Barnsley secured a 2-0 win in their Boxing Day match at home to Peterborough United on Wednesday. 

Alex Mowatt opened the scoring midway through the first half then Cauley Woodrow netted a stunner just after the break. 

The Reds are now unbeaten in 15 home league games and they have leapfrogged Posh into fifth place in League One. 

Head coach Daniel Stendel made two changes from the side which won at Blackpool on Saturday. Kieffer Moore missed the game through illness, while Kenny Dougall made his first start in more than two months due to injury. Mike Bahre came in for Mamadou Thiam on the left wing in a 4-1-4-1 formation which saw Dougall playing in front of the back four and Woodrow on his own up front. 

Peterborough thought they should have had a penalty in the tenth minute after sloppy play by Ethan Pinnock and Cameron McGeehan led to Mark O’Hara tumbling to the ground after Dougall stuck out a leg. But the referee was unmoved. 

Barnsley then began to get on top as McGeehan and Dougall both shot straight at visiting goalkeeper Conor O’Malley from 25 yards before Bahre blazed over inside the box after a good run and pass by Dimitri Cavare. 

The Reds took a deserved lead in the 25th minute when Mowatt slid in three yards out to turn in a low cross by Cavare who had been freed up on the right wing by a good move involving McGeehan and Brad Potts.  

Posh top-scorer Matt Godden could have levelled but headed a Marcus Maddison cross wide then Woodrow was off target from one of several Mowatt corners. 

Barnsley went off having been the better team in the first half and were even more dominant in the early stages of the second.

McGeehan should have made it 2-0 but shot narrowly wide from 15 yards out after an excellent run by Potts who carried the ball from near halfway into the Posh penalty area.

But the lead was doubled seconds later when Woodrow curled a superb shot into the top right corner from 25 yards out on the left side of the pitch.

Mowatt almost made it 3-0 but the goalkeeper denied him in the box from a tight angle, then home stopper Adam Davies made his first save of the match to brilliantly prevent Godden making it 2-1 after going clean through. 

Posh boss Steve Evans made a double substitution before the hour then his final change ten minutes later.

Dougall looked likely to be sent off in the 69th minute when he brought down ex-Red Ivan Toney who was clean through on goal but the Peterborough striker was booked for diving instead. 

Visiting goalkeeper O’Malley went well out of his box but the clearance was poor and straight to Bahre 30 yards out but his shot was blocked by Rhys Bennett and went wide of the open net. 

O’Malley then had to rush off his line to deny McGeehan one-on-one after a good counter-attack led by Woodrow who played on his team-mate. 

Barnsley (4-1-4-1): Davies; Cavare, Pinnock, Lindsay, Pinillos; Potts (Brown 74mins), McGeehan, Mowatt, Dougall (Adeboyejo 86), Bahre (Thiam 78); Woodrow.  Unused: Greatorex, Hedges, Moncur, Jackson. Yellow cards: Dougall. Goals: Mowatt 25, Woodrow 49 

Peterborough (3-4-1-2): O’Malley; Naismith (Lyon 69mins), Tafazolli, Bennett, Ward, O’Hara, Woodyard, Daniel (Dembele 57); Maddison; Toney, Godden (Cummings 57). Unused: Chapman, Reed, Cooper, Stevens. 

AS IT HAPPENED
  •  
  •  
     
    GAME UNDERWAY
  • 15:04pm
     
    It looks like a 4-1-4-1 win Kenny Dougall sitting just in front of the back four while Brad Potts is on the right and Mike Bahre on the left
  • 15:06pm
     
    3 McGeehan has the first shot of the match. His 25-yard effort is deflected and goalkeeper Conor O’Malley stoops to catch easily
  • 15:08pm
     
    5 Now Peterborough have their first shot as Marcus Maddison volleys about a metre over from 30 yards out
  • 15:10pm
     
    Posh look to be playing a 3-4-1-2 formation with Maddison just behind the front two of ex-Red Ivan Toney and Matt Golden who have 27 goals between them this season
  • 15:11pm
     
