Report: Late Windass drama gives Sheffield Wednesday Play-Off win

Sheffield Wednesday left it late to clinch Play-Off promotion to the Sky Bet Championship in the most dramatic of circumstances, overcoming a heartbroken Barnsley in extra time thanks to the head of Josh Windass.

An electric pre-match atmosphere inside Wembley set the tone for a pulsating Play-Off promotion battle for a place in the Championship across 120 minutes. Both sets of players were roared on by a crowd of just under 75,000 – and they had to wait until the very end for Josh Windass to come up with the decisive moment.

Lee Gregory had an early chance when his faint headed touch from a deflected right-wing cross was easy for Harry Isted to gather. Soon after, a second cross from the Wednesday right was headed away only as far as Barry Bannan who neatly chested and volleyed goalwards, only for the head of Bobby Thomas to divert it away for a corner.

Next it was Dominic Iorfa’s turn to have an effort on target as he adjusted his body well and sent the ball back goalwards after dropping in the area, only to see it palmed back out by Isted.

Barnsley’s first chance fell 15 minutes in. Luca Connell clipped a diagonal ball to the back post to find Tedić peeling away from his marker, and the Serbian headed back down to Adam Phillips who skied high as ball bounced back to him in the box.

The drinks break midway through first half then halted the back-and-forth action and momentum of both sides, as the game slowed but gave Barnsley more of a foothold after withstanding their Yorkshire rival’s early pressure.

A Connell corner was headed away at the near post by Bannan and fell nicely to Nicky Cadden on edge of area who blazed over on the half volley. Barnsley's set pieces were causing problems, and from another Cadden delivery, Thomas climbed above his man to loop a header over as the ball was curling away from him and the goal.

A good first-time ball from Phillips into the feet of Tedić in the box looked like it could prove decisive, but his touch was just not tight enough to his body and meant he couldn’t get his shot away meaning it proved to be a first half in which both teams cancelled each other out.

The second half began with a bang. Referee Tim Robinson decided to give Adam Phillips a straight red on 49 minutes after his over-the-top challenge on Lee Gregory which was checked by VAR.

And the half-time break brought a second wind to both sides as a frantic pace continued. A long throw from the left was hurled into the box by Thomas once more and Wednesday cleared, only for Cadden to catch the ball sweet on the volley from 25 yards out. The ball was heading well wide but centre back Liam Kitching instinctively flicked his teammates’ strike goalwards and was unlucky to see it cannon back off the crossbar.

In Bannan's typical jinking style, he got forward and nutmegged Connell before curling a right-footed effort just wide of the angle. At the other end, bright spark Cadden burst through into the area and drove an effort towards the near post which Dawson had to push over the bar as the game became like a basketball match.

Isted was then forced into a double save – first to deny Marvin Johnson’s low ball across the face heading into the far corner, then getting up quickly to stop Gregory pouncing on the rebound as Barnsley defenders scrambled back to cover.

Wednesday were looking to exploit the pockets on the edge of the box as a result of having an extra man. Barnsley on the other hand, were sitting deep in their shape and looking to counter where possible with ten men, and nearly profited from that exact tactic when substitute James Norwood excellently chased a hopeful ball he was second favourite for into the corner. He shrugged off a Wednesday defender, drove into the box, and fizzed a shot towards the near post which Dawson had to be alert to again.

Cadden and Bannan both had efforts before the 90 minute mark was up but since neither side could get that all important opener in normal time, an extra half an hour would play out.

When play was back underway, Barnsley skipper Mads Andersen used all his defensive instincts to retreat towards the goal line and hook away a header that had Isted beaten.

Then Isted pulled off a huge save to keep his side in it. Windass’ low ball into the box ended up at the feet of Michael Smith who, from just four yards out, thought he had put his side ahead – only for the Barnsley 'keeper to stretch out and claw the ball away. Barnsley were living dangerously, sinking deeper into their own half as The Owls kept coming at them, and Bannan tested Isted from range again.

Barnsley had a guilt edge chance of their own to get themselves in front, again on the break, when Kitching broke forward and breezed through midfield. He played in Luke Thomas to his right, who in turn squared for Connell joining the attack, but with just the goalkeeper to beat, he fluffed his lines at the crucial moment.

End to end it went as both sides felt they had nothing to lose, and Wednesday thought they’d got their noses in front minutes into the second period of Extra Time. Two substitutes combined as right-wing-back Jack Hunt – scorer of the winning penalty in their semi-final comeback – made a run and set the ball back to Will Vaulks running onto it, and from just right of the ‘D’ swept home brilliantly into the top corner, only to realise the offside flag had gone up.

Time ticked towards what would’ve been a third successive penalty shoot-out in three days across the EFL Play-Offs, but there was one last piece of drama.

With virtually the last kick of the game, Barnsley succumbed to the relentless pressure. They retreated just a little too far and Wednesday nicked it – and with it, promotion to the second tier after a two-year absence – with a Josh Windass header. Gregory did well down the left to fashion some room for a cross, which was pulled back just enough for on the onrushing Windass to plant a diving header into the corner and send the 44,000 people from Sheffield absolutely wild.