Barnsley extended their unbeaten run to 11 matches and cemented their second position in League One with a 4-1 success at Gillingham.

Kieffer Moore put the Reds ahead after just 15 seconds then Cauley Woodrow made it 2-0 on the stroke of half-time. Woodrow got another midway through the second half before the hosts pulled one back then Jacob Brown completed the rout. 

Leaders Luton Town also won so remain six points clear but draws for Portsmouth and Sunderland mean Barnsley are three points clear in second.

The negative for the Reds was that Moore had to be carried off on a stretcher following a sickening clash of heads with Gabriel Zakuani which saw him spend eight minutes on the ground. He was knocked out and went to hospital. 

Head coach Daniel Stendel kept the exact same squad as for the win over Scunthorpe United in their last game a week previously.  The visitors were the better side in the first half, constantly threatening to get in behind the weak home defence. Barnsley could easily have been four goals up after 20 minutes then, after Gillingham had two good chances and a period of pressure, the Reds finished the half well.

The first move of the game saw Jacob Brown outmuscle Connor Ogilvie on the right touchline then send in a low cross which Mamadou Thiam dummied so it reached Cameron McGeehan inside the box. The shot was saved by Tomas Holy but Moore blasted in the rebound from five yards out for his 18th of the season. 

Moore almost netted another on five minutes as he robbed Gabriel Zakuani then went clean through on goal but Holy got down to his right to make a very good one-on-one save. Moore should have passed to Thiam who was free on his left. 

Alex Mowatt then missed two superb chances within a minute as he was denied one-on-one by the impressive Holy after being put through by Thiam then smashed against the crossbar from close range when Brown headed down Thiam’s left-wing cross.

The Gills then had two excellent chances to level. Adam Davies dropped the ball after crashing into team-mate Ethan Pinnock from a free-kick but Brandon Hanlon volleyed over from close range. Seconds later, Tom Eaves went clean through on but Davies did well to deny him while diving down to his right. 

The match then settled down after a frantic first 20 minutes, with Gillingham having more of the ball but struggling to break down Barnsley who constantly looked to break on the counter-attack. Home player Billy King lost the ball to Thiam just before the break but he shot straight at Holy under pressure from 15 yards out. 

It was 2-0 in the 45th minute when Woodrow met Thiam’s good left-wing cross at the back post and headed it beautifully over Holy and into the net. 

The early part of the second half saw Barnsley even more content to sit back and soak up pressure then hit their hosts on the counter-attack. Brown headed over from a Pinillos cross then the Gills survived an astonishing scramble which saw Holy deny Thiam twice before McGeehan’s shot was deflected over by a defender. 

Mowatt’s 30-yard shot was turned over by Holy and the Reds scored their third from the resulting left-wing Thiam corner which was flicked on by Liam Lindsay for Woodrow to force in from close range at the far post. It was his 11th of the season. 

The Gills pulled one back with ten minutes left when a left-wing free-kick was cleared to the edge of the box where substitute Elliott List fired into the bottom right corner. 

In the last of 12 added minutes due to Moore's injury, Brown made it 4-1 with an eight-yard shot which hit the underside of the bar before bouncing into the roof of the net, after good work by Thiam and Bahre. 

Barnsley (4-4-2): Davies; Cavare, Pinnock, Lindsay, Pinillos; Brown, McGeehan, Mowatt (Dougall 80mins), Thiam; Moore (Green 90), Woodrow (Bahre 71). Unused: Walton, Fryers, Hedges, Adeboyejo. Yellow cards: Cavare. Goals: Moore 1, Woodrow 45, 71, Brown 90+12.  Gillingham: Holy; Fuller, Zakuani, Ehmer, Ogilvie (Charles-Cook 79mins); Byrne, Rees (Parrett 65); Hanlon, Burke, King (List 54); Eaves. Unused: Hadler, O’Neill, Lopes, Reilly. Goal: List 81.

