A credible draw against the Championship champions ensured Barnsley’s best league finish for 21 years and moved them up to fifth to book a two legged tie with fourth placed Swansea in the end of season play-offs.
It gave the Reds a final total of 78 points, their third highest total ever at this level behind the 82 secured in the playoff campaign of 1999-2000 and the 80 of the promotion season of 1996-1997.
By failing to win Barnsley also just missed out on equalling their second tier record of 24 wins, finishing with 23 from 46 games, meaning they have won exactly half of their Championship fixtures in 2020-2021.
Only the top three, Norwich (29), Watford (27) and Brentford (24) won more Championship games this season than Barnsley.
Mads Andersen started the 46th Championship game of the season, the first Barnsley outfield player to start all 46 league games in the second tier since Nicky Eaden in 1996-1997.
Only three players have achieved the feat in between and all three were goalkeepers – Kevin Miller, Luke Steele and Adam Davies.
This is only the 10th time in 77 second tier seasons that Barnsley have finished in the top six, they had a run of four seasons doing so between 1911-1912 and 1914-1915 (6th, 4th, 5th and 3rd) then sixth place finishes in 1981-1982 and 1994-1995 (in the 94/95 campaign only the champions Middlesbrough went up automatic with second to fifth competing in the play-offs) before their second place finish in 1996-1997 and fourth place in 1999-2000.
Barnsley have gone successive second tier seasons avoiding defeat in their final game for the first time since 2011-2012 and 2012-2013.
At any level they are unbeaten in their last seven final home games of a season (W4 D3), last losing their final home match against QPR in 2013-2014 when they were relegated from the Championship.
Indeed that is their only final home match defeat in 11 with their previous defeat also coming against QPR in 2009-2010.
QPR are the only team to beat Barnsley in their final Oakwell match of a regular season since Leicester City in 2006-2007.
Barnsley are entering their fourth play-off campaign (2 second tier, 2 third tier) and have drawn their final home game in three of those (2020-2021, 2015-2016, 2005-2006), losing their final home game in 1999-2000.
Barnsley’s tally of 78 points is their second highest total when qualifying for the playoffs – after the second tier record of 82 in 1999-2000, they gained 72 in League One in 2005-2006 and 74 ten years later.
Ironically back in 2005-2006 Brentford finished third and were joined in the play-offs by Barnsley and Swansea just like this season.
In 37 league games under Valerien Ismael this is only the third time both teams have scored as many as twice each – also a 2-2 draw with Cardiff and 3-2 win at Bournemouth.
This is only the fifth time Barnsley have scored twice in the first half under Ismael (also v QPR twice, and at Sheffield Wednesday and Rotherham) It is only the second time at Oakwell (QPR, Norwich)
Cauley Woodrow gave Barnsley the lead, his 14th goal of the season, he has scored in 14 different matches and Barnsley have lost only one (at Middlesbrough) W10 D3.
The lead only lasted two minutes as Emiliano Buendia equalised, the shortest Barnsley have held a lead since the 4th March 2017 when they lost a 1-0 lead at Derby two minutes after gaining it, and went on to lose 2-1.
Buendia scored in both league meetings this season, the fifth player to score in both league meetings against Barnsley this season – also James Collins (Luton), Dominic Solanke (Bournemouth), Adam Armstrong (Blackburn), Jamal Lowe (Swansea)
This was only the fifth time in 40 games (all comps) that Barnsley have not won when opening the scoring but they remain unbeaten in all 40 (W35 D5), last losing when breaking the deadlock at Cardiff in December 2019.
Barnsley have failed to win any of the last five league meetings with Norwich (D3 L2) and indeed have won only one of the last 17.
This was the first time in 20 meetings (all comps) that both sides have scored at least twice, last doing so in a 2-2 Carrow Road draw in January 2000.
The Reds are though undefeated in the last four Oakwell meetings (all comps) W2 D2.
Norwich enjoyed 67% possession, the most by a Barnsley opponent in the league for 23 matches since…. the away game at Norwich, also 67%.
The Canaries also enjoyed 71% possession in the FA Cup tie between the two at Oakwell which means they have had three of the top seven ball possessions against Barnsley this season (Chelsea 72%, Norwich 71%, Derby 71%, Chelsea 69%, Brentford 68%, Norwich 67%, Norwich 67%)
Barnsley had seven shots on target, their most in a home game since the Norwich cup tie (10)
There were only three corners in the game, the lowest at Oakwell this season and only beaten overall by the two at Birmingham in December.
Barnsley conceded 23 free-kicks, only at Brentford in February (24) have they conceded more this season.
