Barnsley will finish 2018 fourth in League One after beating visitors Charlton Athletic 2-1 to record a third successive win.

The Reds cruised into a 2-0 lead after 14 minutes thanks to sensational strikes by Brad Potts and Mamadou Thiam. Charlton pulled one back in the 73rd minute but could not find an equaliser in a game in which Barnsley dominated and should have won by more. 

The Reds, who are unbeaten in 16 at Oakwell, leapfrogged Charlton into fourth and are now six points behind second-placed Luton Town with a game in hand ahead of their trip to the Hatters on Tuesday. 

Head coach Daniel Stendel made one change from the team that won 2-0 at home to Peterborough United on Boxing Day while top-scorer Kieffer Moore missed another match following illness. 

Holding midfielder Kenny Dougall was not deemed ready to start two games in three days so was replaced by Thiam. The Frenchman played on the left of an attacking three alongside Mike Bahre and Potts in a 4-2-3-1 with Cauley Woodrow up front while Alex Mowatt and Cameron McGeehan anchored the midfield. 

The Reds took the lead in the fourth minute with a magnificent team goal. Potts started the move deep in his own half then Woodrow brilliantly flicked the ball to McGeehan who found Bahre who spread it wide to the right wing where Woodrow made progress before crossing into the area. Thiam met the ball six yards out and touched it out to the edge of the box for Potts to brilliantly smash a volley into the bottom left corner. 

McGeehan then had a 20-yard shot which was straight at goalkeeper Jed Steer while Charlton’s Karlan Grant was off-target with a 30-yard free-kick, but it was not long until Barnsley went 2-0 up.

Adam Davies threw the ball out Potts who spread it to Thiam on the left wing and he cut inside and curled a brilliant strike into the top right corner from 25 yards for his first goal for 14 matches.  Thiam then tried again from a very similar position but the effort went narrowly over the bar while Mowatt fired wide from a tight angle in the box.

Bahre almost made it 3-0 when he met a low left-wing Thiam cross eight yards out at the near post but Steer got down well to keep it out of his bottom right corner. Woodrow then sent an overhead kick wide from inside the box and Barnsley went off having dominated the first half.

Bahre had another excellent chance soon after the break when Mowatt put him clean through on goal on the right of the box but goalkeeper Steer came off his line to make a good one-on-one save. 

Woodrow’s clever touch puts Potts through and he could have squared to Bahre but shot from outside the box and the effort was well off target. 

Charlton halved the deficit with their first shot on goal. Substitute Tariqe Fosu’s free-kick hit the wall then was volleyed in from 18 yards out by Ben Reeves who found the bottom right corner. 

The visitors had a succession of corners in the seven minutes of added time with Fosu’s shot which was deflected over being the closest they came to a leveller. 

Charlton left-back Chris Solly was sent off in the 95th minute for a wild tackle on Pinillos in the Reds box having already been booked. 

Barnsley: Davies; Cavare, Pinnock, Lindsay, Pinillos; Potts (Dougall 77mins), McGeehan, Mowatt, Bahre (Brown 70); Thiam (Hedges 88), Woodrow  Subs: Greatorex, Jackson, Moncur, Adeboyejo. Yellow card: Pinnock, Cavare.  Goals: Potts 4, Thiam 14. 

Charlton team: Steer; Dijksteel, Pearce (Stevenson 64mins), Bauer, Solly; Reeves, Bielik, Pratley (Fosu 60), Marshall (Hackett-Fairchild 82); Grant, Taylor. Subs: Phillips, Morgan, Ajose, Sarpong-Wiredu. Yellow cards: Pearce, Solly, Dijksteel. Goals: Reeves 73.

