Barnsley gained their first win over Sheffield Wednesday since 2009 with a 2-1 victory at Hillsborough on Saturday.
The Reds conceded in the fourth minute due to a defensive mix-up but Cauley Woodrow and Dominik Frieser put them 2-1 up at half-time, then they held on in an ugly second half battle.
They have now won seven of their 11 games under Valerien Ismael and are 13th in the table, six points off the top six and 12 above the bottom three. They are 16 points and 13 places ahead of bottom club Wednesday.
Valerien Ismael made one change from the side that beat Wycombe Wanderers 2-1 at Oakwell on Wednesday, with Frieser replacing the benched Luke Thomas.
The Reds made a disastrous start as, in the fourth minute, Jack Walton ran to the edge of his box but – following hesitation between him and his defenders – was beaten to it by Josh Windass who rounded the goalkeeper and tapped into the empty net.
But Barnsley responded well and, after a period of pressure without carving out clear chances, they levelled in the 14th minute. Matty James' corner from the left was flicked on at the near post by Mads Andersen, missed by goalkeeper Joe Wildsmith and headed in on the line by Woodrow.
Wednesday continued to attack mainly through long balls and set pieces, with debutant Chey Dunkley heading over a long throw by Callum Paterson under pressure from defenders.
The visitors took the lead late in the second half when, after good work on the right wing involving the impressive duo Callum Brittain and James, the ball was fizzed towards Chaplin who, 25 yards from goal, clipped an excellent pass over the home defence into the path of Frieser. The Austrian was clean through and beat Wildsmith for his second Barnsley goal.
Wednesday began the second half well and tested Walton twice in the first five minutes. Former Barnsley player Kadeem Harris had a shot from the edge of the box on the right but Walton did well to dive to his right to push it wide. The Reds stopper also pushed a powerful 20-yard Windass effort into the air soon after.
Barry Bannan also blazed over from 30 yards while, at the other end, Chaplin tapped in from a Brittain cross but it was given offside.
Barnsley's first shot on target after the break came from Woodrow who took a fine touch then let fly from 25 yards but his low effort was turned around the bottom right corner by Wildsmith.
Wednesday half-time substitute Joey Pelupessy looked set to level when he received a pass from Harris in the box but slipped and totally missed the ball.
The visitors should have gone 3-1 up in the 73rd minute. Styles and Woodrow worked the ball superbly from the left wing into the box where substitute Luke Thomas' heavy touch rolled perfectly to Styles who smashed over from six yards out.
The hosts came extremely close to levelling in the 78th minute when Pelupessy shot from outside the box and Walton brilliantly tipped it onto the crossbar then it hit him in the back and bounced onto the post. That was the last real chance of the game as Barnsley held on to win.
Barnsley (3-4-3): Walton; Sollbauer, Halme, Andersen; Brittain, Mowatt (Palmer 90mins), James (Kane 67), Styles; Frieser (Thomas 67), Woodrow (Miller 86), Chaplin (Adeboyejo 67). Unused: Collins, Helik, Oduor, Schmidt. Goals: Woodrow 14, Frieser 39.
Wednesday (3-4-3): Wildsmith; Dunkley, van Aken (Pelupessy HT), Lees; Odubajo (Palmer 66mins), Iorfa (Rhodes 84), Bannan, Paterson (Brown 84), Reach, Windass, Harris.
Unused: Dawson, Dele-Bashiru, Penney, Hunt, Kachunga.
Goals: Windass 4.
AS IT HAPPENED
  • 1
  • 3:01pm
    GAME UNDERWAY
  • 3:02pm
    1 Paterson long throw from the right wing and Walton punches clear
  • 3:04pm
    GOAL!
    Josh Windass opens the scoring in the fourth minute
  • 3:05pm
    Oh dear. Tough moment for Jack Walton as he comes running out of his box and is beaten to it by Windass who takes it round him and taps into the empty net.
  • 3:06pm
    A disastrous start for Barnsley and very similar to last season when Cameron McGeehan gifted the Owls an early lead. But Ismael's side showed at Birmingham they can come from behind to win
  • 3:10pm
    Barnsley just starting to attack a bit more, they are getting the ball forwards a bit more and getting the likes of Woodrow and Chaplin in possession. But no chances for either side other than the goal
  • 3:11pm
    11 Styles runs down the left wing and crosses but former Barnsley loanee Joe Wildsmith catches easily
  • 3:12pm
    13 Half chance for the Reds. A cross from left, James competes for the header then Woodrow's shot on the turn is blocked. Barnsley playing well now
  • 3:13pm
    13 Brittain's powerful cross from the right is headed behind for a corner on the left
  • 3:14pm
    GOAL!
    14 James' corner from the left wing is flicked on by Andersen and nodded in by Woodrow!
  • 3:16pm
    Barnsley responded really positively to that opener. The equaliser came after a period of about five minutes of pressure and some good football.
  • 3:17pm
    That's the second time in 2020 Woodrow has equalised early v Wednesday. His eighth of the season in all competitions.
  • 3:19pm
    19 Styles takes a free-kick from the right and Chaplin flicks a header well high and wide
  • 3:21pm
    21 Wednesday corner on the right but it is easily cleared
  • 3:22pm
    22 Paterson long throw from the right headed over by Chey Dunkley
  • 3:24pm
    24 Chaplin wins a corner after a very clever pass by Frieser
  • 3:25pm
    25 James takes a corner on the right. It is headed clear
  • 3:30pm
    Half an hour gone now and it's a scrappy game. No real chances other than the goals. Neither side keeping hold of it for longer than a few seconds and the ball is in the air a lot
  • 3:33pm
    Barnsley look much more dangerous when they get the ball down, play it around to feet and get their attacking wing-backs in the game. If it becomes a game of head tennis they are unlikely to defeat the bigger, stronger hosts
  • 3:34pm
    33 Ex-Red Kadeem Harris handles about 30 yards from goal. Free-kick Barnsley
  • 3:35pm
    34 Mowatt's free-kick is played to the right of the box where Andersen heads it on the edge of the six-yard box near the touchline but cannot play it back across goal as it goes behind
  • 3:37pm
    Barnsley having another good spell now, the hosts are giving the ball away a lot and the Reds are building up quite nicely but they are lacking the killer last pass or shot
  • 3:37pm
    GOAL!
