Blackburn leave it late

Friedel fails to keep out Barnard's stunning strike

Barnsley 1-1 Blackburn

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Craig Hignett denied old club Barnsley in this FA Cup third round clash to keep the heat off Blackburn boss Graeme Souness.

I've no mixed emotions... I'm glad I scored because it ensures we are in the hat for the next round.

Craig Hignett

The pint-sized midfielder hit the back of the net with just eight minutes left after Darren Barnard's 76th-minute strike had looked like giving the home side a shock win.

Hignett, one of four new faces Souness brought into the side after defeat at Spurs, almost scored twice midway through the first half.

His left-foot shot from 18 yards out was inches away from curling inside Kevin Miller's right-hand post, while a powerful close-range drive moments later was bravely blocked by Chris Barker.

Hignett saves the day

Hignett then forced Miller into the first save of the game after Tugay had brilliantly set him up courtesy of a surging run towards the edge of the Barnsley area.

Miller was the busier of the two keepers again after the restart, making fine saves from Ostenstad and Lucas Neill before the game came to life in the last 14 minutes.

Brad Friedel could do nothing as a stunning 25-yard angled thunderbolt from Barnard flashed past him into his top left-hand corner of the net.

We seem to lose our nerve and are not quite the same team when we go in front

Barnsley boss
Steve Parkin

But just as Barnsley were starting to dream of a shock, Hignett struck.

Starting only his fourth game of the season, he glanced a superb header just beyond the out-stretched grasp of Miller from Alan Mahon's curled cross from the left.

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Barnsley: Miller, Mulligan, Morgan, Chettle, Barker, Donovan, Crooks, Lumsdon, Barnard, Sheron (Bertos 88), Dyer

Subs not used: Marriott, McSwegan, Lee Jones, Bertos.

Goal: Barnard (76)

Booked: Mulligan, Crooks.

Blackburn: Friedel, Neill, Short, Berg, Bjornebye, Hignett, Tugay, Dunn, Mahon, Jansen (Hughes 68), Ostenstad (Gillespie 59).

Subs not used: Kelly, Taylor, Johansson.

Goal: Hignett (82)

Booked: Tugay.

Referee: P Dowd (Stoke-on-Trent).