Hold on tight everyone!

With the new season barely a week old, Cherries fans have already had more ups and downs than the Vistarama.

And as holiday revellers enjoyed all the fun of the fair in King's Park, Cherries followers were treated to another white knuckle ride.

Sean O'Driscoll's boys took the lead twice in the space of 12 first-half minutes before victory was finally wrested from their grasp by a classy second half equaliser.

The hosts were also thwarted by the heroics of Barnsley's jack-in-the-box goalkeeper Sasa Ilic who took centre stage for the visitors as the pressure mounted.

It was an absorbing see-saw contest, punctuated by the bizarre antics of clown prince referee Mark Cowburn whose sideshow was eminently missable.

But despite the official earning top marks for playing the fool, the two teams took star billing and deserve all the plaudits for putting on an enthralling main event.

Fretful of the roasting his former club Stoke had received on their visit to Dean Court last year, new Barnsley boss Gudjon Thordarson approached the match with caution.

And although Thordarson's Potters overcame their 3-1 chasing in February 2002 to win promotion via the play-offs, the Icelander was taking no chances.

Thordarson, who started with the towering Rory Fallon operating as a lone striker, said: "I would have settled for a point before the game. I knew it would be difficult to face Bournemouth, I've been here before and I knew what to expect."

Cherries boss O'Driscoll admitted he had been "surprised" by his counterpart's tactics, although Thordarson's decision to push Dean Gorre forward after the break paid dividends when the Dutchman netted the Tykes' second equaliser.

Speaking almost a year to the day since he told the world he was glad he was not a Kidderminster Harriers fan following a dire 0-0 draw between Cherries and the Midlands outfit at Dean Court, O'Driscoll said: "We've come up a division and you would expect it maybe from the Kidderminsters of this world, but not the Barnsleys.

"It's disappointing because they frustrated us all afternoon. We got our noses in front twice and had enough chances to win the game and again their goalkeeper was the man of the match."

O'Driscoll's strikeforce of Steve Fletcher and James Hayter combined to open the scoring in the 27th minute when the former nodded home the latter's cross from the right. Fletcher outjumped the Tykes defence to expertly plant his header past Ilic from around eight yards.

Earlier, Ilic had denied Cherries when he pulled off a splendid reaction save after Hayter had met Fletcher's knockdown with a stinging first-time effort before the striker hooked the follow-up wide.

At the other end, Neil Moss got down well to his right to push a low drive from Anthony Kay around the base of the post, while Carl Fletcher recovered his ground following a Cherries corner to break up a swift counter attack led by Kevin Betsy.

Shortly after taking the lead, Cherries almost added a second when Garreth O'Connor, picked out by Warren Cummings' defence-splitting pass, saw his delicate lob just clear the crossbar.

Referee Cowburn infuriated Cherries fans when he booked Marcus Browning following an innocuous challenge before the official further incensed the home supporters when he allowed Barnsley's leveller to stand after Kay had appeared to foul Cummings in the build-up to the goal.

Finished with aplomb by defender Craig Ireland from the edge of the box in the 38th minute, the goal came about after Kay had got the better of Cummings by trying to wrestle the Scotsman to the floor.

But Cherries were back in the driving seat just 60 seconds later when Steve Fletcher profited following a mix-up involving Ilic and Brian O'Callaghan, the targetman netting his second while sitting on the ground after the Tykes duo had dithered trying to deal with Wade Elliott's through ball.

Ilic's left-hand post came between Cherries and a third goal when Hayter ran rings around Ireland before firing a right-foot shot against the woodwork after latching onto another Fletcher flick in first-half injury time.

Hayter smashed another opportunity over the crossbar after Ilic had fumbled an Elliott cross at the start of the second half before the Barnsley goalkeeper got down to his right to save from Danny Thomas.

Disaster struck for Cherries when a pass by Browning hit an opponent before the ball ballooned up in the air for Fallon to nod it wide to Gorre. The flying Dutchman then scampered down the left flank and slotted the ball past Moss after getting the better of Carl Fletcher.

Cherries substitute Warren Feeney was used for a spot of target practice by his team-mates with shots by both O'Connor and Carl Fletcher striking the Ulsterman who went close himself when his effort was saved by Ilic.

But the Tykes stopper saved his party piece for Steve Fletcher, turning his 73rd-minute volley from the edge of the box around the post to deny the Cherries captain the first hat-trick of his career.

Fletcher said: "I composed myself, picked my spot in the bottom corner and he pulled off a fantastic save. My heart just sank. I thought this is it as I prepared to shoot and it didn't come off."

Ilic was finally beaten nine minutes from time when Feeney rounded him following good work from Fletcher and Steve Purches. But as the Ulsterman tried to squeeze the ball home from an acute angle, his effort was cleared off the line by Ireland.