Reds record ninth straight home win

Slobodan Tedic scored twice as Barnsley recorded a ninth straight home win a 2-0 defeat of lowly Oxford United on Saturday.

Tedic netted his first Oakwell goal on his first league start there just before the break, then added another minutes into the second half.

The Reds were the better side throughout and could have won by more against a side who are now winless in 17 matches.

Barnsley remain fourth in League One, still six points behind the top two who both won – with three games left. They host second-placed Ipswich on Tuesday.

Michael Duff made one change from the draw at Lincoln on Tuesday. Tedic came in place of James Norwood.

Barnsley started brightly but it was the visitors who had the first chance in the ninth minute when Mads Andersen missed the ball and Gatlin O’Donkor went through clean through but fired into the side netting from the right of the box.

Minutes later, Barnsley had their first chance when Tedic headed an impressive Ziyad Larkeche cross from eight yards out but it was too close to goalkeeper Simon Eastwood who kept it out. Eastwood then pushed a Jordan Williams cross against Tedic from close range and the ball bounced wide after a fine Barnsley move.

Adam Phillips shot wide with a low 25-yard effort then, at the other end, Cameron Brannagan’s powerful 20-yard free-kick was saved by Harry Isted diving to his left.

Devante Cole should have put the hosts ahead on 43 minutes but, sliding in six yards out to meet Phillips’ low cross from the right, he missed the bottom right corner narrowly.

Tedic broke the deadlock just before the break when Williams found Phillips on the right and his fine cross was flicked by the Serb striker at the near post past the goalkeeper.

Tedic netted a second early in the second half, glancing in a good header from another fine Phillips cross. That came seconds after Eastwood made a good save from Bobby Thomas who headed a Connell corner.

Liam Kitching cleared off the line midway through the second half from a Kyle Joseph shot following a scramble from a corner.

Larkeche saw a 12-yard shot from the left of the box, following a scramble, saved by Eastwood. The visiting goalkeeper also beat away a powerful 15-yard strike by substitute Norwood after good passes from Phillips and Bobby Thomas.

In injury-time, Oxford’s Yanic Wildschut screwed a shot from 12 yards wide of the bottom left corner after a Josh Murphy pull-back. Wildschut’s header then looked sure to go into the top left corner but Isted made a remarkable save to claw it out.

Barnsley (3-5-2): Isted, mark out of ten: 8; B Thomas 7, Andersen 7, Kitching 8; Williams, Phillips 9 (Benson 85mins), Connell 7 (Russell 76), Kane 8, Larkeche (Cundy 76); Tedic 9 (Watters 73), Cole 7 (Norwood 73). Unused: Collins, L Thomas.

Yellow cards: Connell. Goals: Tedic 45, 52.

Oxford (4-2-3-1): Eastwood; Long, Findlay, Moore, Brown; McGuane, Brannagan; Joseph (Bodin 71mins), Goodrham (Murphy 54), Smyth (Wildschut 54); O’Donkor (Browne 25). Unused: McGinty, Fleming, Anderson. Yellow cards: Smyth, Joseph, Brannagan, Murphy.

Referee: Ross Joyce (Cleveland).

Attendance: 12,291 (663 away fans).

Oxford (4-2-3-1): Eastwood; Long, Findlay, Moore, Brown; McGuane, Brannagan; Joseph (Bodin 71mins), Goodrham, Smyth; O'Donkor (Browne 25).

Unused: McGinty, Fleming , Murphy, Wildschut, Anderson.

• GAME UNDERWAY
• 3:03pm
  Oxford playing the ball across their defence in first minute. Their left back Brown sees a clearance blocked by Phillips out fore a throw which gets a big cheer from the home crowd
• 3:04pm
  2 Tedic cleverly touches a long ball towards Phillips on the right of the box but a defender takes it off him
• 3:05pm
  Only three minutes in but. Barnsley the brighter team so far
• 3:06pm
  Oxford attack down the right but Isted easily catches a cross
• 3:08pm
  6 Tedic does well to win the ball and Barnsley work it to the right wing where Williams has space to cross but overhits his touch out for a goal kick
• 3:11pm
  9 Chance for the visitors. Suddenly Gatlin O’Donkor is clean through but misses, shooting into the side netting.
• 3:11pm
  Andersen missed the ball. in the build up to that chance
• 3:12pm
  It would have been totally against the run of play but Oxford. should have score
• 3:15pm
  13 So nearly an opener for the Reds. Great cross from the left by Larkeche and Tedic heads it about eight yards out, slightly too close to the goalkeeper who scrambles it away
• 3:17pm
  So a couple of big chances at each end but, in general play, it's been all Barnsley
• 3:18pm
  16 Very good football by the Reds who work it out to the right wing for Williams to zip in a low cross which the goalkeeper pushes onto Tedic's shot and it gores wide
• 3:21pm
  Now Adam Phillips wieś wide with a low 25-yard strike. Barnsley are playing some crisp passing football and finding Oxford pretty easily to cut through
• 3:25pm
  A break in play for an Oxford injury. Both teams come to the sidelines for drinks. Duff talking animatedly to his players
• 3:26pm
  Gatlin O’Donkor looks like he will come off injured
• 3:26pm
  He's been a bit of a. handful so far on the few occasions the has had the ball
• 3:26pm
  Marcus Browne comes on
• 3:29pm
  New sub Browne wins a free-kick just outside the box for a foul by Andersen
• 3:30pm
  28 Free-kick just outside the box. Hit powerfully by Cameron Brannagan and Isted dives to his left to make a good save
• 3:31pm
  The resulting corner is headed well wide at the back post by Ciaran Brown
• 3:32pm
  31 Coles wins a corner on the right
• 3:32pm
  31 Connell's right wing corner is headed up and then out
• 3:33pm
  Kitching does well to win a free-kick immediately after that corner was cleared. It;'s about 40 yards out on the left and the centre backs go up again
• 3:33pm
  32 Free-kick on the left wing by Connell, Thomas heads it at the back post but it goes out for a goal kick
• 3:36pm
  Elsewhere, Ipswich are winning at Peterborough but Sheffield Wednesday and Plymouth are both drawing
• 3:37pm
  Tedic goes into a. tackle with two Oxford men near the corner flag and gets hurt. A couple of other players get in an argument and the fans are whipped up down there
• 3:38pm
  YELLOW CARD

