For the third successive season Barnsley ended with an away defeat - however the scenes were much different from 12 months ago when a 4-1 thumping at Derby saw them relegated to the third tier.
This defeat did mean Barnsley had to settle for the runners-up spot in League One (however Luton's 3-1 victory over Oxford had made it academic anyway)
It is the first time Barnsley have finished in the top two places of a division since 1996-1997 when they were runners up in the second tier and won promotion to the Premier League.
Since being elected to the Football League in 1898 this is the eighth time they have finished in the top two of a division (1933-1934 1st Division Three North, 1938-1939 1st Division Three North, 1953-1954 2nd Division Three North, 1954-1955 1st Division Three North, 1967-1968 2nd Division Four, 1980-1981 2nd Division Three, 1996-1997 2nd Division One, 2nd 2018-2019 League One)
It is however only the fourth time in the last 19 years that the Reds have finished in the top half of a division (2003-2004 12th Division Two, 2005-2006 5th League One, 2015-2016 6th League One, 2018-2019 2nd League One)
Of the 10 promotions Barnsley have now won in their history, six have occurred in an odd year, three of which have come in years ending in 9 (2019, 1997, 1981, 1979, 1955, 1939)
This was Barnsley's seventh promotion from the third tier (also 1933-34, 1938-39, 1954-55, 1980-81, 2005-06, 2015-16) -it is the division they have been promoted from most (twice from fourth tier, once from second tier)
Barnsley finished 19 points clear of seventh placed Peterborough, when finishing in the top six of a league this is their biggest gap to seventh since 1938-1939 when they won the Division Three North title and were 21 points clear of seventh placed Hull City (67-46)
They finished 41 points clear of the relegation zone, the biggest ever gap between Barnsley and the drop zone.
Two South Yorkshire clubs have won automatic promotion this season (Sheffield United finishing second in the Championship) - the first time this has happened since 2016-2017 when Sheffield United won the League One title and Doncaster took the third and final automatic spot in League Two.
Barnsley have now finished above Sunderland in two successive seasons (22nd/24th in the Championship in 2017-2018 and 2nd/5th in League One in 2018-2019) it is the first time the Reds have finished above the Mackems in successive seasons since 1991-1992 (16th/18th) and 1992-1993 (13th/21st) in the second tier.
The Reds have opened the scoring in 11 away league games, the most in one season since 2016-2017 (also 11)
Overall Barnsley opened the scoring in 27 of their 46 league games - the most since the 2005-2006 promotion season - also 27.
Barnsley lost when opening the scoring for the first time since January 2018 when they lost 3-1 to Fulham after Liam Lindsay had scored the first goal. The Reds have opened the scoring in 33 league matches since prior to Saturday.
Lindsay received a first half red card, for two bookings, the first final day red in a Barnsley game since 2016 when Wigan's Chris McCann was given his marching orders in the last minute.
This was the first time Barnsley have lost their final game of a season in which they have won promotion since the last time they were runners-up (1996-1997) when they were thumped 5-1 at Oxford. These are the only two occasions it has occurred.
Barnsley received three red cards in League One this season (Zeki Fryers, Jacob Brown and Liam Lindsay)
It is the second season in succession they have seen two first half reds, with this season Brown being dismissed after 35 minutes at Southend and Lindsay after 44 minutes at Bristol, whilst in 2017-2018, Angus MacDonald was sent off after 42 minutes at Sheffield United and Dimitri Cavare was dismissed after 45minutes against Fulham - like Lindsay this was also two yellows.
This was however the first time Barnsley have lost this season with 10 men, having won at Accrington when Fryers was dismissed and at Southend when Brown was sent off.
Alex Rodman scored Bristol Rovers winner on 90+2, it is the first time the Reds have conceded a game defining stoppage time goal since March 2018, when Josh Brownhill made it 2-2 after 90+1 for... Rovers arch rivals Bristol City!