Barnsley Team:
40. Brad Collins
20. Toby Sibbick
30. Michal Helik
6. Mads Andersen
7. Callum Brittain
21. Romal Palmer
34. Jasper Moon
4. Callum Styles
11. Conor Chaplin
14. Carlton Morris
9. Cauley Woodrow
Substitutes:
28. Dominik Frieser (for Chaplin 55)
29. Victor Adeboyejo (for Morris 55)
10. Daryl Dike (for Woodrow 55)
2. Jordan Williams (for Moon 67)
5. Liam Kitching (for Sibbick 82)
Unused Substitutes:
1. Jack Walton, 22. Clarke Oduor, 24. Aapo Halme, 26. Michael Sollbauer
Norwich Team:
1. Tim Krul
2. Max Aarons
44. Andrew Omobamidele
5. Grant Hanley
30. Dimitris Giannoulis
27. Alex Tettey
23. Kenny McLean
17. Emiliano Buendía
8. Mario Vrancic
14. Todd Cantwell
9. Jordan Hugill
Substitutions:
35. Adam Idah (for McLean 52)
10. Kieran Dowell (for Hugill 72)
19. Jacob Sørensen (for Tettey 87)
25. Onel Hernández (for Cantwell 87)
Unused Substitutes:
11. Przemyslaw Placheta, 12. Orjan Nyland, 16. Xavi Quintillá, 18. Marco Stiepermann, 26. Bali Mumba.
Norwich manager Daniel Farke said:
"It was a proud moment to lift the silverware.
"It was the peak of a fantastic season and I felt we finished it in style. I am pleased we came back from behind twice and Emiliano had a great chance to win it, but I am very pleased with 97 points nevertheless.
"Barnsley are very hard to play against. They are always competitive and we suffered a few injuries.
"I have full respect for what they have done this season and, after the game, they showed their class and they deserve their chance to finish the season off as a Premier League club too."
Sky Bet Championship results
SATURDAY 8TH MAY 2021
BARNSLEY (5th) 2-2 Norwich City (1st)
Woodrow 24
Buendia 26
Chaplin 43
Idah 54
Blackburn Rovers (15th) 5-2 Birmingham City (18th)
Pedersen 22
Armstrong pen 27
Brereton 45+1
Jutkiewicz 50
Armstrong 71
Elliott 83
Armstrong 85
AFC Bournemouth (6th) 0-2 Stoke City (14th)
Forrester 36
Smith 52
Bristol City (19th) 1-3 Brentford (3rd)
Toney 57
Mbeumo 78
Canos 83
Britton 87
Cardiff City (8th) 1-1 Rotherham United (23rd)
Wing 8
Pack 88
Coventry City (16th) 6-1 Millwall (11th)
Shipley 16
McFadzean 45+1
McFadzean og 54
Hyam 59
O’Hare 62
James 67
Walker 84
Derby County (21st) 3-3 Sheffield Wednesday (24th)
Hutchinson 45+4
Waghorn 49
Roberts 52 Paterson 62
Borner 69
Waghorn pen 78
Middlesbrough (10th) 0-3 Wycombe Wanderers (22nd)
Onyedinma 14
McCleary 33
McCarthy 56
Nottingham Forest (17th) 1-2 Preston North End (13th)
Garner 17
Bayliss 53
Lindsay 67
Queens Park Rangers (9th) 3-1 Luton Town (12th)
Austin 20
Dewsbury-Hall 43
Johansen 60
Adomah 90+2
Reading (7th) 2-2 Huddersfield Town (20th)
Koroma 15
Olise pen 18
Meite 26
Edmonds-Green 90+3
Watford (2nd) 2-0 Swansea City (4th)
Gray 56
Success 87
Barnsley finish in 5th place in the Sky Bet Championship with 78 points from 46 games. We are 8 points inside the Play-Offs, 13 points off the Automatic Promotion Places, 19 points off First Place and 35 points above the Relegation Zone.
Up to 9/5/21
Final Permutations:
Promoted:
Norwich (Champions)
Record v Barnsley: 02/01/2021 won 1-0, 08/05/2021 drew 2-2 = 4 points
Watford (Runners-Up)
Record v Barnsley: 31/10/2020 lost 1-0, 19/01/2021 won 1-0 = 3 points
Play-Offs:
Brentford
Record v Barnsley: 24/11/2020 won 1-0, 14/02/2021 lost 2-0 = 3 points
Swansea
Record v Barnsley: 19/12/2020 won 2-0, 16/01/2021 won 2-0 = 6 points
Bournemouth
Record v Barnsley: 04/12/2020 won 4-0, 13/03/2021 lost 3-2 = 3 points
Relegated:
Wycombe
Record v Barnsley: 09/12/2020 lost 2-1, 17/03/2021 lost 3-1 = 0 points
Rotherham
Record v Barnsley: 29/12/2020 lost 2-1, 24/04/2021 lost 1-0 = 0 points
Sheffield Wednesday
Record v Barnsley: 12/12/2020 lost 2-1, 20/03/2021 won 2-1 = 3 points
Next Up:
At Oakwell:
Sky Bet Championship Play-Offs First Leg: Barnsley v Swansea City, Monday 17th May 2021. Kick-Off: 8:15pm
On The Road:
Sky Bet Championship Play-Offs Second Leg: Swansea City v Barnsley, Saturday 22nd May 2021. Kick-Off: 5:30pm