AS IT HAPPENED
  •  
  •  
    GAME UNDERWAY
  • 15:04pm
     
    As expected, it is a 4-2-3-1 with Potts, Bahre and Thiam (from right to left) behind Woodrow
  • 15:05pm
     
    2 Barnsley have the first attack of the game but Pinillos skies a cross from the left into the away end
  • 15:07pm
     
    Charlton are playing a 4-4-2 with the dangerous duo of Lyle Taylor and Karlan Grant up front
  • 15:08pm
     
    GOAL!
    Brad Potts with a superb 20-yard volley onto the bottom left corner
  • 15:09pm
     
    A brilliant goal in the fourth minute really gets Oakwell going
  • 15:10pm
     
    Mike Bahre gets away from Charlton man and spreads it out to the right to Woodrow who goes crosses, Thiam touches it out of the box and Potts brilliantly smashes it into the bottom left corner
  • 15:11pm
     
    That is Potts' first league goal in 12 matches since netting at a similar time against Luton Town in October
  • 15:14pm
     
    9 McGeehan shoots straight at the goalkeeper from 20 yards after more good passing
  • 15:14pm
     
    11 Ethan Pinnock is booked for a foul 30 yards out then Karlan Grant hits the free-kick well wide
  • 15:17pm
     
    GOAL!
    Mamadou Thiam finds the top corner from 25 yards with a wonderful strike
  • 15:20pm
     
    An incredible start for the Reds. They are already 2-0 up thanks to sensational strikes from outside the box
  • 15:20pm
     
    This one saw Thiam come in from the right wing and curl a sensational strike into the top right corner
  • 15:22pm
     
    That was Thiam's first goal in 14 games since, like Potts, the win over Luton in October
  • 15:25pm
     
    Barnsley are playing well and the fans are really getting behind them, yelling 'shoot' every time scorers Thiam and Potts get the ball in the Charlton half
  • 15:25pm
     
    The visitors look startled by Barnsley's beginning to this match and haven't really attacked so far
  • 15:26pm
     
    23 Thiam has another go from almost exactly the same area of the pitch but this time it is more powerful but more central and slightly over the bar
  • 15:29pm
     
    The first quarter of this match could not have been better for the hosts. Two outstanding goals and they have been the more attacking and confident team
  • 15:30pm
     
    26 Good play by Bahre lets Mowatt advance into the box but he shoots wide from 15 yards out on the left
  • 15:30pm
     
    The Charlton fans boo after this latest Reds chance then chant 'Bowyer sort it out'
  • 15:33pm
     
    The match has settled down slightly in the last 15 minutes but Barnsley are the only side really attacking and Adam Davies has not been tested at all
  • 15:35pm
     
    Mowatt and McGeehan are playing deeper than in the previous game as there is no Dougall patrolling behind them. They are both controlling this game in the centre, intercepting Charlton attacks, keeping the ball and pushing their side forward
  • 15:36pm
     
    33 A Charlton corner is deep to the back post and the header then follow-up effort are both cleared by Ethan Pinnock
  • 15:38pm
     
    34 Charlton fans are cheering their passes with 'oles' because they have had so little of the ball so far which has frustrated the away end
  • 15:39pm
     
    Less than ten minutes to go until half-time. Charlton are still yet to have any chances as Barnsley boss this match
  • 15:41pm
     
    A lot of Barnsley's breaks have seen their only striker Woodrow go out onto the wings (like for the opening goal) which allows midfield runners to burst into the box
  • 15:43pm
     
    39 Mike Bahre almost gets his first league goal in English football. Pinillos throws to Thiam whose low cross is flicked at the front post by the German. but goalkeeper Steer keeps it out of the bottom right corner . The resulting corner is cleared
  • 15:45pm
     
    42 Thiam is doing really well on the wing. A good cross forces a corner which he takes but it goes over everyone
  • 15:47pm
     
    44 Woodrow tries an overhead kick 12 yards out after Potts wins a header in the box but the acrobatic effort goes wide
  • 15:48pm
     
    Two minutes added time in this half
  • 15:49pm
     
    45+1 Charlton have a corner but it is headed away
  • 15:52pm
     
    HALF-TIME: Barnsley 2, Charlton 0. Brilliant long-range strikes by Brad Potts and Mamadou Thiam in the first 14 minutes have put the hosts in control
  • 16:07pm
     
    SECOND HALF UNDERWAY
  • 16:11pm
     
    An even start to the second half with neither side getting forward much
  • 16:14pm
     
    YELLOW CARD
    Dimitri Cavare booked for a trip
  • 16:15pm
     
    53 Bahre wins the ball just inside the Charlton half and finds Potts who advances to the edge of the box but his shot is blocked
  • 16:17pm
     
