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Dion Charles denied Barnsley a vital first-leg advantage with a second-half equaliser to earn Bolton a 1-1 draw in their Sky Bet League One play-off semi-final. The Northern Ireland international scored his 21st league goal just four minutes after Nicky Cadden threatened to put Barnsley in the driving seat for Friday’s return at Oakwell. The eventual winners will meet Sheffield Wednesday or Peterborough at Wembley for the right to join Plymouth and Ipswich in the Championship next season. Unlike Posh’s 4-0 hammering of the Owls, this second semi-final - played in front of a crowd of 23,450 - was far cagier. Barnsley finished one place and five points in front of their hosts after the regular season. But Wanderers enjoyed a more profitable end to the campaign and showed their resilience after falling behind. The return of captain Mads Andersen after a two-game injury absence boosted Barnsley in this fourth and penultimate meeting between the teams this season. The corresponding home league fixture ended in a sterile 0-0 draw, Barnsley won the FA Cup duel while Wanderers romped to a 3-0 win at Oakwell on January 2. Barnsley hope to return to the Championship after just one season away while a Jack Grealish goal for Aston Villa contributed to Wanderers dropping from the second tier in April 2019. Charles fired high and wide from Elias Kachunga’s cross as Wanderers looked to replicate the whirlwind start from their Papa John’s Trophy triumph against Plymouth. Liam Kitching blocked defender George Johnston’s effort but it was Barnsley who looked most likely to break the first-half stalemate. Luca Connell, a former Bolton academy midfielder, drilled a lot shot from distance that James Trafford - in his farewell home appearance - did not hold first time. Adam Phillips thumped another effort over the crossbar while Manchester City loanee Trafford blocked Slobodan Tedic’s flick. Devante Cole turned Ricardo Santos but could not direct his attempt on target while Trafford was called into action to save from Cadden. And it was Cadden who put the Tykes in front with his sixth goal of the campaign after 63 minutes. Wanderers failed to clear a Phillips corner and Cadden fired home from the edge of the area after Cole played the ball back into his path. Bolton boss Ian Evatt immediately introduced substitutes Dan N’Lundulu and Kieran Lee for Kachunga and Josh Sheehan and within four minutes the home side were level. Harry Isted had not had a shot to save but when called upon to deal with Randell Williams’ left-wing centre, he could only push the ball towards Charles for the equaliser. Barnsley shrugged off the disappointment and Bobby Thomas twice went close to restoring the visitors’ advantage. Andersen then showed his qualities with a vital block from N’Lundulu but neither team could find a crucial second goal. PA Read More When are the play-offs? A closer look at this season’s play-off contenders as promotion battle resumes The sporting weekend in pictures EFL clubs agree record £935million broadcast deal with Sky Sports Play-offs, promotions and safety – who needs what on last weekend of EFL season? ‘Huge talent’ Alejandro Garnacho backed to play key role in Man Utd’s run-in

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Frank Lampard called on his players to be killers in attack if they are to emulate Raheem Sterling’s two goals in the 2-2 draw against Nottingham Forest and finally vanquish the team’s scoring woes. Chelsea were booed off at the break against struggling Forest, trailing to Taiwo Awoniyi’s header after Edouard Mendy had flapped at a cross on his return to the side. It then took just seven second-half minutes for Sterling to turn the game on its head and remind those same supporters of the potential the England forward still has to transform a match single-handedly. His first he owed to good work from Noni Madueke and Trevoh Chalobah down the right and to a fortunate deflection off Ryan Yates who lay stricken on the turf, but his second was a sublime solo effort, ramming the ball into Keylor Navas’ bottom corner after finding space inside the box. Lampard said Sterling’s example was one the whole team would need to follow going into next season if Chelsea are to put this miserable campaign behind them. “Raheem’s a player that has the credit in the bank, he’s been a regular scorer in the Premier League and for his country,” said the Blues boss. “To see him score there (the first goal) was Raheem. Arriving for a cross, and then individual brilliance to score the (second) goal. I’m very happy for him. It’s what we need across the top end of the pitch. “Raheem has done it and he’s produced it again. If you’re going to win games when you have 76 per cent possession, you need to be killers at the top end of the pitch, and Raheem is proven to be that. At the moment we don’t have enough of that.” The draw means Chelsea are still without a home win since Lampard returned as interim manager on April 6 and saw them slip back into 12th place with Crystal Palace’s win over Bournemouth. Aside