Reds up to second after beating Iron

Central midfielders Alex Mowatt and Cameron McGeehan got the goals in the first half of a match which the Reds dominated. 

It was a fifth successive home win and means Barnsley are now unbeaten in 19 at Oakwell, their longest run since 1968, while they have not lost in ten league matches for the first time since 2005. 

The win, and Portsmouth’s home draw with Doncaster Rovers, means Barnsley are now second in League One at the 30-game mark. They are still six points behind leaders Luton but with a game in hand. 

Daniel Stendel made two changes from the side that drew 2-2 at Oxford United on Tuesday. Dani Pinillos replaced Ben Williams at left-back while Kieffer Moore was brought back in at the expense of Kenny Dougall as the Reds reverted from 4-5-1 to 4-3-3. Jack Walton, Zeki Fryers and Ryan Hedges returned to the bench with Adam Jackson and Jake Greatorex joining Williams in dropping out of the squad.

Although both goals carried an element of fortune about them, and the visitors ended the half well, Barnsley were the better side before the interval. Scunthorpe tried to play 3-1-4-2 but were pushed into a back five while their sloppy passing allowed the Reds to break at them with a pace and skill that had been missing in their last two performances. 

Barnsley thought they had taken the lead in the fourth minute when Cauley Woodrow turned in Pinillos’ left-wing cross from close range only to see it ruled out for offside. Woodrow then side-footed wide from just inside the box after a good run and cross by Dimitri Cavare who had been set free on the right by Ethan Pinnock. 

The hosts took the lead in the 16th minute when Alex Mowatt’s 30-yard shot appeared to deceive Jak Alnwick in the Scunthorpe goal and swerve past him into the net. Alnwick pointed to the sky straight afterwards then donned a cap to guard against the glare of the winer sun. Adam Hammill, the former Barnsley player, was in the Reds’ penalty box at the time the goal went in, nursing an injury picked up when he claimed he had been fouled by Pinnock for a penalty. 

Moore then blasted a low 25-yard shot straight at Alnwick, who caught easily, before he chested the ball to Woodrow who fired just wide from a similar distance. Scunthorpe’s first real chance came in bizarre circumstances when Adam Davies caught a free-kick then ran to the edge of his box to clear it downfield but Cameron Burgess blocked and Davies had to head the resulting shot away just outside his area.

McGeehan, the former Scunthorpe loanee, fired over from 25 yards but he eventually made it 2-0 on 41 minutes. Mamadou Thiam’s shot appeared to hit Moore and loop into the air for McGeehan to head in from close range yards from the away fans who he refused to celebrate in front of. 

The visitors almost pulled one back before the break but Byron Webster headed straight at Davies from Tony McMahon’s corner then the goalkeeper made a much better save to tip over Lee Novak’s close-range effort after a Funso Ojo run down the right of the box. 

After the break, Barnsley controlled the game and saw out the victory while having the better chances.  Scunthorpe almost conceded a comical goal down when Rory McArdle chested past his own goalkeeper before clearing on the line. Woodrow then met a low Cavare cross ten yards out but sent his spinning low effort across the face of goal and narrowly wide. 

Scunthorpe missed a chance to halve the deficit midway through the second half when Pinnock headed McMahon’s cross back to him but he blazed over inside the box. McGeehan then sent a 25-yard piledriver just wide of the visitors’ goal while substitute Ryan Hedges curled wide from a similar distance then Moore’s shot from outside the box was easily saved by Alnwick diving to his right.

Cavare also came close with a long-range effort which went a yard over the bar then substitute Mike Bahre’s overhead kick was straight at Alnwick.  Novak headed wide in injury-time but Scunthorpe were comprehensively beaten. 

Barnsley team: Davies; Cavare, Pinnock, Lindsay, Pinillos; Brown, McGeehan, Mowatt, Thiam (Hedges 67); Woodrow (Bahre 72), Moore (Adeboyejo 83). Unused: Walton, Fryers, Dougall, Green. Yellow cards: Woodrow, Brown, Bahre. Goals: Mowatt 16, McGeehan 41. Scunthorpe (3-4-1-2): Alnwick; Webster (Lund 72mins), McArdle, Burgess, McMahon, Ojo, Perch (Sutton HT), McGahey; Thomas, Hammill (Van Veen 58), Novak. Unused: Flatt, Lund, Lewis, Pearce, Olomola. Yellow cards: Perch, McMahon.