Barnsley secured an eighth straight home victory for the first time since 1969 with a 2-1 win over Shrewsbury Town.

Nicky Cadden and Devante Cole netted late in the first half then Cadden was sent off late on.

Shrewsbury pulled one back in injury-time then saw Ryan Bowman sent off in a bad-tempered finale.

The Reds were easily the better side overall and missed several other good chances.

They remain fourth in League One, five points off the top two with six games left. They are six points off leaders Sheffield Wednesday who have played an extra game. Third-placed Ipswich drew at Cheltenham and second-placed Plymouth Argyle lost 2-0 at home to Lincoln.

Max Watters replaced James Norwood in the only change from Friday’s loss at Burton Albion.

Barnsley started brightly but it was the Shrews who had the first shot with Ryan Bowman’s 15-yard effort deflecting off Mads Andersen and being comfortably caught by Harry Isted.

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Watters had Barnsley’s first shot but his weak effort from the edge of the box was easily gathered by the goalkeeper after Cole impressively headed a long ball to his strike partner.

Herbie Kane played Adam Phillips into space on the right of the box and the low cross was back heeled by Cole but easily saved by Marko Marosi as the effort again lacked power.

A Luca Connell right-wing corner then hit Cole just five yards out but he could not divert it home and the ball was cleared. Isted easily caught a Tom Flanagan header from a right-wing free-kick.

Kane saw a 15-yard shot impressively clawed out of the bottom right corner by Marosi after Watters ran onto a long pass by Bobby Thomas and crossed low. Seconds later, Phillips’ powerful close-range volley from a looping right-wing cross was deflected just wide.

The pressure eventually told in the 41st minute when Cadden’s searching low cross from the left crept in at the near post.

The Reds netted another in first half injury-time as Liam Kitching’s long-range shot was fumbled by Marosi and Cole showed good reactions to divert the rebound back into the net.

Early in the second half, Watters saw a powerful shot from a tight angle on the right beaten away by Marosi.

Shrewsbury wanted a penalty after a collision between Killian Philips and Bobby Thomas in the box but nothing was given, with both players receiving treatment before continuing.

Watters should have made it 3-0 on the hour when he was played through by a Kane pass, lobbed the goalkeeper but somehow turned the ball wide almost on the line under pressure from Flanagan.

Cadden was shown a red card on 74 minutes for a tackle on Killian Phillips.

Shrewsbury pulled one back in the first of nine added minutes when Killian Phillips headed in a left-wing cross.

Bowman could have levelled from a low left-wing cross but his weak effort from close range was easily gathered by Isted.

Bowman was dismissed for throwing Bobby Thomas to the floor during a melee. He was given a second yellow card.

Barnsley (3-5-2): Isted; B Thomas, Andersen, Kitching; Williams, Phillips (Benson 65), Connell (L Thomas 80), Kane, Cadden; Watters (Norwood 65), Cole (Russelll 80).

Unused: Collins, Larkeche, L Thomas, Russell, Tedic.

Yellow cards: Andersen, Connell, Norwood.

Red cards: Cadden.

Goals: Cadden 41, Cole 45+3.

Shrewsbury (3-5-2): Marosi; Pennington, Dunkley, Flanagan; Moore (Bloxham 78mins), Winchester (Bennett HT), Phillips, Leahy, Shipley; Street, Bowman.

Unused: Burgoyne, Craig, Barlow, Hutchings.

Yellow cards: Moore, Pennington, Shipley, Phillips, Bloxham.

Red cards: Bowman.

