Barnsley 2 - 2 Saints

Saints remain unbeaten this season.

It's three draws and one win for George Burley's team who are proving difficult opponents.

The game was always a tight affair, though it did boast some attractive football.

The second half was a tale two penalties as referee Mike Dean awarded both sides a spot kick for handball in the space of three minutes.

Grzegorz Rasiak also continued his good form, scoring twice, to make it three from four for the Polish striker.

Burley could again feel it was two points dropped but a draw was probably a fair result and the manner in which Saints are playing and the steel with which they are defending is encouraging with a new side still gelling together.

Saints' first half display was ultimately a frustrating one.

At times they played fantastic, flowing one touch football, but in their eagerness to do so there were at occasionally exposed as a sloppy pass or positional misjudgement left them open to quick Barnsley counter attacks.

Much of the play came in bursts though it was Barnsley who had the first chance.

Alexander Ostlund missed a header and Paul Hayes squared to Michael McIndoe whose shot was turned wide by Kelvin Davis.

Davis was again in action from the corner, punching Bobby Hassell's header off the line.

Grzegorz Rasiak had the first half chance for Saints, seeing his chance to fire off a shot from 20 yards that whistled low and just wide of the post.

Nathan Dyer on the right of midfield provided some of the best and worst moments of the half but definitely did the former when he got to the right by-line and crossed to Bradley Wright-Phillips.

The striker got across his man at the front post but put his shot over the bar.

After a scramble in the box from Andrew Surman's corner it was Barnsley who were again pouring forward, Davis doing well to grab McIndoe's stinging shot at the second attempt.

Saints created the best chance of the first half hour when on 30 minutes Surman's corner picked out the head of Pele at the far post. He got his effort low and on target but former Saints trainee Brian Howard was on the line to clear and set-up a counter attack that saw Davis save bravely at the feet of McIndoe.

Howard himself was the next to have a pop just a minute later but fired it wide of the goal.

There were worrying moments on 35 minutes when Gareth Bale was chopped down on a run down the left by Martin Devaney who picked up the game's first yellow card.

Bale later returned to the pitch but didn't look comfortable. However, the initial focus was on the free kick. This time it was from the left but Jermaine Wright again picked out Pele whose shot was turned wide by the diving keeper.

Saints were hit with a body blow in first half injury time when they conceded a goal.

Again it was a Barnsley counter attack with Hayes breaking away down the right and picking out McIndoe in the centre with a square ball that the Tyke firmly side footed home.

Saints made a double change at half time.

Chris Makin came on for his debut in place of Dyer while Rudi Skacel replaced Bale.

Makin slotted straight in at left back while Skacel took up a place on the left side of midfield with Surman switching to the right.

It didn't take long for Saints to get back on terms though.

Just over a minute after the re-start Wright swung in a corner that broke straight to Rasiak and the Polish hitman made no mistake in drilling a half volley into the far corner from ten yards out to make it 1-1.

The second half turned into a real ding-dong affair.

Davis had to be alert to keep out Sam Togwell and then Devaney in the space of a few seconds while Wright-Phillips got through on goal only for the keeper to snub out the danger at his feet.

Skacel's 20 yard free kick hit the outside of the wall and went just wide and Barnsley brought on Tommy Wright for Mark Richards before the real drama began.

With twenty minutes remaining, a high, looping cross from the right dropped into the Saints area.

Ostlund was underneath it at the far post but seemed to slip as the ball fell to him and struck him.

Referee Mike Dean decided it was handball and, much to the anger and protests of the Saints side, awarded Barnsley a penalty.

Hayes stepped up to take it with a slow, shuffling run. Davis guessed correctly, diving to his right, but the penalty was well struck and well placed and nestled in the bottom corner.

Saints had to do it again. But, once more it took just a matter of minutes before they were level.

And, even more incredibly, it was through a penalty for handball.

Skacel tried to cross from inside the area to Rasiak but it was blocked by Paul Reid, Dean again adjudging deliberately with his hand.

This time it was Rasiak from the spot. He went to the keeper's bottom right as well but Nick Colgan went the wrong way and Saints were at 2-2 after 73 minutes.

With nine minutes remaining both sides made their final change.

For Saints Kenwyne Jones came on for Wright-Phillips while for Barnsley Dale Tonge replaced Togwell.

With four minutes remaining Colgan had to be alert to save from Jones who fired in an effort from 20 yards and then again from Surman.

Both sides pushed for a winner at the end but an even game finished with the scores level.

Read Sunday's Pink for George Burley's reaction and more Saints stories.