    Neither side has really settled in what has been a scrappy match so far. But Barnsley put together a decent passing move which ends with Potts' long-range shot being deflected for a corner
  • 15:12pm
     
    9 Mowatt's corner is cleared and Bahre volleys from 25 yards but it balloons well into the away end
  • 15:14pm
     
    10 Posh think they should have a penalty after Mark O’Hara takes a tumble under a challenge by Dougall. There didn't seem to be much contact and it was a dramatic fall but Barnsley were so sloppy. A bad Pinnock header was followed by McGeehan passing too short to Dougall in the box when he should have blasted cleared
  • 15:15pm
     
    12 A rare drop ball is given. McGeehan loses it then wins the ball back and plays in Potts on the right but his cross is cleared by Rhys Bennett
  • 15:18pm
     
    15 Dougall has a shot from 25 yards which is straight at the goalkeeper. That followed a long period of Reds possession in which they seemed reluctant to cross, with their only striker Woodrow venturing out to the right wing
  • 15:19pm
     
    16 Barnsley's best chance so far falls to Bahre who slices horribly over the bar after a good run by Cavare down the right and a squared pass inside
  • 15:20pm
     
    That's twice the German has skied a shot. This last one was a much better chance as he was only about 15 yards out
  • 15:21pm
     
    19 Mowatt's corner is headed away as is Potts' follow up cross
  • 15:21pm
     
    Barnsley have been on top for the last five minutes at least as they are starting to settle into this match
  • 15:25pm
    Cameron McGeehan in action today
  • 15:25pm
    Alex Mowatt in the air
  • 15:26pm
     
    GOAL!
    Alex Mowatt opens the scoring!
  • 15:27pm
     
    An excellent move and a deserved lead
  • 15:29pm
     
    It started with Mowatt and Dougall exchanging clever passes near the halfway line which freed up McGeehan who did very well to get to the ball before a Posh player and slide in to pass to Potts. That gave Barnsley the numerical advantage and when the ball was played to Cavare on the right he had time to pick out one of several men, choosing Mowatt who slid in to tap home from three yards
  • 15:30pm
     
    It's a very different goal to the two screamers Mowatt has previously scored this season, but all three have opened the scoring at home
  • 15:32pm
     
    29 Barnsley are looking for a second goal. Bahre's cross from the left is cleared behind with McGeehan lurking. The German's corner is cleared for another
  • 15:32pm
     
    30 Mowatt's right-wing corner is headed clear by Toney
  • 15:34pm
     
    Barnsley have been the better side so far, they have had almost all of the ball for the last 20 minutes or so and are attacking a lot more than Peterborough
  • 15:35pm
     
    32 Posh have a free-kick but Liam Lindsay heads it clear
  • 15:36pm
     
    33 Cavare has got forward very often so far. He pops up again just outside the Posh box on the right wing but slips as he tries to cross and it is a goal kick
  • 15:39pm
     
    35 A decent chance for a leveller but Godden heads Maddison's cross wide
  • 15:41pm
    Mowatt's goal
  • 15:41pm
    Mowatt's celebration
  • 15:42pm
     
    Peterborough are having a slightly better spell now as we move closer to half-time
  • 15:43pm
     
    The other two times Mowatt has scored this season the opposition have come back into the game due to a poor Barnsley display. They were Bristol Rovers and Plymouth who are much lower in the table than today's visitors
  • 15:45pm
     
    42 Daniel Stendel is furious with the referee who gives a foul against the Reds. The head coach stamps down the touchline wheeling his right arm in the air and shouting
  • 15:46pm
     
    44 Mowatt's corner is headed a few metres wide of the bottom right corner by Cauley Woodrow
  • 15:48pm
     
    45 Ivan Toney thinks he has been fouled so handles the ball but Barnsley get a free-kick for handball in a dangerous area 25 yards out
  • 15:48pm
     
    45+1 Bahre's free-kick is weak and headed clear as we enter the only minute of added time
  • 15:49pm
     
    HALF-TIME: Barnsley 1, Peterborough 0
  • 16:06pm
     
    SECOND HALF UNDERWAY
  • 16:09pm
     
    48 Barnsley fans think they have another goal as McGeehan takes the ball off Potts, who had run from halfway into the away box, and fires inches wide of the bottom right corner
  • 16:10pm
     
