Barnsley halved the gap to safety to two points with a deserved 2-0 home win over Bristol City on Tuesday.

The Reds raced into a 2-0 lead after 22 minutes with set piece goals by Carlton Morris and Michal Helik then held on for a sixth victory of the season.

Third-bottom Barnsley are now unbeaten in five at Oakwell while they have collected 14 points from their last eight games which is half of their tally for the season.

It was a deserved victory for the Reds who had the better chances throughout against their lacklustre visitors. Fourth-bottom Reading drew with Bournemouth so are two points ahead.

Poya Asbaghi made one change to the team that drew 1-1 with Fulham on Saturday, as Callum Styles returned from injury to replace the benched Liam Kitching. Aaron Leya Iseka also returned from injury to take his place on the bench, with Will Hondermarck and Josh Benson not in the squad. Vita returned to left-back, with Styles replacing him on the right of an attacking midfield three.

The Reds took the lead in the ninth minute when Amine Bassi won a corner on the left wing and sent it through to the back post where it hit Matty Wolfe and fell for Morris to poke it into the bottom left corner from six yards out.

Another Bassi left-wing corner led to the second goal on 22 minutes as it was brilliantly headed into the top right corner by Helik ten yards out. The Reds had scored twice from corners after not doing so at all in the league all season. It was Helik's first goal in almost exactly a year since the opener at Bournemouth on March 13, 2021.

The visitors should have pulled one back when Antoine Semenyo was released down the left wing and sent in a powerful low cross which Andi Weimann met at the back post and blazed over five yards out.

Gomes could have made it 3-0 after 35 minutes when Morris brilliantly turned a City defender twice on the right of the box, leaving him on the floor both times, before his cross fell to Claudio Gomes whose 15-yard shot was touched over.

Morris had another chance for 3-0 just after the hour-mark when, after Domingos Quina made a fine run from the right wing and was tackled, the ball popped up to him five yards out but his shot was kept out by a reaction save from Bentley. Quina then robbed Weimann of the ball and ran to the edge of the box but fired wide from 20 yards out.

Barnsley brought on Cole for Morris, who appeared to have picked up a knock, and Kitching for Styles.

City began to create chances with Chris Martin heading over from a right-wing cross by Jay Dasilva, who then forced Brad Collins into his first save of the night - diving low to his right to make a good stop from the 15-yard effort.

Bentley then saved comfortably from a long-range Kitching effort and a Vita shot from the left of the box.

Collins easily saved Rob Atkinson’s header from a free-kick by ex-Red Matty James then Bassi sliced a shot wide at the other end from the right of the box.

Kitching then headed off the line in the 93rd minute from a Martin header.

Barnsley (4-2-3-1): Collins, mark out of ten: 8; Brittain 7, Helik 8, Andersen 8, Vita 7 (Oduor 90+3mins); Wolfe 8, Gomes 7; Styles 7 (Kitching 72), Bassi 8, Quina 7, Morris 8 (Cole 71).

Unused: Walton, Iseka, Palmer, Halme, Cole.

Goals: Morris 9, Helik 22.

Bristol City (3-5-2): Bentley; Cundy, Klose, Atkinson; Weimann, James, Massengo, Scott (Williams 40mins (Wells 55)), Dasilva; Semenyo (Conway 87), Martin. Unused: Wiles-Richards, Viner, Pring, Bell, Wells.

Referee: David Webb (County Durham).

Attendance: 11, 322 (279 from Bristol).