It is the first time Barnsley have lost a game to a stoppage time goal since January 2018 when Fulham scored two - 90+2 and 90+5 to win 3-1 at Oakwell.
Daniel Stendel made two half time substitutions, the first time he has done this as Barnsley manager. It is the first time any Barnsley manager has done this since Paul Heckingbottom made three at Reading in November 2017.
This final day defeat was Barnsley's seventh in the league, the lowest amount of defeats they have suffered in a completed season since 1938-1939 when they suffered only five on the way to winning the Division Three North title. However that season was only played over 42 matches, it is the first time they have lost as little as seven from 46 games - beating the previous record of eight set in 1980-1981.
Barnsley finish the campaign with the fourth best away record in the division, collecting 38 points.
This was Barnsley's first visit to Bristol Rovers since 1992, and their first ever to the Memorial Stadium, they have lost seven of their last 11 visits.
Kieffer Moore was credited with Barnsley's goal taking him to 19 for the season (from 35 appearances), moving him level with Cauley Woodrow who scored his 19 in one more appearance.
They are both Barnsley's highest scorers in a season since Sam Winnall bagged 24 in 2015-2016. 21 of Winnall's were scored in the regular league season (1 in the League Cup and 2 in the Play-Offs) compared to 17 for Moore (2 FA Cup) and 16 for Woodrow (3 FA Cup)
Six players scored more than Moore's 17 league strikes (Luton's James Collins, 25, Charlton's Lyle Taylor, 21, Doncaster's John Marquis, 21, Gillingham's Tom Eaves, 21, Rochdale's Ian Henderson, 20 and Plymouth's Freddie Ladapo, 18. However Moore's strike rate of a goal every 138 minutes is better than all of the above.
It is the first time two Reds players have scored 18+ goals since 1962/63 (Tony Leighton (24) and Ken Oliver (19)
After going three successive games without a booking, Barnsley picked up as many as three (2 yellows 1 red) for the first time since the 30th March.
Bristol Rovers had the most ball possession (51%) they are only the seventh team to have more ball possession against Barnsley this season after Sunderland (h) 52%, Wycombe (h) 51%, Gillingham (a) 54%, Luton (a) 53%, Blackpool (a) 53%, and Bradford (a) 51%
Barnsley had only 10 shots on goal, their lowest in a game since also having 10 at Oxford in January.
Barnsley won only one corner, their lowest this season and lowest since winning none at Hull in February 2018.
Barnsley Team:
1. Adam Davies (C)
22. Jordan Williams
5. Ethan Pinnock
6. Liam Lindsay
23. Dani Pinillos
8. Cameron McGeehan
27. Alex Mowatt
19. Kieffer Moore
21. Mike Bähre
26. Mamadou Thiam
9. Cauley Woodrow
Substitutes:
12. Dimitri Cavare (for Moore 45)
3. Zeki Fryers (for Thiam 45)
15. Jordan Green (for Bähre 78)
Unused Substitutes:
7. Ryan Hedges, 13. Jack Walton, 18. Adam Jackson, 20. Callum Styles.
Bristol Rovers Team
21. Adam Smith
28. Michael Kelly
4. Tom Lockyer (C)
5. Tony Craig
15. James Clarke
7. Liam Sercombe
6. Edward Upson
8. Ollie Clarke
25. Abu Ogogo
33. Alex Rodman
17. Alex Jakubiak.
Substitutions:
20. Gavin Reilly (for Ogogo 57)
14. Chris Lines (for Upson 83)
30. Alfie Kilgour (for Lockyer 90+4)
Unused Substitutes:
1. Sam Slocombe, 10. Tom Nicholls, 22. Joe Partington, 24. Stuart Sinclair.
Bristol Rovers manager Graham Coughlan said:
"It was exceptional, they stayed behind to give us a good send-off, they've been different class. It means a lot to celebrate today, with the victory, with survival.
