Terriers go to Hel

VALERIEN ISMAEL watched in-form Barnsley move menacingly closer to the play-off places – but then set his sights on survival.

Frenchman Ismael arrived at Oakwell to replace Gerhard Struber in October and has presided over an impressive run.

And this dramatic Yorkshire derby win came courtesy of unlikely two-goal hero Michal Helik.

In the 13th minute, Huddersfield worked a short corner from the left flank which resulted in Rarmani Edmonds-Green heading in Carel Eiting’s cross. Then midway through the first half, Polish centrehalf Helik equalised and in the fourth minute of added time he hit the winner (above) from under the crossbar.

Once a record signing for Crystal Palace, Ismael, 45, cuts an impressive figure and this was the fourth time in December that Barnsley won after falling behind.

He said: “I’m happy for Michal and I’m overjoyed for his performance.

“It maybe wasn’t too easy to move countries with another culture and language, plus the Championship is a strong league.

“But I take every game one by one and if you want to stay in the league then you need 50 points. We have 31 and that’s not enough to stay up,”

Town boss Carlos Corberan said: “It’s a very painful result for us because I think we competed well.

“But in two second balls from set-pieces, we weren’t able to defend them and suffered the consequences.” BARNSLEY: Walton 6; Sollbauer 6, Helik 8, Andersen 6; Brittain 6, Mowatt 6 (Palmer 87), James 6 (Kane 74, 6), Styles 6; Frieser 6 (Adeboyejo 60, 6), Woodrow 6 (Miller 87), Chaplin 6 (Thomas 74, 6). Unused subs: Moon, Oduor, Schmidt, Collins.

HUDD’FIELD: Schofield 7; Pipa 7, Edmonds-Green 7, Saar 6, Toffolo 6; Hogg 6, Eiting 6 (Pritchard 71, 6), O’Brien 8; Bacuna 6, Mbenza 6 (Diakhaby 81), Campbell 6.

Unused subs: Vallejo, Duhaney, Harratt, Crichlow, Brown, Rowe, Hamer.

MAN OF THE MATCH: Michal Helik. The Polish centre-half, impressive throughout, was the two-goal hero for the Tykes. REFEREE: David Webb 6.