Barnsley beat Millwall in League One play-off final to seal promotion to the Championship

Barnsley were promoted back to the Championship after a two-year absence as they beat Millwall 3-1 in an entertaining League One play-off final at Wembley.

The Tykes took the lead just 90 seconds in when Ashley Fletcher took advantage of some hesistant defending, before Adam Hammill added a stunning second goal from 25 yards.

The Lions got themselves back into the game through Mark Beevers’ fine finish, but Lloyd Isgrove headed in to put the tie out of reach for Neil Harris’ men.

Millwall boss Harris had to make a late change to his unchanged starting line-up when Byron Webster pulled up in the warm-up, and he was replaced by Tony Craig and that change in the centre of defence seemed to affect the Lions in the opening exchanges.

However, it was the side from the capital who had the first chance of the match after Shane Ferguson was brought down by Josh Scowen on the left, but Mark Beevers’ header went just wide.

The uncertainty in Millwall’s defence was evident moments later, as Sam Winnall won a flick-on, and Fletcher beat his man before finding the far corner of Jordan Archer’s goal to send the Tykes fans into raptures.

It was Fletcher’s second goal at Wembley this season, after he also scored in the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy final against Oxford United in April.

Ashley Fletcher scores the opening goal in the League One play-off final for Barnsley. Photo: Charlotte Wilson/Offside

Paul Heckingbottom’s men were in the ascendency, and they had two chances to double their lead with Hammill playing a neat one-two with Sam Winnall, before firing over the bar from the edge of the box, while Fletcher timed his run perfectly to be sent clean through, but Archer saved well from a tight angle.

However, in the 19th minute, Hammill did give Barnsley a two-goal advantage with a stunning strike as he picked up the ball wide on the left, and cut inside before bending a sensational curling effort into the top corner from 25 yards.

The Yorkshire outfit, who beat Walsall 6-1 on aggregate in their play-off semi-final tie, looked to be cruising, but 15 minutes later Millwall were back in the tie.

Ferguson’s corner was flicked on by Steve Morison, and despite centre-back Craig mis-cuing his shot, the ball found its way to Beevers, who rolled Mark Roberts before firing home from six yards out against his hometown side.

The Lions were dealt another defensive blow just before the break as left-back Joe Martin limped off with a calf injury, but while the first half was all-action and full of chances, the second half started scrappily for both clubs.

The 30,000 Millwall fans were really getting behind their team, and they had their best chance to level the scores in the 66th minute, when Steve Morison, Jimmy Abdoou and Aiden O’Brien all having efforts at goal in quick succession.

And the tie was ultimately put beyond the reach of the Harris’ side in the 74th minute when Isgrove added a third, beating Archer to Conor Hourihane’s corner to head into the net, despite being just 5ft 7in tall.

The Tykes could have added another from another clever corner routine, with Hourihane’s low cross being fired over by Winnall, while Chris Taylor had the chance the set up a nervy finish, but his effort was well saved by Adam Davies, as Barnsley returned to the second tier of English football.

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