from Sterling’s solo intervention, there was little to suggest the goalscoring troubles that have derailed their season have an end in sight. Lampard added: “What pleased me was not so much the week’s training, it was more the idea of what the plan is before the game that we were going to have a lot of ball in their half, so we have to be really dynamic to move their back five, we have to make sure our counter-press positions are good, which they are to be fair. “What displeased me was that in the first half we didn’t do it with enough urgency to break the back five; sideways, safe. Then in the second half when we did, we underlapped them and get a goal and we showed urgency in our running forward and we get another goal.” Forest kept themselves at the head of the Premier League’s four relegation-threatened sides with Awoniyi’s second goal of the game in the second half stealing a point, ensuring the gap to 18th-placed Leeds remained at three going into the season’s final two games. “Probably a mix really of some disappointed guys in the dressing room, and I like that, because although we had to work really hard for what we got today, we could easily have got a little bit more,” said Forest boss Cooper. “It’s the mixed feeling really of that, and also knowing that we gave everything, we stuck to the plan, we showed good resilience from going 2-1 down when really, I wouldn’t say we gifted it to Chelsea but we could have done so much better with them goals. “We knew Chelsea were going to have the ball, we were away from home. But the game was going exactly as we wanted it to go. So to quickly turn it to go to 2-1 down and then to get something out of the game I think is a positive as well. There’s loads to take out of the game. “It feels like we’re giving away goals more easily than how we’re scoring them. Look at the two goals today, great strategy in terms of the set-piece for the second one, good technique for the cross and the head for the first. “I’ve never had to question the attitude, desire, resilience, commitment, that part of the mentality. At times a little bit of belief, and concentration and a bit of confidence away from home. “That’s why at times we’ve had what we’ve had. It was good really after going 2-1 down to get something out of the game because I don’t think many would have backed us to get anything today.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Standards have not been good enough – Ruben Selles on Southampton’s relegation Notts County back in EFL with sub goalkeeper Archie Mair the shoot-out hero ‘Huge talent’ Alejandro Garnacho backed to play key role in Man Utd’s run-in

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Erik ten Hag highlighted Alejandro Garnacho’s bravery, maturity and confidence after the Manchester United teenager made a goalscoring return after a two-month injury lay-off. The nascent 18-year-old talent, who recently signed a new deal until 2028, received an excellent reception on his first appearance since sustaining an ankle injury against Southampton on March 12. Garnacho was brought on in the 82nd minute and scored with a stoppage-time strike off the post in front of the Stretford End to wrap up a 2-0 victory against Wolves. Ten Hag was happy with all his introductions after a few weeks when he said the “subs were bad”, but the Argentinian took the headlines after United got their top-four tilt back on track. “Garna, of course, scored a great goal,” the United boss said. “He came in, he did I think almost everything good and then he scored a goal. “That will give him belief and that is good for us for the rest of the season that he is back. It’ll give him confidence and he can have an impact. “He is showing when you score some winners, like Fulham, assist against City, for instance. Now the second goal, he is showing some things. “Also sometimes he lacks defensive transition, in pressing, he has to step up in such things. Also, when you are going into an action or keep the ball, so decisions. “But I think when you see it all over, yeah, he is a huge talent and he’s brave.” Garnacho arrived from Atletico Madrid in 2020 and was last season’s Jimmy Murphy Young Player of the Year having played a key role in United’s FA Youth Cup triumph. The Argentina youth international frustrated Ten Hag during pre-season but has since won the Dutchman over, making 30 first-team appearances so far this campaign. “One of the aspects from the biggest talent is that they are mature,” the United boss said. “First, they take responsibility and, second, they are mature. “To bring in their skills, they have belief that they can dominate opponents and I think once again he did it. “He has a big impact in many games either when starting or coming on, he’s ready, straight into the game and that is so important for the squad you can bring such players. “I am happy that you can bring young players and hopefully he will progress so quickly that he can compete for a starting XI position because that is his next challenge.” Garnacho’s strike was United’s 100th goal of the season in all competitions and complemented