AS IT HAPPENED
  • GAME UNDERWAY
  • 3:03pm
    Barnsley shooting towards the Ponty End this half
  • 3:04pm
    2 Quiet first couple of minutes. Neither side has put a long passing move together yet
  • 3:08pm
    First decent move down the left but Kitching's pass too Phillips is intercepted when he would have been in a good position just outside the box
  • 3:08pm
    Phillips' cross touched away by the goalkeeper with Watters lurking. Barnsley putting on pressure now
  • 3:10pm
    8 Shrews have first shot on goal. Ryan Bowman runs down left and his 15-yard effort deflects off Andersen and is easily caught b y Isted diving to his right
  • 3:13pm
    10 Now Barnsley have their first shot. A long ball is brilliantly headed by Cole to Watters who hesitates on the edge of the box but the ball bounces. bak to him off a defender and his very weak scuffed shot is easily saved
  • 3:13pm
    11 Connell corner on the left headed up and and out by Thomas
  • 3:15pm
    13 Shrewsbury long throw on the left is headed out then. cleared by Connell
  • 3:16pm
    13 Another Barnsley chance. Kane plays Phillips in on the right of the box and his low cross is back heeled by Cole but again lacking there power to beat Marko Marosi who dives to his right to save
  • 3:18pm
    16 Shrewsbury win a corner on the left. Luke Leahy takes. It hits a Reds defender and goes out for. another corner on the right
  • 3:18pm
    16 Shrewsbury win a corner on the left. Luke Leahy takes. It hits a Reds defender and goes out for. another corner on the right
  • 3:19pm
    17 The next corner is headed out by Andersen but a follow up shot is deflected. behind for another on the right
  • 3:19pm
    18 Shrewsbury corner on the right headed out then cleared
  • 3:21pm
    Even. game overall here as we approach halfway in the first half
  • 3:22pm
    A break as Andersen great. treatment. Should be OK to carry on
  • 3:23pm
    Andersen has his head bandaged
  • 3:25pm
    Andersen now has to change his. shorts because they have blood on them. He's finally back on
  • 3:26pm
    23 Decent passing move leads to Williams cross headed behind for corner
  • 3:27pm
    25. Connell corner on the right. Hits Devante Cole just a few yards out but he cannot divert it in. Seemed to see it late
  • 3:28pm
    Barnsley have had the better chances so far but yet to test the visiting goalkeeper
  • 3:29pm
    28 Leahy's long throw from the left is flicked by Thomas then Isted gathers
  • 3:30pm
    Barnsley have had plenty of the ball and are throwing men forward but yet to unlock the Shrews defence with that killer pass
  • 3:31pm
    YELLOW CARD
    Mads Andersen the first name in the book after a foul which gives Shrewsbury a free-kick about 35 yards out on the right wing
  • 3:32pm
    30 Shrewsbury. free-kick on the right, headed out by Thomas then Phillips heads the next cross away and. Andersen blocks a long-range shot. Good defending
  • 3:33pm
    YELLOW CARD
    Ryan Bowman booked for an aerial challenge on Bobby Thomas
  • 3:35pm
    33 Shrewsbury free-kick on the left wing. It's gone a bit scrappy now
  • 3:36pm
    34 Shrewsbury free-kick from the left. Headed on target by Flanagan at the back post but straight at Isted who catches
  • 3:39pm
    Big chance for the Reds. Watters runs onto a long Thomas pass and crosses from the right. It falls to Kane whose 15-yard shot is impressively saved by Marosi diving down to his left
  • 3:40pm
    Phillips' volley from looping cross deflected just wide
  • 3:41pm
    40 Corner from the left headed. up to edge of box and Cadden shoots well over
  • 3:42pm
    GOAL!
    Nicky Cadden's left wing cross creeps. in. Not sure if Cole got a touch or not
  • 3:46pm
    Goal given to Cole. 15th of season. Deserved after a good period of pressure for the hosts. Reminded me of Burton's opener on Friday