AS IT HAPPENED
  • 13:37pm
     
     
  • GAME UNDERWAY as Cameron McGeehan kicks off
  • 15:03pm
     
    GOAL!
    Kieffer Moore
  • 15:05pm
     
    Incredible start. Just 17 seconds in. A cross from the right falls for McGeehan whose shot is saved by Holy but the rebound is smashed home by ,Moore
  • 15:06pm
     
    That must be one of the fastest goals in Barnsley's history
  • 15:07pm
     
    It was a good move as Brown crossed low from the right and Thiam jumped over the ball as a dummy for McGeehan whose shot was saved then turned in by Moore
  • 15:08pm
     
    Kieffer Moore should make it 2-0 after five minutes as he goes clean through on goal but Holy makes a good one on one save down to his right
  • 15:08pm
     
    Barnsley are all over Gillingham who simply have not started this match at the same pace or tempo
  • 15:11pm
     
    The home fans are unsurprisingly frustrated by the way their side has started here but the visitors, packed into the away end, are in very good voice
  • 15:13pm
     
    The game has settled down a bit and become more even now after the Reds dominated the first five minutes
  • 15:15pm
     
    12 McGeehan shoots wide of the top right corner from 25 yards
  • 15:15pm
     
    Barnsley look as thought they can get in behind this home defence regularly this afternoon, with Kieffer Moore especially causing chaos
  • 15:17pm
     
    That first minute goal was Kieffer Moore's 18th of the season. He has 16 in the league which puts him ahead of Gillingham top-scorer Tom Eaves who has been quiet so far
  • 15:20pm
     
    17 Another glorious chance as Mamadou Thiam puts Alex Mowatt through on goal and he is denied one on one again by Holy
  • 15:20pm
     
    There is another great chance immediately after for Mowatt, who smashes against the crossbar from close range after Brown heads down a Thiam cross
  • 15:21pm
     
    The Reds could easily be 4-0 up here. They are dominating but need to make it count
  • 15:23pm
     
    20 Now Gillingham have an excellent chance to level after Pinnock and Davies crash into each other from a free-kick and the goalkeeper drops it. Brandon Hanlon lifts the ball over the bar when he should score
  • 15:24pm
     
    21 Another excellent chance for the Gills as Eaves goes clean through on goal but Davies dives to his right to save
  • 15:24pm
     
    This is a frantic game with six really good chances, only one of them scored, in the first quarter
  • 15:26pm
     
    23 Kieffer Moore shoots towards the bottom right corner but Holy gets to it comfortably
  • 15:30pm
     
    The crowd are getting more into this and supporting their side after a tough start to the game. It's settled down a bit after all those chances
  • 15:33pm
     
    Half an hour has gone in this match. Barnsley really should have been at least 3-0 up after 20 minutes but, more recently, they have been hanging on to their 1-0 lead
  • 15:34pm
     
    Overall the Reds do look the better and more dangerous side but they need to add to this lead because the hosts are dangerous
  • 15:34pm
     
    There is a small break in play now with Jacob Brown down injured
  • 15:36pm
     
    33 Gillingham ake a corner from the left but Lindsay heads away
  • 15:37pm
     
    35 Another home corner is collected in his box by Cavare who then runs to the edge of the home box before his deflected shot is easily cleared
  • 15:40pm
     
    Less than ten minutes until half-time now. The Reds are constantly looking to get in behind the home backline and look very capable of doing so but the Gills have had a lot of the ball recently. It's settled down a bit after a totally made first 22 minutes
  • 15:44pm
     
    Daniel Stendel will be pleased with his side's lead and the chances they have created but, at half-time, he will be telling them they can take more control of the match in midfield and not constantly rely on the breaking and catching out this jittery home defence
  • 15:45pm
     
    41 Billy King loses the ball to Thiam deep in the Gillingham half and the Frenchman gets into the box but fires straight at the goalkeeper
  • 15:47pm
     
    GOAL!
    Cauley Woodrow
  • 15:48pm
     
    It's his tenth of the season and an excellent header, looping it over the goalkeeper from Thiam's excellent left-wing cross
  • 15:49pm
     
    So that is a goal in the first and last minute of the half which puts the Reds in control of this game
  • 15:54pm
    Kieffer Moore celebrates his opener
  • 15:54pm
    Cauley Woodrow makes it 2-0
  • 16:06pm
     
    SECOND HALF UNDERWAY
  • 16:08pm
     
    Like much of the last 25 minutes before the break, Gillingham have begun the second half in the Reds half without causing any problems for the comfortable Barnsley defence
  • 16:12pm
     
