Barnsley stunned promotion favourites Watford 1-0 at Oakwell as Valerien Ismael made it two wins from as many games as head coach.
Alex Mowatt opened the scoring with a magnificent 25-yard strike in the fifth minute then the Reds held their own throughout the reminder of the match which saw both sides miss good chances.
The Reds are now 15th in the Championship and four points clear of the relegation zone.
Ismael chose Patrick Schmidt to replace the injured Cauley Woodrow in the middle of a front three while Matty James came back into the side for the benched Clarke Oduor.
Mowatt struck the opening goal from long range for the second Saturday in a row after doing the same at Millwall. This time his tremendous 25-yard effort hit the left post before going in.
The hosts could have doubled their lead but Dominik Frieser fired over from the edge of the box on 17 minutes after Conor Chaplin had volleyed the ball back to him from the right following superb work by Mowatt who turned a man and chipped a fine pass forward.
Another fine move eight minutes later saw Schmidt impressively flick the ball into the path of right wing-back Callum Brittain who cleverly pulled the ball back to the edge of the box where a sliding Chaplin sent a low shot straight at goalkeeper Ben Foster.
Watford did not have a shot or chance in the first half despite regularly finding space on the right side of the Barnsley box but lacking the end product.
Ismael took Brittain off at half-time and replaced him with Oduor who played at left wing-back with Styles moving to the right.
Watford began to create chances after the break, with former England international Tom Cleverley poking wide from seven yards out after a good run and pass by Sarr on the right.
Ben Wilmot then headed just wide of the top right corner from a right-wing corner.
Barnsley should have doubled their lead but George Miller – brought on for his second league appearance for the club more than a year after his first – fired wide of the bottom left corner after a lofted pass put him clean through on goal.
Wilmot then had another headed chance from a corner, this time from the left by Ken Sema, but he nodded into the ground and the ball again went just past the top right corner. That was the last chance of the match as the Reds held on for the three points against a side whose 18-man squad was recruited for £100million.
Barnsley (3-4-3): Walton; Sollbauer, Helik, Andersen; Brittain (Oduor HT), Mowatt, James (Kane 73mins), Styles; Frieser, Schmidt (Miller 59), Chaplin.Unused: Collins, Thomas, Simoes, Halme. Goals: Mowatt 5
Watford (3-5-2): Foster; Wilmot, Troost-Ekong (Gray 76mins), Cathcart; Femenia, Cleverley (Hughes 82), Capoue, Chalobah (Garner 66mins), Sema; Joao Pedro, SarrUnused: Bachmann, Ngakia, Kabasele, QuinaYellow cards: Troost-Ekong
AS IT HAPPENED
  • GAME UNDERWAY
  • 3:03pm
    2 A very early yellow card for William Troost-Ekong for fouling Chaplin
  • 3:06pm
    GOAL!
    Alex Mowatt scores another stunning long-range strike!
  • 3:08pm
    Two Saturdays in a row Barnsley's captain opens the scoring with a wonderful long-range goal. This time his 25-yard effort goes in off the left post
  • 3:11pm
    Watford still seeing a lot of the ball but they have barely ventured into the home half so far
  • 3:14pm
    14 Watford beginning to threaten more. Sarr gets in down the right of the box and sends low cross to Pedro but Walton dives to get his hands on it
  • 3:15pm
    14 Watford getting a lot of joy on the right side of the box but this time it is Kiko Femenia whose cross is easily caught by Walton
  • 3:18pm
    17 A good move from Barnsley. Mowatt, who has made a brilliant start, turns a Watford man then drinks a clever pass to the right of the box where Chaplin volleys the ball into the path of Frieser but the shot from the edge of the area is well over
  • 3:24pm
    A very good first quarter of the game for the Reds, who lead through Alex Mowatt's second screamer in as many Saturdays. Frieser could have made it 2-0 after a really good move. Their visitors have had the ball in 4 good positions on right of box but have done nothing with it.
