West Brom head coach Slaven Bilic said his team were caught out for playing “sexy football” before they came back to draw 2-2 against Barnsley.
The Baggies rescued a point to remain two points clear at the top of the Sky Bet Championship and deny the Yorkshireman a first win since the opening day of the season.
Cauley Woodrow scored two first-half goals to leave Albion facing the prospect of a first home defeat since February 13.
But Bamba Diaby’s own goal after 68 minutes and a header from Matheus Pereira nine minutes from time sealed a comeback and meant it was 16 points the Baggies have saved from losing positions this season.
“Considering everything that happened during the game, especially in the first half, it’s a fantastic point for us,” said a relieved Bilic.
“We were trying to play key balls like assists when the situation was nowhere near ready to play them.
“We were trying to rush things too much and play sexy football, things like that.
“Then we conceded two goals and that made it worse. We conceded one then there was a screamer.
“So the team talk at half-time was a very calm one in that we didn’t need to rush things.”
Woodrow headed Barnsley into the lead in the 18th minute when Dimitri Cavare crossed for him to glance powerfully into the top corner of the net.
Six minutes later, the Yorkshiremen were 2-0 ahead when Woodrow took advantage of the space in front of him to thunder a rising left-foot drive into the far corner.
Barnsley went desperately close to a third goal after the break.
Cameron McGeehan’s looping header hit the bar after Cavare again was the provider from the right flank.
Then came the comeback as Diaby glanced Pereira’s inswinging corner past his own keeper Brad Collins before Pereira timed his run perfectly to head home Conor Townsend’s whipped-in cross.
Adam Murray, Barnsley’s caretaker manager, saluted the character of his team.
“That’s the biggest thing that has pleased me,” he said.
“When the lads have suffered a lack of confidence, I’ve seen a real positivity around, and resilience and mentality.
“I feel sorry for the lads that we couldn’t get the win but even in the 90th minute, we were still pushing.”
Murray added: “I think it would have been a famous win. We had a gameplan in the way we want about the game and in the first half we executed it perfectly.
“I didn’t just want us to defend, I wanted us to be on the front foot and attack them, not come here and fight for a point. I was proud and pleased of the boys.”
Murray was also delighted with Woodrow’s contribution.
He said: “Cauley is a player who has that in his locker – he’s not just a centre-forward who pops up in the box and scores the odd goal, his all-round play is fantastic and he scores goals from all different areas.”