  Oisin Smyth. and Luca Connell booked after that fracas
• 3:41pm
  The game has got a bit more scrappy and even now after a long period when Barnsley were on top
• 3:44pm
  Kitching wins a free-kick about 35 yards out on the left left
• 3:44pm
  42 Free-kick on the left. Taken by Connell. Headed out. Phillips crosses low and Cole shoots wide slliding in six yards out. Big chance!
• 3:47pm
  The Reds' strikers have missed one big chance each so far
• 3:47pm
  GOAL!

  Slobodan Tedic with his first Oaklwell goal
• 3:49pm
  Deserved lead. A fine cross from the right by Phillips, whose crosses have been very good today, is deftly touched in at the front post by Tedic
• 3:50pm
  HALF-TIME: Barnsley 1, Oxford 0.
• 4:08pm
  Herbie Kane wins a free-kick about 35 yards out on the left. That hurt but he is up now and over the ball with Connell
• 4:09pm
  47 Connell's free-kick is headed by a dander to Kitching at the back post who chests it down then blasts the ball. across the face of goal and out
• 4:12pm
  YELLOW CARD

  Kyle Joseph. booked for a late challenge on Kane
• 4:14pm
  GOAL!

  Slobodan Tedic again!
• 4:14pm
  Another excellent cross by Phillips and this time it is a deft header by the striker. It came just seconds after the goalkeeper made a good save from a Thomas header from a Connell corner
• 4:15pm
  Oxford bring on Josh Murphy and Yanic Wildschut for Smyth and Tyler Goodrham
• 4:16pm
  And Barnsley fans' delight is increased by the news that Sheffield Wednesday are 1-0 down at home to Exeter
• 4:19pm
  All Barnsley now. They are looking to kill this one off
• 4:20pm
  Ipswich are 2-0 up at Peterborough while Plymouth have taken the lead at home to Cambridge
• 4:22pm
  Not a huge amount has happened at 2-0. The Reds look keen to get forward but yet to create a chance for 3-0
• 4:26pm
  Oxford getting forward a bit more now. Williams concedes a corner on the left
• 4:26pm
  65 Liam Kitching has to clear off the line in a goal mouth scramble after Isted claws away a corner. This game isn't done yet
• 4:27pm
  The. next corner comes to nothing
• 4:29pm
  67 Larkeche shoots from the left of the box after a bit of a scramble but Eastwood gets down to save
• 4:31pm
  70 Free-kick from the left for Oxford. Over everyone and out by Browne
• 4:32pm
  Billy Bodin replaces Kyle Joseph for Oxford
• 4:33pm
  Max Watters is coming on for the Reds
• 4:33pm
  Two-goal hero Tedic coming offf
• 4:35pm
  Norwood on for Cole as well
• 4:35pm
  An excellent performance by Tedic who is now n rich scoring form and proving a real weapon going into the final weeks of the season
• 4:37pm
  Ziyad Larkeche goes down with cramp after missing the ball
• 4:38pm
  Looks like Jon Russell and Robbie Cundy are coming on
• 4:38pm
  Larkeche hobbles off
• 4:38pm
  Russell on for Connell and Cundy for Larkeche
• 4:40pm
  Sheffield Wednesday now drawing with Exeter. Cambridge and Plymouth both winning by two goals
• 4:42pm
  80 Norwood's powerful shot from the edge. of the box is beaten away by Eastwood after a good move ending in passes. by Phillips and Thomas
• 4:44pm
  Sheffield Wednesday now beating Exeter
• 4:45pm
  Decent chance. Watters leads a counter and can play Norwood clean through but overhits it
• 4:45pm
  Josh Benson coming on for the last few minutes
• 4:46pm
  Benson on for Phillips, who has been very good today with two fine crosses for the goals
• 4:47pm
  Attendance: 12,291 (663 away fans)
• 4:50pm
  Heading towards the end here. It's fizzled out a bit but it's another good solid home win
• 4:52pm
  Five added minutes
• 4:54pm
  YELLOW CARD

  Josh Murphy booked for a cynical foul after a nice move involving Kane and Benson
• 4:54pm
  Russell smashes a 25-yard shot well over
• 4:56pm
  Chance for Oxford right at the end. Yanic Wildschut screws a shot from 12 yards wide of the bottom. left corner after a Murphy pull-back
• 4:57pm
  What a save by Harry Isted. Yanic Wildschut's heads looks destined for the top left corner but the goalkeeper somehow claws it out
• 4:58pm
  FULL-TIME: Barnsley 2, Oxford 0. Tedic's double secures a ninth straight home win