I was just saying earlier it’s ironic how my first game at home was Fleetwood where they had a man sent off and we won 2-1 with a late goal and its similar circumstances today. I thought we were okay today, there was improvements we created chances albeit against 10 men, but we were up against a good team, lets be honest they are a Championship team.
I thought we applied ourselves well, we had the better of the first half and we looked dangerous. But, yet again that sloppiness and being lethargic let them in and we had a mountain to climb. But, this group has been climbing mountains since the day I took over, but I am delighted and proud that they have achieved and kept up Bristol Rovers League One status.
Match Reports:
Official Website
BBC
Sky Sports
League One results:
Saturday 4th May 2019
Blackpool (10th) 0-3 Gillingham (13th)
Hanlan 7
Eaves 30
Eaves 39
Bradford City (24th) 0-0 AFC Wimbledon (20th)
Bristol Rovers (15th) 2-1 BARNSLEY (2nd)
Moore 12
Rodman 71
Rodman 90+2
Charlton Athletic (3rd) 4-0 Rochdale (16th)
Aribo 19
Andrew og 32
Taylor 40
Bielik 75
Doncaster Rovers (6th) 2-0 Coventry City (8th)
Sadlier 31
Marquis 85
Luton Town (1st) 3-1 Oxford United (12th)
Moncur 3
Lee 5
Garbutt 60
Moncur 73
Peterborough United (7th) 3-1 Burton Albion (9th)
Ward 19
Toney 35
Bradley 85
Toney 88
Plymouth Argyle (21st) 3-2 Scunthorpe United (23rd)
Jones 8
Ladapo 35
Wootton 42
Morris 60
Carey 70
Portsmouth (4th) 1-1 Accrington Stanley (14th)
McConville 46
Close 59
Shrewsbury Town (18th) 0-0 Walsall (22nd)
Southend United (19th) 2-1 Sunderland (5th)
White 43
Maguire pen 75
Humphrys 87
Wycombe Wanderers (17th) 1-0 Fleetwood Town (11th)
Jacobson 75
Barnsley finish in 2nd place in Sky Bet League One with 91 points from 46 games. We finish 19 points inside the Play-Offs, 3 points inside the Automatic Promotion Places, 3 points off First Place and 41 points above the Relegation Zone.
Up to 6/5/19
Final Permutations:
Promoted:
Luton (Champions)
Record v Barnsley: 13.10.18 lost 3-2, 01.01.19 drew 0-0.
Play-Offs:
Charlton
Record v Barnsley: 20.10.18 Won 2-0, 29.12.18 lost 2-1.
Portsmouth
Record v Barnsley: 15.12.18 drew 1-1, 23.02.19 drew 0-0.
Sunderland
Record v Barnsley: 27.11.18 won 4-2, 12.03.19 drew 0-0.
Doncaster
Record v Barnsley: 24.11.18 drew 1-1, 15.03.19 drew 0-0.
Relegated:
Plymouth
Record v Barnsley: 02.10.18 drew 1-1, 22.04.19 lost 3-0.
Walsall
Record v Barnsley: 08.09.18 drew 1-1, 23.03.19 lost 1-0.
Scunthorpe
Record v Barnsley: 25.08.18 drew 2-2, 02.02.19 lost 2-0.
Bradford
Record v Barnsley: 11.08.18 lost 2-0, 12.01.19 lost 3-0.
Final Reckoning:
Won: 26 (Joint 2nd in League One) (Barnsley's most since 1954-55)
Drew: 13 (Joint 5th in League One) (Barnsley's lowest since 2016-2017)
Lost: 7 (3rd in League One) (Barnsley's lowest since 1938-1939 - only 42 games played)
Scored: 80 (Joint 3rd in League One) (Barnsley's most since 1999-2000)
Conceded: 39 (1st in League One) (Barnsley's lowest since 1976-1977)
Points: 91 (2nd in League One) (Barnsley's most ever)