Match report - Barnsley 2 Wolves 2

Kenny Jackett's side twice led through Zeli Ismail on two minutes and Danny Batth (20) only to be deservedly pegged back by a determined Barnsley outfit who responded through Jacob Mellis after five minutes and Chris O'Grady on 58.

New Wolves captain Sam Ricketts, who started at right-back and ended up on the left, had a hand in both his team's goals.

Along with Ricketts, there were also solid performances from Danny Batth and Richard Stearman at the back, and busy displays by Dave Edwards on the right side of midfield and Jake Cassidy up front.

There was no Georg Margreitter or Kevin Doyle – who trained yesterday - for Wolves.

Doyle had been expected to play after Jackett said they were in the frame to play.

Wolves blew away any notion that they have become slow starters by taking the lead in the first attack of the game.

Ismail made a superb run to come in off the left wing unmarked and rammed Cassidy's low cross into the roof of the net from two yards after the Welsh striker controlled a throw by Ricketts on the byline.

But in a lively and competitive start by both sides that belied the friendly, Barnsley soon levelled.

It was a good move by the home side too, O'Grady controlling Scott Golbourne's left-wing cross with his back to goal and playing in Mellis to wrongfoot Wayne Hennessey with a low shot from just outside the area.

Wolves recovered to show plenty of energy as they tried to get at Barnsley down the sides, whether through widemen Edwards and Ismail or through the channels and the running of Bjorn Sigurdarson and Cassidy.

And it was the impressive Cassidy who had the next opportunity, lashing a rising effort that flew a couple of yards over the bar in the 18^th minute.

Two minutes later Wolves were back in front when Batth was unmarked to glance Ricketts' superbly-struck free kick into the top corner of the net.

Mellis curled a free kick a few feet over from the edge of the box on 28 before Wolves went within millimetres of making it 3-1.

Cassidy rose superbly between two defenders to glance a header from Edwards's cross that hit the inside of the post and rolled along the goalline before keeper Luke Steele reacted and cleared his lines.

But in an even first half, Barnsley responded and Chris Dagnall's shot forced a falling save from Hennessey, who gathered at the second attempt in 41 before O'Grady had the Wolves keeper saving at point-blank range after he fired goalwards in a crowded box.

Both teams, but Wolves in particular, struggled to maintain the pace they had set after the break.

Barnsley enjoyed plenty of possession in the early minutes and David Perkins had a sight of goal only to lift a bouncing shot over the bar from a ball which wouldn't come down quickly enough for him.

Following pressure from the home side, it was no surprise when they equalised when O'Grady produced a superb turn and left-foot shot that nestled in the far corner of the net, giving half-time replacement Carl Ikeme no chance.

Wolves introduced Matt Doherty and Leigh Griffiths for George Elokobi and Ismail in a switch to 4-3-3 with Ricketts switching to left-back and Griffiths playing as a left-sided striker.

But things started to get even again, although Barnsley substitute Dale Jennings whistled a drive narrowly wide after announcing his arrival with a couple of stepovers on 65.

Nothing was seen of Wolves as an attacking force in the second half until the 70^th minute when Tongo Doumbia forced the unsighted Steele into a falling save with a curling free kick after Cassidy was tripped just outside the box.

But Wolves stepped it up again to finish strongly and they went close in the dying seconds when Edwards's point-blank shot was deflected wide off Martin Crainie from Griffiths's cross.

And all in all, it was another satisfactory workout for Jackett and his young squad.