Josh Windass soars through the air and, in the most spectacular manner, Sheffield Wednesday keep going up.
That may just be to the EFL Championship but the new Wembley has scarcely had moments as sensational as this. With a diving header to rival Keith Houchen’s famous FA Cup winner at the old Wembley, Darren Moore’s irrepressible team beat a young but spirited Barnsley in the very last moment of an epic match.
This was maybe the only way to possibly top that sensational comeback against Peterborough, and the only way to do it justice. It was also, in the moment as much as much as the match itself, the only way to finish the game.
It was certainly the most impressive and instinctive piece of improvisation, that has almost been the story of this rise through the play-offs for Moore’s side.
They maybe shouldn’t have been here. They arguably shouldn’t have got this far, even on the day. Barnsley were the better side for most of the actual 90 from a contentious red card, but - as has been the case throughout this run - Moore has instilled this team with an incredible spirit.
It has also imbued this historic club with something greater, and the sense of some grander for the future.
They had to come through quite a battle here, as well as a fight, even if they initially made it like that.
As the historically bigger club, with almost double the fans there and a far older team, it was symbolically fitting that Wednesday were inevitably seeking to physically dominate Barnsley. Moore’s side were launching balls wide and in behind, and such an aerial approach led to the only chance of the first half. Dominic Iorfa forced the first of some brilliant saves from Harry Isted.
It was ironically as Barnsley attempted to match them for physicality, and initially suffered, that it brought out much more sharpness to their superior football. Duff’s side could feel aggrieved at how that went, though, and could certainly argue that two borderline VAR decisions went against them.
For the first, Wednesday’s Lee Gregory visibly caught Liam Kitching on the calf. Referee Tim Robinson didn’t give a penalty and the VAR deemed that he didn’t make a clear and obvious error. It certainly wouldn’t have been controversial if the decision went the other way. Gregory then found himself at the centre of the next call, if this time on the receiving end. With the Wednesday striker running onto a ball in midfield, Adam Phillips went in rashly if not quite strongly. Robinson immediately sent him off. It again went to VAR, and VAR again stuck by the referee’s decision.
Barnsley were not going to just dig in and stick 10 back, though. It was almost like they were more intent on beating Wednesday through pure football. What followed was their best spell of the game
They began to batter the Wednesday goal, Nicky Cadden and James Norwood peppering shots at Cameron Dawson. The goalkeeper, undeniably Wednesday’s best player on the day, was nevertheless equal to them. He often surpassed himself, especially with two strong-handed stops that pushed driven efforts wide. Dawson could only look on with gratitude, though, as Cadden’s deflected volley bounced off the bar.
He deserved it. And yet the save of the game still came from Isted.
You could see one other reason Barnsley upped it after the red, since they evidently didn’t want to go into extra-time with 10 men. That inevitably brought fatigue, and Wednesday finally enjoyed a concerted spell of pressure.
From that, though, nobody could surely have seen what Isted did next. Michael Smith was presented with the ball just yards out, but the goalkeeper somehow got a hand to it to palm it away.
The atmosphere was by that point something else. It was an occasion that had that purity of exertion, both in terms of what the players were putting in and what it was taking out of the supporters. There was an audible gasp as Liam Kitching strode forward, Barnsley enjoying a rare burst of extra-time energy, to exploit a break in the Wednesday half. He fed it to Luke Thomas who displayed superb presence of mind to play it across for Luca Connell… only for the midfielder to blaze it wide.
It was one of those efforts that was clearly an effect of tired legs.
There was then a vintage piece of theatre, from a vintage piece of technique. Wednesday substitute Will Vaulks had smashed the ball into the top corner with the cleanest of strikes, to bring an explosion of emotion - but from both ends. As Vaulks careered around the pitch trailed by teammates and even fans, Barnsley supporters cheered the offside flag going up.
The game seemed to be heading for penalties, something all the more enthralling given the goalkeepers had such superb performances. It was into the third minute of the three minutes of allotted stoppage time. There was somehow more to come, though. The comeback against Peterborough was about to have a further crescendo.
Gregory, the player who might have given away a penalty, played a cross in. There was Windass flying through the air, to send the ball past Isted, and Wednesday back to the Championship.
