Conor Chaplin’s 72nd-minute goal secured a second successive win for Barnsley who triumphed 1-0 at home to Middlesbrough on Saturday. 

The result moved the Reds off the bottom of the table and cut the gap between them and safety by a point to five as fellow strugglers Charlton, Stoke and Wigan also won. 

The game was not a classic but the hosts were the more positive and creative team throughout so deserved to win. 

Clarke Oduor came into the side for Luke Thomas in the only change from the 3-0 win at Fulham a week earlier. Oduor played at left wing-back in a 3-4-1-2 with Kilian Ludewig the other wing-back while Jordan Williams was on the left of the three centre-backs. 

The first half was a fairly dull affair, with both sides cancelling each other out in the same formation although the Reds were slightly the more lively and positive as they had the majority of the attacks and shots - mainly from long-range. 

Both Alex Mowatt and Conor Chaplin had early shots from just outside the area which whistled narrowly wide of the bottom right corner then Cauley Woodrow fired straight at goalkeeper Aynsley Pears from even further out. At the other end, ex-Red Ashley Fletcher sent a header well wide before Ludewig volleyed straight at Pears from a very tight angle then Woodrow put a 25-yard effort well over. 

Conor Chaplin almost opened the scoring just before the break, with the best chance of the half, but his flicked shot from a low left-wing cross by Oduor was straight at Pears. 

At the start of the second half, Middlesbrough’s Lewis Wing sent a 25-yard free-kick wide of the bottom right corner. At the other end, Mowatt blasted over the bar from just outside the box then Woodrow and Oduor fired off target from slightly further out. 

Woodrow then shot straight at the goalkeeper from 20 yards in the 70th minute, but the breakthrough came soon afterwards. Mowatt’s cross from the left was headed down at the back post by Jacob Brown to Chaplin whose first shot from eight yards out crashed against the crossbar before he fired in the rebound for his tenth league goal of the season. 

Woodrow fired over from just inside the penalty area then Fletcher headed an injury-time free-kick over the bar from close range. 

Barnsley (3-4-1-2): Collins; Sollbauer, Halme, J Williams; Ludewig, Mowatt, Bahre (Ritzmaier 88mins), Oduor, Woodrow; Brown, Chaplin (Thomas 82).  Unused: Walton, B Williams, Dougall, Schmidt, Simoes, Ritzmaier.  Yellow cards: Woodrow, Bahre.  Goals: Chaplin 72. 

Middlesbrough (3-4-1-2): Pearson; Shotton, Moukoudi, Friend; Howson, Saville (McNair 80mins, Wing, Johnson; Morrison (Coulson 79); Fletcher, Assombalonga Unused: Mejias, Clayton, Tavernier, Nmecha, Gestede. 

AS IT HAPPENED
  •  
  • GAME UNDERWAY
  • 15:06pm
     
    3 Early chance for the visitors. Britt Assombalonga backheeled and Ravel Morrison's shot is blocked in the box
  • 15:06pm
     
    4 A long ball puts ex=Red Ashley Fletcher behind the defence and he is tripped by Brad Collins but the offside flag is up
  • 15:10pm
     
    Middlesbrough have edged the first seven minutes so far.
  • 15:11pm
     
    Barnsley are playing 3-4-1-2 with Jordan Williams on the left of the back three. Oduor and Ludewig wing-backs
  • 15:12pm
     
    11 Mowatt's right-wing corner is caught by the goalkeeper
  • 15:13pm
     
    11 Brown shoots from the edge of the box, it is deflected over
  • 15:15pm
     
    12 Alex Mowatt now has a shot which is deleted just wide of the bottom right corner after a good move involving Oduor and Chaplin. Mowatt then plays the corner short to Chaplin who also shoots wide of the bottom right corner
  • 15:16pm
     
    The weather is terrible here with the rain pouring down
  • 15:20pm
     
    18 Woodrow now has a shot from long range but it is straight at the goalkeeper
  • 15:22pm
     
    Barnsley playing well here, knocking it around better than their visitors and having more attacks and shots, although all from long distance at the moment
  • 15:24pm
     
    22 Incredibly, Chaplin beats ex-Red Shotton in the air despite almost a foot difference in height. Shotton then fouls the home player and Barnsley have a free-kick on the right
  • 15:25pm
     
    23 Bahre's free-kick is headed behind for a corner
  • 15:25pm
     
    The corner is played short, Barnsley tried to pass it down the opposite wing but the offside flag goes up
  • 15:27pm
    Captain Alex Mowatt in action
  • 15:27pm
    Marvin Johnson battling with Kilian Ludewig
  • 15:30pm
     
    A very even game now, both sides struggling to break down the others' five-man defence and players are starting to slip a lot on the greasy deck
  • 15:32pm
     
