Barnsley 0-1 Sheffield Wednesday: Josh Windass wins League One play-off final in last minute of extra time

Josh Windass scored the winning goal in the League One play-off final with the last action of extra time as Sheffield Wednesday beat 10-man Barnsley in the most dramatic circumstances.

It was cruel on the Tykes who had been a man down since the 49th minute when Adam Phillips was shown a straight red for a poor challenge on Lee Gregory.

In an action-packed period of extra time, Isted saved brilliantly from Michael Smith and Barry Bannan and Luca Connell missed a sitter for the Reds before Wednesday came up with the latest of late winners.

It was perhaps fitting for Wednesday to win promotion in such remarkable fashion given their run to this Wembley showdown.

Darren Moore’s men looked on course for automatic promotion with a club-record 23-game unbeaten run.

However, that ended when the Tykes beat them 4-2 in March and they eventually finished third behind Plymouth and Ipswich with 96 points – the highest number of points ever accumulated to not be enough to go up automatically.

They then fell to a thumping 4-0 defeat in the first leg of their play-off semi-final with Peterborough to leave their promotion hopes in tatters as fans booed the team from the pitch.

Backed by a raucous Hillsborough they stunned Posh to equalise the tie on aggregate with the final kick of the 90 minutes in the second leg before winning on penalties. It was the first time a team had ever overcome more than a 2-0 deficit in a play-off semi-final.

For long periods of Monday’s League One final it seemed like that would be as good as it got for the Owls. But in the last second of the game Windass dived to head Gregory’s cross in powerfully and send 44, 000 Wednesday fans into pandemonium while breaking Barnsley hearts.

Brilliant Isted finally beaten

There was little sign of the drama to come after a first half which had started brightly but quickly faded.

The game came to life after the break though, first Gregory seemed to be fortunate to get away with a challenge on Liam Kitching in his own penalty area with VAR checking it but deciding to stick with referee Tim Robinson’s decision not to award a penalty.

Moments later Gregory and Phillips went in for a slide tackle 40 yards from Wednesday’s goal and, after taking a moment, Robinson produced his red card for Phillips. Again, the decision went to VAR and they stuck with Robinson’s call.

Despite being a man down Michael Duff’s men used the setback to push on.

Kitching deflected a Nicky Cadden volley on to the crossbar with his head and Cameron Dawson was forced into smart saves by Cadden and James Norwood. Barnsley’s backline stood up comfortably to Wednesday’s long balls.

After such a long season and on a hot day at the national stadium the two teams could have been excused for dropping off in extra time but the additional 30 provided unbelievable drama.

Luton loanee Isted, who made a good save in the first half from Dominic Iorfa, pulled off a miraculous stop from Smith from close range and then got down brilliantly to turn Bannan’s effort around the post.

Kitching then charged forward from centre-back and played Luke Thomas in before he squared for Connell at the back post. Just six yards out and with the goal gaping he skewed his shot wide to the disbelief of the Barnsley fans.

Wednesday substitute Will Vaulks then thought he had given the Owls the lead after half-time in extra time but the celebrations were curtailed by an offside flag.

Tykes skipper Mads Andersen produced a great block from Windass from close in and that looked to be the final meaningful act.

However, Windass, like father Dean, who scored the winning goal for Hull City in the Championship play-off final in 2008, would have the final say.

More to follow.