednesday, two clubs whose home grounds are separated by just 15 miles.
Over 60,000 fans, two thirds of them wearing the blue and white of Wednesday, are expected to make the trek to London for this afternoon’s final and if it’s as tense as the two that preceded it this Bank Holiday weekend, not a fingernail will go unbitten on an occasion from which one set of players, backroom staff and supporters will travel home jubilant and the others in a world of pain. Kick-off is at 3.00pm (BST) but stay tuned in the meantime for team news and build-up.
