Barnsley do it Howard's way to hammer Tractor Boys

The Barnsley captain, pivotal in his side's march to the semifinals of the FA Cup, walked away from Oakwell last night clutching a match ball after scoring the first hat-trick of his career.

Any debate about the validity of the third of his three, which arrived direct from a corner four minutes from time and needed a fairly decent touch off David Wright's head, was immediately brushed aside.

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"It's a definite hat-trick," said Howard. "The ball is on target, it's going in. I've got the match ball, the ref has given it to me. The ball will go to bed with me tonight. It will be a brave man who takes it off me!"

Motor-mouth fits fine for Howard, another energy-sapping showing leading his side one step nearer to safety in what could be a historic season.

They could have buckled after beating Chelsea in the FA Cup quarter- final on Saturday.

A freezing, soaking night in Yorkshire tests the soul - especially in front of just half the 22,000 crowd that cheered them to a Wembley semi-final.

After 20 minutes they trailed to a Pablo Counago strike. But Simon Davey has fashioned a side with guts.

Seven minutes later, 25-yearold Howard burst through a leaden-footed Ipswich defence to neatly slot home an angled drive.

Five minutes after the interval he turned creator, sending over an inch- perfect corner that Jon Macken headed past Stephen Bywater from close range.

Then came good fortune. Twice Ipswich crashed efforts off the crossbar, when Alan Lee drove from 20 yards and then when Counago spurned a fine chance inside the six-yard area.

The let-offs breathed new life into Barnsley and from there Howard took centre stage, a role he seems born for.

In the 82nd minute Velice Sumulikoski clattered into Jamal Campbell-Ryce, Howard typically stepped up to fire the penalty past Stephen Bywater.

But he had not finished. When the opportunity came for a late, right-wing corner, he was there to drive it towards goal.

Barnsley's assistant manager Ryan Kidd said: "I'm delighted with their application after the weekend. There is no doubt the lads were tired. Sheer heart, desire and graft got us through it."

Ipswich manager Jim Magilton could not hide his frustration.

"It was never a penalty and Macken handled the ball for the second," he said. "Barnsley are riding the crest of a wave at the minute but I didn't like the way we finished.

"A lot of our lads packed in. That upset me. Our fans travelled a long way. "You have to take it on the chin and move on. The players need to lift me now, it is an embarrassing score."