Barnsley secured their sixth win in ten games under Valerien Ismael as they beat Wycombe Wanderers 2-1 at Oakwell on Tuesday evening.
Callum Styles opened the scoring in the first half then both teams were given penalties in a ten-minute second half spell as the visitors levelled then Cauley Woodrow made it 2-1.
The result moves the Reds up to 16th in the Championship, eight points off the top six and ten clear of the bottom three.
The match was not a pretty spectacle but the home side had the better chances and played the more attacking and creative football throughout.
Valerien Ismael made three changes from Friday's 4-0 home loss to Bournemouth as he brought in Aapo Halme, Matty James and Luke Thomas for Michal Helik, Herbie Kane and Victor Adeboyejo.
Barnsley were easily the better side in the first half, creating several chances against a Chairboys team whose long-ball tactics made little impact.
The hosts could have taken the lead in the third minute when Conor Chaplin won the ball off a defender on the right of the Wycombe box and pulled it back to Cauley Woodrow whose 15-yard effort was scuffed and blocked by a defender.
James then fired straight at the goalkeeper Ryan Allsop from 20 yards with the game's first shot on target in the seventh minute.
Jack Walton punched a 17th-minute corner by his former Reds team-mate Jason McCarthy up in the air but Josh Knight headed well wide under pressure from defenders.
Alex Mowatt saw a long-range shot easily saved midway through the half then Woodrow thought Barnsley should have had a penalty after he brilliantly controlled a Styles throw and saw his low cross blocked by Knight.
Callum Brittain blazed a shot well off-target from a tight angle on the right of the box then Chaplin volleyed into the ground and over after meeting a clever James corner unmarked at the back post.
The goal came after 32 minutes when a crossfield pass from Brittain was latched onto by Styles who advanced into the box then found the bottom right corner from 15 yards for his third goal in six matches.
Woodrow twice came close to making it 2-0 before the break as he first fired tamely at Allsop from 16 yards after a long ball fell for him then forced the goalkeeper to beat away at his near post a powerful effort on the turn from the right of the box.
The visitors started the second half on top, with another McCarthy corner being flicked towards goal by the head of David Wheeler but Walton made an exceptional save with his left hand.
The goalkeeper was beaten soon after as Joe Jacobson fired in a penalty following a foul by Halme on Garath McCleary as they went for a long ball.
Halme chested down a James corner but fired wide from 12 yards then, at the other end, Walton easily saved a deflected McCleary shot.
The Reds retook the lead after bizarre incident. Chaplin showed incredible awareness to slide and direct a Reds clearance into the path of Thomas who powered into the box and was clearly fouled by McCleary. The ball then ran to Woodrow who fired into the bottom left corner but referee Geoff Eltringham insisted on the penalty being taken. Woodrow fired into the bottom right corner for his seventh goal of the season, five of which have been penalties.
Knight blazed over eight yards out on the right of the box after Adebayo Akinfenwa flicked on a long free-kick.
Styles fired over under pressure from a defender 15 yards out after meeting a cross by substitute Dominik Fresier who then should have made it 3-1 on 86 minutes when he brought down a cross by Brittain eight yards out but was denied one-on-one by a good Allsop save. Allsop also easily held a free-kick by substitute Kane.
Barnsley (3-4-3): Walton; Sollbauer, Halme, Andersen; Brittain, Mowatt (Palmer 82mins), James (Kane 62), Styles; Thomas (Adeboyejo 62), Woodrow, Chaplin (Frieser 62). Unused: Collins, Helik, Oduor, Schmidt, Miller. Yellow cards: Brittain, Styles. Goals: Styles 32, Woodrow 61 (pen).
Wycombe (4-1-3-2): Allsop, McCarthy, Grimmer, Knight, Jacobson; Gape; McCleary, Wheeler (Bloomfield 84mins), Horgan (Mehmeti 84), Akinfenwa (Samuel 84), Kashket (Onyedinma 74mins). Unused: Stockdale, Pattison, Freeman, Adeniran, Parker. Yellow cards: Jacobson. Goals: Jacobson 52 (pen).