    GOAL!
    Cauley Woodrow with a magnificent 25-yard strike!
  • 16:11pm
     
    What a fantastic goal, curling into the top right corner from the left side of the pitch
  • 16:12pm
     
    That is seven goals in 12 Barnsley games for Woodrow
  • 16:12pm
     
    51 The Reds are all over the visitors now. Mowatt looks a second but the goalkeeper saves from a tight angle in the box
  • 16:13pm
     
    52 Huge chance for 2-1 as Barnsley lose the ball in their half which leads to Golden latching onto a Toney pass and going clean through on the right but Davies makes an excellent one-on-one save
  • 16:17pm
     
    A frantic start to the second half but it's settled slightly now. Barnsley will be delighted with their position
  • 16:18pm
     
    First changes for the visitors see former Barnsley trialist Siriki Dembele come on for Colin Daniel while Godden, the visitors' best threat, is taken off for Jason Cummings
  • 16:20pm
     
    58 Potts shoots left footed from 25 yards but it is well wide. That was after a good Bahre run and a lay-off from Woodrow
  • 16:23pm
     
    Barnsley fans really getting behind their team here, they are delighted with this high energy display which has the hosts 2-0 up after an hour
  • 16:24pm
     
    63 Posh really struggling when Barnsley run at them, Cavare charges for 40 yards and they back off but his shot from just outside the box is over the bar
  • 16:27pm
     
    65 Bahre goes clean through on goal but fires over then is relieved to see the linesman's flag go up for offside
  • 16:30pm
     
    Barnsley look to have got away with one there. Toney goes clean through on goal and Dougall brings him down. It looks as though the Australian will be sent off but instead Toney is booked for diving
  • 16:30pm
     
    Posh make their final change with Darren Lyon coming on for Jason Naismith
  • 16:33pm
     
    Jacob Brown is about to come on for Barnsley
  • 16:34pm
     
    73 Mike Bahre's corner is cleared
  • 16:35pm
     
    SUB OFF
    Brad Potts
  • 16:35pm
     
    SUB ON
    Jacob Brown, who scored against Peterborough earlier this season
  • 16:37pm
     
    Less than 15 minutes of normal time remain. Barnsley are moving closer towards a big win
  • 16:38pm
     
    76 Goalkeeper O'Malley goes well out of his area but the poor clear goes to Bahre whose shot a the open goal from 30 yards is blocked by Bennett and goes well. The corner is then cleared
  • 16:39pm
     
    SUB OFF
    Mike Bahre
  • 16:39pm
     
    SUB ON
    Mamadou Thiam
  • 16:42pm
     
    Less than ten minutes to go now, Barnsley are not playing with the same energy and intensity which got them into this league but they look comfortable and Peterborough will have to produce some magic to get anything from here
  • 16:44pm
     
    82 Barnsley almost wrap the game up on the counter-attack. Woodrow leads it then cleverly plays the ball to his left for McGeehan to go through on goal but the goalkeeper comes out to block well
  • 16:45pm
     
    YELLOW CARD
    Kenny Dougall for mistiming a sliding tackle
  • 16:47pm
     
    SUB OFF
    Kenny Dougall
  • 16:47pm
     
    SUB ON
    Victor Adeboyejo
  • 16:50pm
     
    This has been a good overall performance by Barnsley, with a few nervous moments in which the referee has helped them. But, in general, they have been the better side and deserve to win
  • 16:51pm
     
    We now enter the 90th minute and only a total disaster will stop Barnsley winning from here
  • 16:52pm
     
    Dimitri Cavare is given the sponsor's man of the match, which is fair as he has looked much better defensive and attacked a lot including getting the assist for the opener
  • 16:52pm
     
    Four added minutes
  • 16:53pm
     
    90+2 Woodrow goes for another long range stunner but it is wide by a couple of feet from 25 yards out
  • 16:56pm
     
    FULL-TIME: Barnsley 2, Peterborough United 0