Sheffield Wednesday promoted after last-gasp goal sinks Barnsley

It has not been a dull couple of weeks from a Sheffield Wednesday perspective. With six seconds of extra time to play, Josh Windass’s diving header spared Wednesday another penalty shootout and sent them into the Championship. Fifteen years on from his dad, Dean, lashing in here to win Hull City promotion to the Premier League another Windass made a Wembley memory to last a lifetime.

The celebrations were wild. Barry Bannan, the Wednesday captain who departed with cramp deep into extra time, rushed to celebrate with Dean in the stands. It was a heartbreaking ending for Barnsley, who played more than 70 minutes with 10 men after Adam Phillips was controversially sent off early in the second half. Darren Moore, typically, was the calmest man in the stadium. Now Wednesday substitute Will Vaulks could laugh about his cartwheel and backflip celebration after his extra-time goal was disallowed.

After the absorbing and, frankly, absurd drama at Hillsborough 11 days ago perhaps it was inevitable this match would be a slow-burner. But how the temperature of this South Yorkshire derby rocketed in the second half after a cagey initial period of half-chances. Barnsley were incensed after a VAR check cleared Lee Gregory of wiping out Liam Kitching inside the Wednesday box and two minutes later Gregory was involved in the incident that prompted the referee, Tim Robinson, to dismiss Phillips. Both Gregory and Phillips went sliding in to contest for the ball but the former got to it first and Phillips, a split-second later, careered over and into the Wednesday striker. Phillips protested his innocence but the VAR, Tony Harrington, deemed it serious foul play.

It was ugly but the clash looked worse than it was. Gregory, wearing the bespoke face mask returned by a Wednesday supporter who discovered it in the rubble of the pitch invasion last time out, beat the ground but was quickly on his feet. A livid Michael Duff sought to make the point to the referee that Gregory should have been penalised moments earlier. Soon afterwards Howard Webb, up in the stands, was immersed in his phone, perhaps reviewing footage of the challenge.

Barnsley’s Harry Isted fails to keep out Josh Windass’s header. Photograph: Ryan Browne/Shutterstock

A touch of spice was to be expected for a meeting between rivals and those two incidents across a couple of second-half minutes proved the trigger for the game to open up. Barnsley reeled but appeared galvanised by the player deficit and no sooner Phillips swallowed the decision Nicky Cadden’s volley from the edge of the box was diverted on to the crossbar by Kitching with Cameron Dawson, the Wednesday keeper, rooted his spot. At the other end Bannan, part of the Wednesday team that lost out to Hull in the Championship playoff final here in 2016, curled a right-foot effort wide of the upright after stepping inside Luca Connell, the Barnsley midfielder suddenly facing a bigger workload. Harry Isted, the Barnsley goalkeeper, then smothered the ball after Bobby Thomas almost inadvertently rerouted Marvin Johnson’s low cross into his own net.

Wednesday seemed weighed down by the responsibility of taking the game to Barnsley. They were extremely passive until extra time, during which Mads Andersen, the Barnsley captain, calmly side-footed the ball clear off the line after Wednesday recycled a long throw by Vaulks. Bannan smacked a shot close from distance and Wednesday went even closer nine minutes into extra time. Windass sent a low ball into the box, which Michael Smith looked to convert from close range but Isted made a superb right-handed save. Jordan Williams then heroically made a despairing block to prevent Gregory blasting in the rebound. Isted, on loan from Luton, who won promotion here on Saturday, was in inspired form.

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Barnsley missed a golden opportunity to snatch the lead after a storming counterattack 13 minutes into extra time. Encouraged by the Barnsley support, centre-back Kitching went on a rampaging run and spread play to his right to the substitute Luke Thomas, who unselfishly squared for Connell. But Connell fluffed his lines and shanked the ball wide. Duff looked to the skies and dragged his fingers down his face. Vaulks would follow suit deep into extra time, only for Windass to send almost 44,000 Wednesday fans wild with the last attack.