Wolves 2 (Enobakhare 81, N’Diaye 90+3)
Barnsley 1 (Jackson 90+1)
In a dramatic finale to the game, Barnsley’s Adam Jackson cancelled out Bright Enobakhare’s opener before Alfred N’Diaye sent the home fans wild with a 94th minute winner.
Wolves fielded the team that had started against Nottingham Forest seven days earlier and there was a pleasant surprise in store when Helder Costa was named as a substitute following his lengthy injury absence.
Barnsley kicked-off on what was a lovely, sunny September afternoon but there was little goalmouth action in the opening exchanges.
When Barnsley had a free-kick opening, 25-yards out and in line with goal, Harvey Barnes was way off the mark with his attempt before Diogo Jota was high and wide with a back stick header after a cross from Ivan Cavaleiro.
The first effort that was on target came in the 17th minute when Tom Bradshaw’s header from Brad Potts’s centre went straight into the arms of John Ruddy.
Cavaleiro almost unlocked the Barnsley defence with a snapshot from 20-yards that just cleared the bar.
Ruben Neves was injured and needed treatment following a late challenge from Joe Williams who was shown the yellow card.
On the half-hour Barnsley penalty appeals were ignored after Danny Batth had tangled with Bradshaw who was going for Adam Hammill’s well-flighted cross.
Matt Doherty and Potts needed treatment after an accidental clash of heads and, when play resumed, two Cavaleiro corners in quick succession were dealt with by the visiting defence.
And it was Cavaleiro that was inches away from giving Wolves the lead five minutes before the break. Ruben Vinagre pulled the ball back and the winger hit a first time shot that curled the wrong side of the post.
Hammill tested Ruddy with a low drive and the final action of the half saw Barnsley keeper Adam Davies saving at Leo Bonatini’s feet after Doherty had drilled a cross into the box.
Half-Time: Wolves 0 Barnsley 0
Barry Douglas was an interval replacement for Vinagre.
Neves went into the book for a high foot challenge on Jason McCarthy before a cutting break by Wolves involving Cavaleiro and Douglas ended with Doherty’s on target shot bouncing away off a defender.
Douglas was soon in the mix again, this time forcing a diving save from Davies after Bonatini had carved out the opening.
In the 56th minute, Jota beat the offside trap and cut in from the right but his attempt at beating Davies sailed wide of the far post.
Conor Coady was booked after he had caught Bradshaw five-yards outside the home area. Hammill’s free-kick came back off the wall.
The first change of the afternoon came in the 64th minute when Enobakhare was sent on for Cavaleiro.
A low 25-yard drive from Neves needed two attempts from Davies before the keeper was in control of the ball and then Romain Saiss was booked for an innocuous challenge on Barnes who was replaced shortly afterwards by Ryan Hedges.
Bonatini fired wide of the target after he had been played in by Jota before another change to the home team saw N’Diaye replacing Saiss.
And the Senegalese midfielder had only been on the field for a matter of seconds when he conjured up the opening goal of the game. He crossed from the right and Enobakhare was waiting on the far side to steer home a cushioned left-foot volley.
Barnsley immediately made a double change sending on Cameron McGeehan and Ike Ugbo for George Moncur and Potts respectively.
The substitute pairing of N’Diaye and Enobakhare almost did the trick again but this time Enobakhare was too high after running onto his team-mate’s through ball.
The game had just drifted into stoppage time when Barnsley pulled level. Hammill fired a free-kick into the box and after the ball was headed into the air, Liam Lindsay nodded it back into the thick of things and Jackson was there to hammer a half clearance back into the roof of the net.
But the drama wasn’t over as Wolves grabbed a winner in the fourth minute of added time. Enobakhare played Bonatini in and he squared the ball to N’Diaye who made no mistake converting from ten-yards out.
Wolves: Ruddy, Doherty, Vinagre (Douglas 45), Neves, Batth (capt), Miranda, Coady, Jota, Bonatini, Saiss (N’Diaye 80), Cavaleiro (Enobakhare 64).
Unused subs: Norris, Marshall, Costa, Price.
Bookings: Neves (47 – foul), Coady (57 – foul), Saiss (70 – foul).
Barnsley: Davies (capt), McCarthy, Williams, Lindsay, Hammill, Bradshaw, Moncur (McGeehan 82), Barnes (Hedges 70), Jackson, Potts (Ugbo 82), Pearson.
Unused subs; Townsend, MacDonald, Pinnock, Thiam.
Bookings: Williams (25 – foul).
Referee: J. Simpson.
Attendance: 28,154 (925 away supporters).
Middlesbrough Academy Under 18s 2 Wolves 1 (Feeney)
