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The Clarets showed one change from the team announced earlier with Damian Hindle replacing Tony Ellis in attack alongside Andy Payton and how this was to end as Damian Hindle's night.
We started well and went in front after just nine minutes as Mark McGregor, playing in the centre of defence tonight, rose to head in a powerful header from a Mark Rasmussen corner. The game settled down with both teams playing well and both defences needing to be alert. Earl Davis had been given the task of marking Isaiah Rankin and was coming out on top.
Then on the half hour we saw a real piece of class forward play from Andy Payton. From a long Matthew O'Neill thrown in Hindle got a flick on and Payts collected with his back to goal. In one quick movement he turned and hit the shot that went in off the post giving Ghent not an earthly chance as we went 2-0 up.
We were very much on top at this point but then with just seven minutes to the interval Barnsley pulled a goal back after some scrappy defending allowed the ball to right across our penalty box where Christie was able to get on the end of it to narrow the deficit. The rest of the first half was spent with our visitors on top but we held on to take a 2-1 lead into the interval.
Barnsley continued on top at the start of the second half and doubts started to creep in as to whether we would be able to hang on to the lead. There were some scares but then on 58 minutes we went 3-1 up and again it came from a long O'Neill throw from the left. This time it was Payton who got the flick on and it dropped nicely for Mark Rasmussen on the right who made no mistake with a firm shot into the corner.
The Clarets got back on top after this for ten minutes and during this period Payton and Branch significantly were substituted. Barnsley came roaring back and with the help of some extremely dubious decisions from the officials got themselves back into the game.
On 74 minutes they won a penalty for a foul by McGregor that looked somewhat harsh but Luigi Cennamo saved superbly to his right from Rory Fallon's spot kick. Within a minute though and Barnsley had pulled one back as Rankin ran onto a through ball. It looked incredible that the assistant allowed him to go through, he appeared to be clearly offside but the flag stayed down and it was 3-2.
Two minutes later it was 3-3 and how on earth the referee missed the hand ball is difficult to believe. He did though and this allowed Kay to head home. Cennamo was clearly upset with the handball and along with Rankin was spoken to by the referee.
With a very young side on the field now it looked as though Barnsley would be the most likely winners but in the very last minute of normal time Paul Barrett broke through on the right but saw his shot saved. That looked the end of it and as Kelham O'Hanlon and Clive Middlemass from Preston left they must have thought the title was theirs.
Not quite, into stoppage time and Damian Hindle picked up the ball some thirty yards from goal and with no obvious options open to him hit a magnificent shot that soared over the visiting keeper before dropping in.
The Turf went wild (well the small gathering lucky enough to be there did) and Jeppo celebrated more than at any time since his winner against Fulham three years ago. There was not time for Barnsley to come back and as their title hopes disappeared ours remain very much alive.
It's off to the Giant Axe at Lancaster on Wednesday to take on Preston in a league title show down. They only need the draw and we need to win. If you can get there on Wednesday then do so and give the lads some support.
The teams were:
Burnley: Luigi Cennamo, Andrew Leeson, Graham Branch (Stephen Richardson 73), Earl Davis, Mark McGregor, Lenny Johnrose, Mark Rasmussen, Andrew Waine, Damian Hindle, Andy Payton (Paul Barrett 62), Matthew O'Neill. Subs not used: Sean Blakey, James Salisbury, Richard Chaplow.
Barnsley: Matthew Ghent, Carl Regan, Chris Barker, Kevin Dixon (David Coulson 45), Antony Kay, Steve Chettle, Jeremy Christie, Alex Neil, Isaiah Rankin, Rory Fallon, Leo Bertos. Subs not used: Chris Miller, Dean Wordsworth, Chris Cox, Calum Selby.