  • 3:47pm
    Phillips cross headed behind for. corner
  • 3:47pm
    Four added minutes this half
  • 3:48pm
    Corner headed out to Phillips who shoots well over from 25 yards
  • 3:49pm
    GOAL!
    Devante Cole taps in a second !
  • 3:50pm
    Kitching's shot from outside the box is spilled by. the goalkeeper and Cole shows good reactions to stretch out a leg and turn it back into the net from close range
  • 3:52pm
    HALF-TIME: Barnsley 2, Shrewsbury 0. A Devante Cole double just before the break
  • 4:08pm
    Shrewsbury bring Elliott Bennett on for Carl Winchester
  • 4:08pm
    SECOND HALF UNDERWAY
  • 4:11pm
    Free-kick to Shrewsbury on the right. Headed out by Phillips
  • 4:14pm
    51 Watters. is played through on the right of the box and his powerful shot from a tight angle is beaten away by Marosi
  • 4:16pm
    Kilian Phillips and Bobby Thomas both. down and colliding in the Reds box. Shrewsbury want a penalty
  • 4:18pm
    Game back underway after treatment to both players
  • 4:21pm
    59 Cadden wins a corner on left
  • 4:22pm
    59 Connell corner o n the. left is headed up then cleared
  • 4:23pm
    Wow. Kane's pass puts Watters clean through. He lobs the goalkeeper and the goal is at his mercy but somehow under pressure from a defender he cannot turn it in
  • 4:24pm
    Now Kane shoots over from outside the box
  • 4:26pm
    64 Connell corner on the left. One two with Kane then he overhits cross and it goes out
  • 4:27pm
    Benson replaces Phillips in Barnsley's first change
  • 4:27pm
    Norwood also on for Watters
  • 4:30pm
    This hasn't been Barnsley's greatest performance. They have been sloppy at times. But they've been the better side and should be further ahead
  • 4:30pm
    67 Connell shot deflected behind for corner on left
  • 4:31pm
    68 Connell's left wing corner is over everyone then Cadden and Williams work it back to Isted whose long pass is headed by a. defender to the Shrewsbury goalkeeper
  • 4:34pm
    72 Benson corner on left headed up then a foul given against the Reds
  • 4:37pm
    RED CARD
    Nicky Cadden sent off
  • 4:37pm
    Looked like it was for a tackle on Killian Phillips
  • 4:39pm
    YELLOW CARD
    Matt Pennington booked for a foul
  • 4:39pm
    Will be three-game ban for Cadden unless appealed. Still got a win to see out here with ten men. Cadden had been best player on pitch in my opinion
  • 4:41pm
    YELLOW CARD
    Taylor Moore booked. for taking out Kane. Getting tasty
  • 4:42pm
    Shrewsbury immediately take off Moore for Tom Bloxham
  • 4:43pm
    Jon Russell and Luke Thomas are coming on
  • 4:43pm
    Connell and Cole off
  • 4:46pm
    YELLOW CARD
    Steve Cotterill the Shrewsbury manager given a yellow card. We assume for something he said
  • 4:48pm
    Nasty clash of heads for Kane and Luke Leahy. Both down
  • 4:48pm
    Attendance: 13,026 (514 away)
  • 4:49pm
    Leahy up. Kane having bandage put on
  • 4:51pm
    The game will now re-start
  • 4:52pm
    Into the 90th minute but there will likely be at least five added.
  • 4:53pm
    Nine added minutes
  • 4:55pm
    GOAL!
    Killian Phillips pulls one back in the first of nine minutes of added time
  • 4:57pm
    Chance for 2-2. A low left wing cross is turned towards goal by Bowman. but it's a weak effort and collected by the goalkeeper
  • 4:58pm
    Larkeche on for Kane
  • 5:01pm
    Luke Thomas taken out by Shipley. on the break. Then Norwood and Phillips push and shove each other
  • 5:02pm
    YELLOW CARD
    Jordan Shipley, Killian Phillips and Norwood all booked
  • 5:02pm
    RED CARD
    Ryan Bowman given a second yellow card, seemingly for dissent
  • 5:03pm
    FULL-TIME: Barnsley 2, Shrewsbury 1. Both sides finish with ten men but the Reds have an eighth straight home win