AS IT HAPPENED
  • GAME UNDERWAY
  • 7:49pm
    1 Morris wins corner in first minute but Bassi tries to play it short and scuffs it so it's easily cleared
  • 7:51pm
    Looks like Bristol's top-scorer Andi Weimann is at right wing back
  • 7:53pm
    As expected, Vita has returned to left back and Styles is on the right of an attacking three
  • 7:54pm
    Very little has happened in the first five minutes with both teams edging their way into the game
  • 7:57pm
    9 Barnsley win a corner on the left through Bassi
  • 7:57pm
    GOAL!
    Carlton Morris opens the scoring !
  • 7:59pm
    Bassi wins and takes a corner on the left, it goes through everyone and hits Wolfe at the back post and drops for Morris who comes up with a good poacher's finish to poke the ball into the bottom left corner.
  • 8:01pm
    12 Matty James' corner from the right wing is headed well wide by Timm Klose . Tough chance
  • 8:03pm
    The visitors have responded well to that goal, they have had most of the ball and attacks since conceding. Quite quiet at Oakwell
  • 8:05pm
    17 Styles' free-kick from the right is punched out by the goalkeeper, who is now down needing treatment as well as a defender
  • 8:08pm
    City have been the better side since falling behind, playing some decent football without creating any chances. A cross on the left is cleared. But Barnsley look more threatening when they do have the ball in attack and win a corner on the left
  • 8:09pm
    21 GOAL: Bassi's left-wing corner is headed in by Michal Helik
  • 8:11pm
    Fantastic start for the Reds. Great header into the top right corner. I don't think they had scored from a corner in the league all season but they have two in 22 minutes tonight.
  • 8:14pm
    The actual game has been pretty even, with the visitors playing some decent football in the attack. But Barnsley look more incisive, winning corners from which they have been lethal
  • 8:16pm
    29 Huge chance for the visitors, Antoine Semenyo gets down the right and whips in a powerful low cross. Top scorer Andi Weimann slides in at the back post and blazes over from about five yards
  • 8:21pm
    35 Chance for 3-0. Carlton Morris bamboozles a defender, cutting past him twice on the right of the box and sending him to the floor. His cross falls to Gomes whose 15-yard shot is deflected over
  • 8:21pm
    36 Bassi's corner is cleared as is his follow up cross
  • 8:24pm
    38 Styles' 25-yard shot is deflected wide for another left wing corner
  • 8:25pm
    38 Bassi's corner from the left is just over the head of Andersen and cleared
  • 8:26pm
    Looks like Alex Scott is coming off injured for the visitors, with ex-Red Joe Williams coming on
  • 8:28pm
    40 Semenyo is Bristol's best player so far. He brilliantly turns Vita and drives forward, he finds Martin but the shot from distance is blocked by Brittain
  • 8:32pm
    Bristol having a spell of possession and playing it around nicely but Barnsley look solid at the back, well-organised, and aren't letting their visitors create any chances
  • 8:33pm
    Four Added minutes
  • 8:37pm
    HALF-TIME: Barnsley 2, Bristol City 0. The Reds had not scored a league goal for a set piece all season but did so twice in the first 22 minutes through Carlton Morris and Michal Helik
  • 8:54pm
    SECOND HALF UNDERWAY
  • 8:56pm
    The Reds were very good in the first half, playing with purpose, defending well and being deadly from set pieces. They will want to put this game to bed as soon as they can
  • 9:00pm
    Bristol again having most of the ball, with Semenyo again dangerous, but no chances after the break so far
  • 9:02pm
    A Bristol City player is down injured so a break in play
  • 9:02pm
    Nakhi Wells coming on for City
  • 9:03pm
    Ex-Red Joe Williams, who came on earlier, limps off injured with striker Nakhi Wells replacing him
  • 9:07pm
    Bristol now playing with three strikers and top scorer Weimann behind them, very attacking but will surely leave gaps at the back
  • 9:10pm
    62 Almost 3-0. Quina bursts in from the right wing and is tackled but the ball pops up to Morris on the right of the six yard box and his reaction shot is saved at point blank range by Bentley
  • 9:15pm
    Bristol City have offered very little in this half. Barnsley look the more threatening team, but they could do with killing this one off
  • 9:17pm
    69 Barnsley close again. Domingos Quina robs Weimann of the ball, runs to there edge of the box and fires wide from 20 yards out aiming for the bottom right corner
  • 9:20pm
    70 Chances for Bristol. Martin heads over from a cross by Da Silva who then gets free on the right of the box and forces Collins into the first save of the night getting down low to his right
  • 9:22pm
    Cole has come on for Morris and Kitching for Styles
  • 9:23pm
    73 Kitching shoots from 25 yards but Bentley fumbles and gathers
  • 9:26pm
    77 Now Vita shoots from the left of the box but Bentley gets down to his right to save
  • 9:27pm
    Break in play as Helik is down hurt
  • 9:30pm
    81 Bristol City free-kick on the right. James takes. Rob Atkinson heads into the ground at the back post, Collins pushes it away then an attack touches it behind
  • 9:32pm
    82 Bassi slices a shot wide on the right of the Bristol box.
  • 9:32pm
    Approaching the final five minutes. Barnsley have been comfortably the better team and deserve to be ahead
  • 9:34pm
    Attendance: 11, 322 (279 from Bristol)
  • 9:34pm
    Semenyo down in Barnsley box getting treatment after blazing over on the left of the box
  • 9:35pm
    Semenyo replaced by Tommy Conway
  • 9:37pm
    88 Matty James takes a corner on the left. It's headed away as is the follow up cross
  • 9:41pm
    90+2 Kitching heads off the line from Martin
  • 9:45pm
    FULL-TIME: Barnsley 2, Bristol City 0. A fantastic win for the Reds who were the better side throughout