    Dominik Frieser scores after a wonderful move!
  • 3:39pm
    Good work on the right wing, mainly involving Matty James, the ball is fizzed into Chaplin and clips a fine pass over the top to Frieser who beats Wildsmith one on one
  • 3:41pm
    He joins the small list of players to have given Barnsley the lead at Hillsborough in last 30 years - along with Jamal Campbell-Ryce in 2009, Kevin Gallen and Neil Shipperley in different games in 2001.
  • 3:47pm
    Nearly half-time now. Barnsley will be delighted with their performance after the first four minutes and even more so with the scoreline
  • 3:48pm
    HALF-TIME: Sheffield Wednesday 1, Barnsley 2. The Reds conceded in the fourth minute but Cauley Woodrow and Dominik Frieser have put them in front at the break
  • 4:07pm
    SECOND HALF UNDERWAY
  • 4:07pm
    Tony Pulis has brought Joey Pelupessy on for centre-back Joost van Aken at half-time. So a change in formation to try to stop Barnsley dominating in the middle as they did increasingly in that first half.
  • 4:08pm
    48 Early opening for Wednesday is second half. Kadeem Harris is released down the right wing and shoots from the edge of the box but Walton pushes it wide then the resulting corner is cleared
  • 4:11pm
    50 Another chance for the hosts. This time the ball breaks nicely for Windass who shoots from the edge of the box but Walton palms it up into the air. Good goalkeeping early in the second half
  • 4:12pm
    So a difficult start to the second half for the Reds, they will need to watch those long passes over the top. But they are still winning after more than 50 minutes at Hillsborough
  • 4:15pm
    53 Conor Chaplin has the ball in the net from a Brittain cross. But it is given offside. Surprisingly the referee did not give a foul in the build up as both Frieser and James appeared to be tripped
  • 4:15pm
    55 Another shot for Wednesday, Bannan blazes over from nearly 30 yards
  • 4:17pm
    57 Paterson long throw from left. It goes through to Walton who grabs it
  • 4:18pm
    58 Corner from the left, half headed clear then James is fouled and the visitors are given a free-kick
  • 4:19pm
    The Reds are being tested at the moment, which was expected, but so far they are holding on
  • 4:20pm
    60 Barnsley free-kick on the left wing. Mowatt takes it but it goes everyone and out for goal kick
  • 4:23pm
    61 Barnsley's first attempt of the second half. Woodrow takes a great touch and shoots from just outside the box but Wildsmith gets down to his left to push behind for a corner, which is cleared
  • 4:25pm
    64 Harris sets up Pelupessy in the box but he slips just as he looks set to shoot 12 yards out. Sollbauer puts it behind and the corner is cleared
  • 4:26pm
    Wednesday bring on Liam Palmer for Moses Odubajo
  • 4:28pm
    Kane, Thomas and Adeboyejo replace James, Chaplin and Frieser.
  • 4:28pm
    Barnsley have had a lot of defending to do in this second half but Wednesday yet to carve out a clear-cut chance for a leveller. Still 2-1 to the Reds with just more than 20 minutes left.
  • 4:30pm
    Good turn by Woodrow, Victor wins a corner on the right
  • 4:31pm
    71 Styles corner from the left is jut missed by Woodrow at the front post and cleared
  • 4:34pm
    73 Big chance for the visitors for 3-1. A great move saw Styles exchange passes with Woodrow on the left then play in Luke Thomas who took a heavy touch but the ball rolled for Styles who blazed over six yards out
  • 4:38pm
    78 Mowatt shoots wide of the bottom right corner from about 25 yards out
  • 4:39pm
    78 Pelupessy shoots from 25 yards, Walton tips it brilliantly onto the bar, it then hits him again and hits the post.
  • 4:40pm
    A Wednesday player is down injured. They are about to bring two on
  • 4:44pm
    Wednesday bring on former Barnsley academy player Jordan Rhodes for the injured Dominic Iorfa and Izzy Brown for Callum Paterson
  • 4:46pm
    Into the final five minutes here. Barnsley so close to a famous victory, They have not won at Hillsborough since 2009
  • 4:46pm
    George Miller replaces Cauley Woodrow. The Reds can make one more change after this
  • 4:49pm
    88 Jordan Rhodes thinks he should have a penalty for a foul on him by Sollbauer. But the referee does not give a penalty. It is a goal kick for the Reds
  • 4:50pm
    Romal Palmer will be Barnsley's last substitute
  • 4:50pm
    Palmer replaces Mowatt
  • 4:51pm
    Six added minutes
  • 4:52pm
    90+2 Wednesday corner from the right, headed out by Adeboyejo
  • 4:53pm
    90+3 Izzy Brown crosses from the left and Walton catches
  • 4:55pm
    90+4 A cross from the left wing hits Rhodes at the back post but he does not now much about it and it goes wide
  • 4:55pm
    Into the last of the six added minutes now
  • 4:57pm
    FULL-TIME: Sheffield Wednesday 1, Barnsley 2. The Reds get their first win at Hillsborough since 2009