Boro went ahead on 23 after Stewart Downing was gifted the ball by Zat Knight and the England winger lashed the ball past Scott Carson.
However, after an array of missed chances Villa made the visitors pay for their profligacy as Barry was handed a spot kick in the second half.
He placed the ball past Mark Schwarzer who went the wrong way and the Claret and Blue claimed a somewhat fortuitous point.
Villa now need a response equal to the one that Boro gave as they travel to fellow European contenders Portsmouth on Saturday. Trips to the south coast are never easy but with such a good away record behind them O'Neill's men will be confident they can bounce back immediately.
The Boro game showed that Villa may not be ready for Europe just yet as they could not take an opportunity to make up ground. Liverpool and Everton are relentless in their search for fourth place and they will be confident of extending their advantage when they return to Premiership action.
However, all fans of the Claret and Blue know that their side can be just as dangerous as the Merseyside teams on their day. They also know that Villa are yet to travel to Goodison Park, a fixture which takes place in late April. If they can win there then it could be crucial and with such confident performances at The Emirates and Stamford Bridge, Villa will fear no-one.