AS IT HAPPENED
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7:48pm
2 Wycombe go long early as expected and Halme wins his first aerial battle with Adebayo Akinfenwa
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7:49pm
3 Decent chance for the Reds as Chaplin wins the ball off a defender on the right of the box and pulls it back for Woodrow but his 15-yard effort is scuffed and blocked by a defender
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7:50pm
4 Wycombe win the first corner of the game on the right wing
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7:51pm
5 Corner from the right by Jacobson is headed clear by Sollbauer
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7:54pm
7 First shot on target of the night is by Matty James who shoots straight at the goalkeeper from just outside the box after Chaplin's cross is headed out
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7:56pm
A pause here because a corner flag has to be replaced. Both teams having drinks
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8:02pm
A scrappy first 15 minutes. Barnsley have had the only half chances but Wycombe are asking them questions with long balls into the box
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8:02pm
16 Wycombe win a corner on the left
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8:03pm
17 Ex-Red Jason McCarthy takes the corner, Walton punches but it goes straight up in the air then Josh Knight heads well wide under pressure from defenders
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8:04pm
19 James' free-kick is chested down by Halme in the box but the flag is up before he volleys wide
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8:05pm
20 A good few minutes for the Reds, Woodrow wins a corner on the right
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8:06pm
20 Styles plays the corner to James whose cross is blocked for another corner
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8:07pm
21 The corner is cleared as is Woodrow's follow up cross then Mowatt's 25-yard shot is easily saved
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8:10pm
A quarter of the way through the game. Barnsley have had most of the attacks and shots without coming close to scoring so far against a tough a direct away side
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8:11pm
25 Barnsley think they should have a penalty for handball after Woodrow brilliantly controls a Styles throw but sees his low cross blocked by Josh Knight
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8:12pm
26 Brittain has the ball on the right of the box but sends a powerful cross come shot off target and behind the goal
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8:15pm
29 Brittain sprints down the right of the box and sees his cross blocked for a corner
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8:16pm
30 Clever James corner to the back post where Chaplin is waiting but he volleys a difficult chance into the ground and it loops up and wide
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8:16pm
Callum Styles opens the scoring!
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8:18pm
Receives a cross field pass from Brittain, takes it to the edge of the box and fires into the bottom right corner
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8:20pm
32 Decent chance for Woodrow to make it 2-0 after a long ball falls nicely for him in the box but he does not get enough power on the shot and Allsop saves
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8:20pm
Big breakthrough for the Reds, that goal. Now Wycombe will have to attack at some point
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8:23pm
It is a deserved lead. The hosts have been the only side attacking and trying to create opportunities
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8:25pm
39 Mowatt wins a corner on the left. Styles takes and gets it back from Chaplin then sees his cross headed out and a foul awarded to Wycombe
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8:28pm
41 Wycombe corner on the left. McCarthy takes, Walton punches and it goes out for a throw
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8:30pm
44 Woodrow turns on the right of the box and shoots powerfully from a tight angle but Allsop blocks at his near post
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8:34pm
HALF-TIME: Barnsley 1, Wycombe 0. Callum Styles with the only goal of a half in which the Reds were the better team, creating almost all the chances
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8:52pm
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8:54pm
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8:56pm
Barnsley 1, Wycombe 1. Joe Jacobson levels with a penalty after a foul by Halme on McCleary
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8:57pm
Barnsley never got going after the break. Walton had already made an exceptional save from a Wheeler header before the penalty
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8:59pm
52 A James corner is chested down at the back post by Halme and volleyed wide from 12 yards out
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8:59pm
53 Now McCleary has a 20-yard shot which is deflected and easily saved by Walton
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9:02pm
This second half is more even so far with Wycombe looking more threatening than in the first half
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9:07pm
Cauley Woodrow fires in a penalty after a foul on Thomas. His seventh of the season
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9:08pm
Very strange incident as Thomas clearly fouled by Knight but Woodrow scored from open play then the referee insisted on the penalty. He just doesn't miss though
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9:10pm
Triple change for the hosts. Frieser on for Thomas, Kane on for James and Adeboyejo on for Chaplin
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9:11pm
A word for Conor Chaplin. Incredible awareness to slide and direct a pass perfectly into the path of Thomas. He does things in nearly every game which totally catch out the opposition and create chances for his team-mates. Quality player.
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9:17pm
Kane takes a long throw from the right which is headed out for a corner
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9:18pm
71 Styles' right-wing corner is played short to Kane whose low cross is met by Woodrow and he turns seven yards out but fires well off target
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9:21pm
73 Decent chance for the visitors as a long ball is flicked on by Adebayo Akinfenwa but Knight blazes over about eight yards out on the right
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9:21pm
Fred Onyedinma replaces Scott Kashket
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9:22pm
75 Wycombe corner on the right headed clear by Adeboyejo
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9:23pm
Callum Brittain booked for a foul on Jack Grimmer
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9:26pm
79 Styles looking for his second goal, blazes over 15 yards out under pressure from a Frieser cross
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9:26pm
Callum Styles is now booked for a foul on the left wing
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9:28pm
Joe Jacobson the latest in a flurry of yellows for taking out Frieser
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9:28pm
Romal Palmer comes on for Alex Mowatt
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9:29pm
Wycombe now readying a triple change as we go into the last seven minutes
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9:31pm
Wycombe bring on Matt Bloomfield for David Wheeler, Anis Mehmeti for Daryl Horgan and Alex Samuel for Adebayo Akinfenwa
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9:33pm
86 Big chance for 3-1! A great cross by Brittain is met by Frieser who is one on one with the goalkeeper eight yards out but sees his effort saved
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9:34pm
87 Kane takes a 25-yard free-kick which is easily saved
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9:37pm
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9:37pm
Barnsley have shaded this game overall but it has been a scrappy affair. They won't care as long as they win the three points
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9:42pm
FULL-TIME: Barnsley 2, Wycombe Wanderers 1. Cauley Woodrow's penalty gives the hosts three points