    No chances so far in the second half. The game has settled into a similar pattern to before the break with the Reds happy to sit back and soak up pressure then hit the Kent club on the break
  • 16:13pm
     
    Barnsley have lots of space when they do counter-attack and regularly have more attackers bursting forward than defenders blocking the home goal but the pitch is in a really bad state so the killer pass is difficult to pull off. That is why the visitors have pumped a lot of long balls behind the dodgy Gills defence
  • 16:15pm
     
    The first substitution sees Gillingham's Elliott List replace Billy King
  • 16:17pm
     
    56 Jacob Brown runs into the box on his own to meet Pinillos' cross but it is a tough chance and he heads over from eight yards out
  • 16:21pm
     
    An hour gone and Barnsley will be pleased with their efforts so far. The hosts will have to go for it to get back into this match which should give the visitors chances on the counter
  • 16:22pm
     
    61 Thiam crosses from the left and Ehmer chests it clumsily to Moore but makes amends with a good block to deny the Reds striker
  • 16:25pm
     
    64 How have Barnsley not scored there after an incredible scramble? Moore puts Thiam clean through on goal but he is twice denied by the goalkeeper before McGeehan's shot is deflected over by a defender
  • 16:29pm
     
    68 Gillingham's left-wing corner is headed well into the air by Ogilvie and comfortably caught by Davies although it was going wide
  • 16:31pm
     
    After sitting back and soaking up pressure for the first 15-20 minutes after the interval, Barnsley are getting on the ball further up the pitch and starting to control the game
  • 16:31pm
     
    71 Mowatt shoots from 30-yards and Holy tips it over the bar
  • 16:31pm
     
    GOAL!
    Cauley Woodrow gets another
  • 16:33pm
     
    Thiam's left-wing corner is flicked on at the near post by Liam Lindsay and Woodrow forces it past the goalkeeper at a tight angle at the back post
  • 16:35pm
     
    Woodrow was taken off instantly after scoring his 11th of the season. With Mike Bahre coming on
  • 16:37pm
     
    786 away fans have very much enjoyed their team's performance today
  • 16:39pm
     
    Gillingham make their final change with Regan Charles-Cook coming on for Connor Ogilvie
  • 16:40pm
     
    Barnsley's second change sees Kenny Dougall replace Alex Mowatt who has once again been excellent today
  • 16:41pm
     
    YELLOW CARD
    Dimitri Cavare booked for taking out a Gillingham man
  • 16:42pm
     
    GOAL!
    Elliott List pulls one back with a finish into the bottom right corner from the edge of the box
  • 16:43pm
     
    Kieffer Moore and Gillingham's Zakuani are involved in a sickening clash of headers competing for an aerial ball and both are still down
  • 16:44pm
     
    The goal was a free-kick cleared to the edge of the box and a good strike by List
  • 16:45pm
     
    Zakuani is now up but Moore is still down and looks as though he will have to be stretchered off
  • 16:46pm
     
    Zakuani Is being helped off the pitch and cannot continue but Moore looks even worse off and will be stretchered off
  • 16:48pm
     
    Barnsley are about to bring Jordan Green on for Moore who has been down for about five minutes now
  • 16:50pm
     
    Moore is on a stretcher and carried off the pitch to a standing ovation
  • 16:51pm
     
    Green is on and there has been an eight-minute delay
  • 16:51pm
     
    12 minutes injury time
  • 16:55pm
     
    The game is being played at a strange pedestrian pace now after that horrible injury to Moore and this long stoppage time period
  • 16:57pm
     
    Gillingham have six minutes to score two goals
  • 16:58pm
     
    We're hearing Kieffer Moore is going to hospital in an ambulance. It sounds as though he was knocked out in the clash of heads with Zakuani then his face went straight into the ground
  • 17:00pm
     
    90+9 Thiam curls wide from just outside the box after a good run and pass by McGeehan
  • 17:02pm
     
    GOAL!
    Jacob Brown completes the thrashing!
  • 17:03pm
     
    The youngster smashes in off the crossbar after Holy saved from Bahre
  • 17:03pm
     
    FULL-TIME: Gillingham 1, Barnsley 4