    30 Middlesbrough make decent progress down the right wing then pass back to Moukoudi whose cross is headed well wide by Fletcher
  • 15:36pm
     
    33 Ludewig gets into the box on the right to meet Bahre's nice lofted pass and volleys it but it looked like he tried to cross and instead it goes straight to the goalkeeper
  • 15:36pm
     
    34 Now Woodrow shoots well over from 25 yards which annoys his captain Alex Mowatt who points out there were men free on the left
  • 15:38pm
     
    36 Michael Sollbauer produces an excellent cross from the right which is just too wide for Clarke Oduor at the back post who is battling with a defender
  • 15:41pm
     
    39 A Boro corner comes in from the right and Collins looks in a bit of trouble but in the end does well to punch it out for a throw on the right
  • 15:43pm
     
    40 Sollbauer loses the ball in a dangerous area on the right, then a shot hits Aapo Halme and there are cries for handball but the referee does not give it. It would have been an extremely harsh penalty
  • 15:44pm
     
    42 Sollbauer concedes soft free-kick on left
  • 15:45pm
     
    43 George Saville's free-kick is headed away by Ludewig
  • 15:48pm
     
    45 Best chance of the game so far. Mowatt finds Oduor on the left and his low cross reaches Chaplin six yards out but he flicks his shot straight at the goalkeeper
  • 15:49pm
     
    HALF-TIME: Barnsley 0, Middlesbrough 0. Boos from the away end. The Reds have had more shots and chances but it's been a quiet match
  • 16:04pm
     
    SECOND HALF UNDERWAY
  • 16:08pm
     
    Quiet start to the second half to the second half with both teams again struggling to advance up the pitch
  • 16:11pm
     
    The home fans are getting behind the team with some chants early in this half.
  • 16:11pm
     
    52 Ravel Morrison wins a free-kick off Mike Bahre 25 yards out in a central position
  • 16:12pm
     
    53 Lewis Wing's free-kick goes narrowly wide of the bottom right corner, and a corner is given
  • 16:13pm
     
    54 Mowatt blasts over the bar from just outside the box.
  • 16:16pm
     
    57 Mowatt takes a corner from the left and Woodrow heads it well over the bar at the back post, difficult chance
  • 16:18pm
     
    59 Woodrow curls a 25-yard effort wide of the top right corner
  • 16:20pm
     
    60 Now Oduor drags a shot wide from just outside the box after a good moved down the right involving Brown, Chaplin and Mowatt
  • 16:22pm
     
    Barnsley have been on top for the last ten minutes or so but are struggling break down their deep and defensive visitors
  • 16:24pm
    Aapo Halme close to the Boro goal
  • 16:24pm
    Conor Chaplin with ex-Red Ryan Shotton
  • 16:26pm
     
    Elsewhere, Wigan, Charlton and Stoke are winning so the Reds could really do with three points
  • 16:29pm
     
    70 A decent move ends in Cauley Woodrow shooting from 20 yards but it is straight at the goalkeeper again
  • 16:31pm
     
    Middlesbrough take off £15million Britt Assombalonga and bring on £6.5million Rudy Gestede
  • 16:32pm
     
    GOAL!
    Conor Chaplin opens the scoring!!
  • 16:33pm
     
    A left-wing cross is headed down by Brown to Chaplin who firsts shoots against the bar from close range but then hits in the rebound
  • 16:33pm
     
    What a massive moment for the Reds
  • 16:34pm
     
    They've probably just about deserved it over the course of this game , but there are still 20 minutes left
  • 16:37pm
     
    YELLOW CARD
    Cauley Woodrow is the first name in the book for a foul in the Boro half
  • 16:38pm
     
    Boro change, Coulson on for Morrison.
  • 16:38pm
     
    Another Boro change. Paddy McNair is on for George Saville
  • 16:40pm
     
    Barnsley's first change sees goal-scorer Conor Chaplin replaced by Luke Thomas
  • 16:41pm
     
    82 Woodrow once again fires over the bar, this time from just inside the box after a good Barnsley break
  • 16:45pm
     
    Barnsley seem to be seeing this game out nicely, they have plenty of possession. We have four minutes remaining
  • 16:48pm
     
    Marcel Ritzmaier replaces Mike Bahre
  • 16:48pm
     
    YELLOW CARD
    Mike Bahre is booked for going off too slowly in the opinion of the referee
  • 16:50pm
     
    Four added minutes at the end of the 90
  • 16:51pm
     
    90+2 Barnsley concede a free-kick on the left wing
  • 16:52pm
     
    90+3 The free-kick is headed over from close rang by Ashley Fletcher who didn't know much about it then claims for a corner but the ref rules Brad Collins did not touch it
  • 16:54pm
     
    FULL-TIME: Barnsley 1, Middlesbrough 0. Another crucial win for the Reds and a deserved one