    54 Another massive chance for Mike Bahre to make it 3-0 as Mowatt's clever pass puts him clean through on goal on the right of the box. But he is denied one on one by Steer then heads wide after the ball comes back to him during some penalty box pinball
  • 16:17pm
     
    The German has shown some fantastic skills today but he has missed two good chances to put this game beyond Charlton
  • 16:19pm
     
    Bahre goes down and needs some treatment but gets back up and is clapped off the pitch. He can carry on
  • 16:21pm
     
    Into the 60th minute and Charlton are yet to carve out any chances in this game while Barnsley could be much further ahead than 2-0
  • 16:22pm
     
    Charlton make their first change with Tariqe Fosu coming on for Darren Pratley
  • 16:24pm
     
    62 Another good chance for 3-0. A nice flick by Woodrow puts Potts through and he could square to Bahre but shoots from just outside the box and it goes well over
  • 16:25pm
     
    YELLOW CARD
    Jason Pearce is the first visiting player in the book for bringing down Woodrow during the move for Potts' chance
  • 16:26pm
     
    YELLOW CARD
    Chris Solly follows Pearce into the book for taking out Mowatt on the right wing near the box following another excellent Barnsley move
  • 16:26pm
     
    Charlton's second change sees Toby Stevenson come on for Jason Pearce
  • 16:27pm
     
    65 Mowatt's vicious free-kick is headed by a defender and floats away from
  • 16:28pm
     
    Play has stopped here due to an injury to Karlan Grant
  • 16:31pm
     
    SUB OFF
    Mike Bahre
  • 16:31pm
     
    SUB ON
    Jacob Brown
  • 16:32pm
     
    It looks as though Brown has gone up front with Woodrow in a 4-4-2
  • 16:35pm
     
    YELLOW CARD
    Cauley Woodrow booked for countering out ten yards
  • 16:35pm
     
    GOAL!
    Ben Reeves makes it 2-1
  • 16:37pm
     
    Fosu's free-kick is blocked by the wall then Reeves volleys into the bottom right corner from 12 yards out
  • 16:37pm
     
    That could set up a nervous finale. Will Barnsley rue the succession of chances they squandered at 2-0?
  • 16:39pm
     
    Barnsley's second chance sees Kenny Dougall replacing Brad Potts
  • 16:40pm
     
    Charlton's fans and players have been given a lift by that goal and they are attacking regularly for the first time all day
  • 16:42pm
     
    YELLOW CARD
    Anfernee Dijksteel booked bringing down Brown on the edge of the box. The crowd want red but there were men covering
  • 16:43pm
     
    Charlton's final change sees Mark Marshall go off for Reeco Hackett-Fairchild
  • 16:46pm
     
    We're into the 84th minute here and Barnsley are hoping to hold on to a huge win. The away fans are loudly counting the seconds Davies takes to hit a free-kick upfield
  • 16:48pm
     
    It would be an absolute smash and grab if Charlton levelled here. Barnsley have dominated and created by far the better chances
  • 16:48pm
     
    Barnsley's last chance sees Ryan Hedges replace Mamadou Thiam who is given a standing ovation
  • 16:51pm
     
    Barnsley win a free-kick deep in Charlton territory and hold it by the corner flag for some vital seconds as the clock ticks into the 90th minute
  • 16:52pm
     
    Barnsley clears a corner as SEVEN minutes of added time are shown
  • 16:53pm
     
    90+1 A corner falls to Fosu at the back post and his ten yard effort deflects wide . The next corner is cleared by Pinnock and Brown
  • 16:56pm
     
    We're approaching the end of the fourth of seven added minutes
  • 16:56pm
     
    Barnsley have enjoyed a calming minute or two of possession and will hope it continues for the remainder of the game
  • 16:58pm
     
    RED CARD
    Chris Solly is shown a second yellow card for sliding tackle in the Reds box on Pinillos
  • 17:00pm
     
    Pinillos is hobbling quite badly and he walks to the sidelines
  • 17:00pm
     
    Into the 99th minute
  • 17:02pm
     
    FULL-TIME: Barnsley 2, Charlton Athletic 1