Anthony Martial’s opener in a 25th Old Trafford victory of the campaign. The win was an important response to defeats at Brighton and West Ham, which had allowed Liverpool to close the gap in the race for Champions League qualification. “You have to deal (with setbacks),” Ten Hag said, “Everyone told me in United it is never going in the easy way, we go the difficult way. “I think the team was ready for this battle, for this fight. “Once again, we make the goalie of the opponent the man of the match, so we could have made life easier if we score the second goal early on. “But we have the points, we are happy with that and we move on.” Wolves failed to muster a shot on target as their poor away form continued, leaving boss Julen Lopetegui frustrated. “Obviously, the result was not good for us, but we tried to compete with them,” said the Spaniard, who praised goalkeeper Dan Bentley after making an impressive Premier League debut. “In the context of the match, the first half, we suffered one goal in one mistake that we had and they didn’t have any more chances. “In the second half, we take a risk, we dominate the game and had situations when we could have done better. “In the end, it was a pity, we tried, but, in the end, they deserved to win.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Standards have not been good enough – Ruben Selles on Southampton’s relegation Notts County back in EFL with sub goalkeeper Archie Mair the shoot-out hero Tottenham ‘pulling together’ despite latest setback – Ryan Mason

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Caretaker boss Ryan Mason denied managerless Tottenham are drifting after a potentially damaging 2-1 defeat at Aston Villa. Jacob Ramsey and Douglas Luiz struck to move Villa level on points in the Premier League with their sixth-placed visitors. Harry Kane’s late penalty gave the scoreline a flattering look as aimless Spurs were second best throughout. Mason, Spurs’ third manager of the season, is now battling to keep them in the European spots. They are without a head coach and sporting director after the departures of Antonio Conte, Cristian Stellini and Fabio Paratici but Mason insisted the club is still fighting. He said: “The outside world is the outside world. When you are consistent and strong inside that transfers outside. It is a difficult moment but everyone is pulling together. “The environment you try to set within is the most important thing. “To go a goal down so early again, it’s happened too many times this season. We need to be better. It’s a very disappointing day. “I felt we were more of a threat in the second half and their keeper has pulled off an outstanding save at 1-0 which could have changed the flow of the game. “We understand we have two important games and it’s still in our hands, what we want to achieve, we need to learn and try to be better. “We’ve come here against a good side and you have to understand you have to suffer as a team and then the game changes, like we saw in the second half, but you can’t get to that point being a goal down.” Ramsey opened the scoring after just eight minutes, finding the corner from Leon Bailey’s cross, as Villa dominated. Tottenham were dreadful and needed Fraser Forster to keep it at 1-0 when he saved from Bailey after Pedro Porro’s mistake. Emi Buendia hit the bar before the break and was denied by Forster following the restart, with John McGinn shooting wide. But Spurs were almost gifted a way back when Oliver Skipp robbed Luiz to tee up Kane only for to see his shot beaten away by Emi Martinez. Dejan Kulusevski curled wide but Villa found some daylight with 18 minutes left when Luiz curled in a 25-yard free-kick which Forster could only help into the top corner. It seemed like the hosts would cruise to victory but they were forced to sweat in stoppage time when Kane went down under Martinez’s challenge and – after a long VAR delay – referee Peter Bankes awarded the penalty which the England captain scored. Villa remain in the hunt for a Europa League spot, although boss Unai Emery admitted he did not think it was achievable when he replaced Steven Gerrard in October. He said: “No, it was a process but I told the players if we can have chances to go there we are going to try to get it. If we didn’t get it, it’s not a fail. It’s a process. “We played with a high level in the first half and kept our identity. We deserved more in the first half, maybe. Keeping focus in 90 minutes is not easy and we were playing a very good team. “In the second half they played better but at the end we deserved to win. We want to connect with our supporters, get the energy and give them our energy and this is the sixth win in a row here. “I was very, very happy in the first half. We need to be consistent but today we played very well and the players are showing their commitment.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Carly Telford hopes adversity can galvanise England at the World Cup Mark Robins relishing play-off opportunity as Coventry ‘rise together’ Man Utd boss Marc Skinner fires FA Cup final warning to favourites Chelsea