Barnsley boss Michael Duff makes graceful admission after Sheffield Wednesday secure Championship promotion

That was the view of Barnsley boss Michael Duff despite his complaints over the nature of his side's defeat at Wembley.

The Reds were reduced to 10 men after Adam Phillips' 49th-minute red card moments after being denied a penalty following a VAR check.

Duff, whose post-match press conference was dominated by questions over those controversial moments, said: “It’s hard for me to talk without seeing the main incidents but we do have to give credit to Sheffield Wednesday.

"It’s not all about the referee and poor old us. They finished with 96 points, they had 26 games unbeaten. Over the season they probably deserved to go up.”

The Owls’ points tally was the highest ever for a club not promoted automatically and the club’s best-ever tally in a single season.

They also made play-off history when they overturned a 4-0 deficit in their semi-final second leg against Peterborough.

No team had previously overturned a deficit of more than two goals in the end-of-season contest’s 36-year history.

But Wednesday were below their best on the day and couldn’t have left it later to seal their Championship return after two years away from the second tier.

Josh Windass popped up with a diving header with 123 minutes on the clock to prevent penalties.

Before then Reds keeper Harry Isted had made a string of saves to keep the Owls at bay, while Luca Connell might have won it for Barnsley in the first half of extra time.

Duff admitted the midfielder’s chance was another game-defining moment which might have changed the course of the contest and added: "You have got to give Sheffield Wednesday credit, they were the third best team in the league.

"Darren's done a brilliant job, 96 points, but I don't think they were the best team today.

"We just fell the wrong side of big decisions. We have felt agreived a lot this year and in the biggest game of all you wanted it to be the best team wins.

"It would have been fairer to go to penalties, but football’s not fair.”