Eighth straight home win for Reds

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.

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.