Dale Jennings scored a brilliant brace as Barnsley booked their place in the third round with a comfortable 3-0 win at Chester in their FA Cup replay on Tuesday.

The professional and clinical performace ended a run of five games without a win and set up a third round clash at home to Championship side Middlesbrough in January.

Kane Hemmings gave the Reds an early lead but it was Jennings who stole the show with two excellent finishes from the left side of the box, the second after a sensational jinxing run.

Hemmings came into the side for Marcello Trotta while Peter Ramage and James Bailey returned from injury to replace Brad Abbott and the injured Lewin Nyatanga.

The Reds settled any nerves they may have had when they took the lead on 16 minutes. Centre-back Ramage somehow found himself on the edge of the box, skipped round a defender and had a shot which was blocked and fell to the unmarked Hemmings who smashed in from ten yards out.

Devante Cole's fine run and pass led to a great chance for Jennings but he fired high and wide from 25 yards. Reece Brown's sliced clearance gave Chester's Barmpton-born Kingsley James a chance to level but he scuffed his 15-yard shot well wide.

Hemmings then should have scored or passed to an open team-mate on a breakaway but hesitated and was superbly tackled by Gareth Roberts. Home goalkeeper Jon Worsnop then brilliantly kept out a 25-yarder from Conor Hourihane and fumbled away an even more ambitious effort from Jennings.

Jennings made it 2-0 on 63 minutes as, on one of countless overlaps, he received a pass from Hemmings in space on the left of the box and curled a low shot into the bottom right corner.

Chester had a few headed chances with Craig Hobson, twice, and Matt Brown nodding just wide from left-wing crosses. But it was Barnsley who scored again on 88 minutes when Jennings brilliantly skipped past two players in the home box before burying another shot into the bottom right corner.

Jennings had the perfect chance for the hat-trick after Worsnop spilled Hourihane's effort but the home 'keeper redeemed himself by impressively tipping over Dale's rebound.