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Barnsley FC 1 Wigan Athletic 1 (6-5 on penalties): Daniel Stendel's bittersweet EFL Cup win - but you take it in his shoes BETTER to be a lucky general than a good one and all that.. Napoleon Bonaparte's famous phrase instantly springs to mind when thinking about the first game of Daniel Stendel's second coming at Barnsley. His return will not be straightforward and he will be appreciative of a little bit of help along the way. "Ninety minutes of agitation ended with a beautiful burst of elation." So wrote my erstwhile Yorkshire Post colleague Stuart Rayner after these two sides drew 1-1 at Oakwell back in March. This latest meeting wasn't quite that long in terms of angst for those home followers watching on from the East Stand among a crowd of 4,414, yet it wasn't that far off it. And the finale was similarly euphoric. Just ask debutant goalkeeper Rogan Ravenhill, who wore a smile as wide as the Dearne at the end. Thrust in for his debut after loan signing Cieran Slicker suffered a training-ground injury in midweek, with Kieren Flavell also unavailable, the Wombwell lad and boyhood Reds fan had a day that he will never forget. This latest instalment was a sixth 1-1 draw between these two sides in their last seven outings. But it would ultimately belong to Barnsley and Ravenhill, 20, who made the only save in an otherwise flawless penalty shoot-out to deny Wigan's Jon Mellish - with it left to Josh Earl to convert the winning spot-kick as the Reds prevailed 6-5. With Slicker expected to be out for a spell, opportunity could well knock for Ravenhill. His bow wasn't picture-perfect, nor was his team's 2026-27 introduction. Ravenhill's positioning for the Wigan goal ahead of the interval, scored by Dara Costelloe, was no laughing matter as he was caught out by a cross headed across goal by James Carragher, son of you-know-who. What he did either side of that caught the eye more and kept Barnsley in the contest, in truth. A one-on-one save to thwart the dangerous Chris Sze after the hosts were opened up was textbook and he also turned away a fierce shot from the same player in the first half when the winger dined out on the left, mostly at rookie full-back Luke Alker's expense. In fairness, Alker - on debut at 19 - is not a left-back and it showed. Pushed further forward, he looked more at home in the second period. That Fraser Murray, the Wigan player on the opposing flank to Sze, left his shooting boots at home was also a fortuitous development for Barnsley and Stendel. He was the beneficiary of a meek back header from Earl in the opening half and surged clear. Instead of doing what was necessary, he struck the post when it looked easier to score. Murray also spurned a big opportunity to seal things on the resumption after giving Sam Gale the slip on halfway. Wigan didn't make the tie safe when they really should have and it came to bite them on the backside on 81 minutes when new captain Cam McGeehan tucked the ball away from point-blank range after fine work from the marauding Reyes Cleary on the left. The performance of Cleary, who operated more centrally in the second period with Makenzie Kirk one of several who struggled in the first half - he wasn't 100 per cent fit, that said - left a bittersweet taste. Ripe with threat and the one player Wigan genuinely feared, the powerhouse winger showed what he can bring to the table. Unfortunately, it's August and other clubs are watching. Speaking afterwards, Stendel could offer no guarantee that the 22-year-old will still be a Barnsley player come the end of the summer window. "If he leaves, then we look for other options', the German said. It was not exactly reassuring. Barnsley looked better when Cleary was given licence to move inside. He started to spook Wigan's otherwise comfortable defenders. Before that, it wasn't the best watch from a Reds perspective. Players were sidelined through injury, while Tyrese Noslin was suspended. Without Noslin to help on the right. Amani Richards - one of a clutch of debutants - struggled. Others did too, in the first 45 minutes especially. The second half was better, certainly late on. But Stendel also plainly needs some more experienced options as others won't be as charitable in front of goal as Wigan. Barnsley: Ravenhill; Kay, Gale, Earl, Alker; McGeehan, Connell, Richards (Town 82), Kelly, Cleary, Kirk (Bland HT). Substitutes unused: Andrassy, Shepherd, O'Keeffe, Hudson, Saunders. Wigan Athletic: Walsh, Carragher, Fox, Mellish; Barrett (Higgins 74), Power, Weir, Murray, Sze, (Brenan 64), Costelloe (Miller 74); Perkins (Harris 83). Substitutes unused: Watson, Chilokoa-Mullen, Chapman, Bolland, Rimmer. Referee: R Eley (Derby).