Reds get fourth straight league win

Barnsley recorded a fourth successive league win with a 2-1 success at fellow top six club Peterborough United on Friday.

Luca Connell put the Reds in front early on but the Posh levelled soon after before Adam Phillips continued his fine scoring form.

Michael Duff's team were excellent in the second half with the hosts having no chances of note.

The result took Barnsley above their hosts into fourth in the League One table.

Duff made three changes from the cup game against Crewe. Jordan Williams was deemed fit to play and returned along with Brad Collins and Jack Aitchison. Dropping to the bench were Josh Benson, Jack Walton and James Norwood.

The visitors took the lead in the tenth minute when Connell sweetly struck a 22-yard effort into the bottom right corner for a superb first Barnsley goal.

The Reds were on top before and after the goal, winning the ball regularly and putting their hosts under pressure. But they could not create a chance for 2-0 and instead conceded after 21 minutes when Jack Taylor headed home a right wing cross by Kwame Poku.

Aitchison should have made it 2-1 soon after, when the home goalkeeper made a mess of a left-wing Connell cross and the ball fell to him ten yards out but his shot was cleared off the line by Jonson Clarke-Harris.

Clarke-Harris then headed wide a right-wing cross by Ben Thompson at the near post before, at the other end, Devante Cole was inches away from turning in a low Cadden cross.

Clarke-Harris also fired wide on the right of the box nine yards out after more good work by Poku, before Taylor headed a left-wing corner over from three yards out.

Peterborough had finished the first half the stronger, with the Reds struggling to get hold of the ball. The second half was much quieter but Barnsley contained their hosts far better.

Barnsley were forced into a change after an hour with Tom Edwards limping off with a knee injury. He was replaced by Benson who played at right wing-back with Williams moving into the back three.

Seconds later, it was 2-1 as a free-kick which looked likely to be crossed into the box from the left was instead played square by Kane to Phillips whose 25-yard shot should have been saved by Bergstrom but he spilled it into the net.

Benson, the substitute, was also substituted with an injury with 15 minutes remaining – with Robbie Cundy coming on.

Barnsley (3-5-2): Collins; Edwards (Benson 60mins (Cundy 75mins)), Andersen, Kitching; Williams, Kane, Connell, Phillips, Cadden; Aitchison (Norwood 69), Cole.

Unused: Walton, Martin, Larkeche, Jalo.

Yellow cards: Phillips.

Goals: Connell 10, Phillips 62.

Peterborough (4-3-3): Bergstrom; Ward, Kent, Edwards, Butler; Fuchs (Marriott 69), Taylor, B Thompson (Burrows 69); Mason-Clark (Jones 75), Clarke-Harris, Poku.

Unused: Blackmore, Knight, N Thompson, Kyprianou.

Goals: Taylor 21.