  • 3:25pm
    25 Another really good move from the hosts. Schmidt's fine touch plays Brittain down the right wing and he impressively pulls the ball back to Chaplin on the edge of the box but, sliding, the strike fires straight at the goalkeeper
  • 3:26pm
    Barnsley are playing some really nice football and have been by far the more threatening side so far
  • 3:28pm
    Watford really haven't got started yet in this match. The Reds look much the more lively side but they will know the threat their visitors possess
  • 3:31pm
    Alex Mowatt is absolutely running the show. Another Wonderful pass, this time out to the left wing to Styles whose cross is cleared
  • 3:32pm
    32 A bit of a scramble in the Barnsley box which ends when Sarr's shot is blocked by Helik
  • 3:34pm
    33 Patrick Schmidt wins a header straight to Chaplin. Eventually the move ends with Brittain not able to get a cross in. But that is exactly the kind of play Barnsley want to see from Schmidt in the central striker's role
  • 3:36pm
    36 Mowatt shoots again from distance, this time about 30 yards. But it hits Frieser and goes wide
  • 3:42pm
    Into the last few minutes of the first half. The visitors have had a lot of ball with it but cannot get through the home back line
  • 3:43pm
    43 Callum Styles gives away a free-kick on the right wing
  • 3:44pm
    44 Femenia's free-kick is headed out by Andersen
  • 3:47pm
    HALF-TIME: Barnsley 1, Watford 0. Alex Mowatt's early wonder strike gives the hosts a deserved lead
  • 4:04pm
    SECOND HALF UNDERWAY
  • 4:05pm
    Callum Brittain has been replaced by Clarke Oduor at half-time
  • 4:07pm
    Callum Styles is now playing at right wing-back, with Oduor on the left
  • 4:11pm
    A quiet start to the second half, with neither side really threatening
  • 4:14pm
    55 More joy for Watford down Barnsley's left and they win a corner
  • 4:14pm
    56 The header from a corner is blocked then Andersen clears
  • 4:16pm
    Looks like George Miller will come on
  • 4:17pm
    58 Big chances for Watford. Again joy on the right as Ismaila Sarr does well then pulls the ball back to Cleverley who should score but pokes wide from seven yards out, A bad miss
  • 4:20pm
    61 Watford's corner from the right is headed over by Ben Wilmot
  • 4:21pm
    62 A massive chance for George Miller as the ball is lifted over the top to play him clean through but he shoots wide of the bottom left corner
  • 4:24pm
    Watford bring on Will Hughes for Nat Chalobah
  • 4:27pm
    68 A nice move by Watford sees Cleverley shoot on left of box but Mowatt blocks for corner
  • 4:27pm
    68 Ben Wilmot meets Ken Sema's corner and heads into the ground then it bounces just over the top right corner
  • 4:31pm
    Herbie Kane replaces James who has had another solid match
  • 4:32pm
    74 Wilmot turns a left wing cross behind for a Reds corner
  • 4:33pm
    74 Kane takes a poor low corner which is easily cleared and suddenly Watford have a two-on-one situation but Oduor does really well to block the pass and save his team
  • 4:34pm
    Watford going for it. Centre-back William Troost-Ekong replaced by £18million striker Andre Grey
  • 4:39pm
    Watford are now playing with a front three of Sarr, Pedro and Gray who were signed for almost £60million combined. Can Barnsley keep them out?
  • 4:40pm
    Watford's final change sees Will Hughes come on for Cleverley
  • 4:42pm
    83 Callum Styles wins a corner on the right
  • 4:42pm
    84 Kane's corner is headed by Helik at the back post but cleared
  • 4:44pm
    Into the last five minutes. Watford have not created a chance for the last 15 mins but are having plenty of the ball
  • 4:48pm
    We're about to enter the 90th minute. Watford still having most of the ball but losing it often and the Reds are breaking upfield and running clock down
  • 4:49pm
    Four added minutes
  • 4:52pm
    Watford still having joy on the right but cannot create any chances. Into the fourth of fourth added minutes
  • 4:53pm
    FULL-TIME: Barnsley 1, Watford 0. What a win for the Reds

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