Substitute Victor Adeboyejo netted a late winner as Barnsley came from behind to register a third straight win by defeating Preston North End 2-1 at Oakwell on Tuesday.
The visitors scored in the second minute but captain Alex Mowatt levelled with a fine long-range strike early in the second half then Adeboyejo won it with nine minutes left of normal time.
The Reds are now ninth in the Championship, four points off the top six and 15 clear of the bottom three.
Valerien Ismael – who recorded an eighth win in 12 matches in charge – made one enforced change from Saturday's local derby win at Sheffield Wednesday as Michal Helik replaced the injured Aapo Halme at centre-back, with youngster Jasper Moon on the bench.
The visitors took the lead in the second minute when a left-wing corner by Paul Gallagher was flicked on at the front post and headed at the back post by Sean Maguire whose effort was pushed away by goalkeeper Jack Walton but the officials ruled it had crossed the line. The Reds disputed the decision with the linesman and Ismael wagged his finger furiously in the dugout but they could not change the officials' minds.
Mads Andersen almost levelled in the sixth minute but he headed wide from seven yards out at the back post from Alex Mowatt's right-wing free-kick then kicked the advertising hoarding in frustration.
Callum Brittain then saw a powerful cross-come-shot pushed away by Declan Rudd for a 13th-minute corner which was taken by Callum Styles, on the left, and Michael Sollbauer met it unmarked but headed wide of the left post 12 yards out.
Very little happened for the next half an hour but both sides missed chances just before the interval.
Conor Chaplin's cross from the right was met at the back post by Styles who lofted his volley over the bar when he should have hit the target or squared it for the lurking Cauley Woodrow.
At the other end, following a swift break from a Reds corner, Preston's Emil Riis Jakobsen went clean through on goal but shot too softly and too close to Walton who got down to his left to save.
In the second half, Woodrow fired into the side netting from a tight angle on the left of the penalty area after latching onto a long pass.
It was 1-1 a minute later when, after a decent move, Styles laid the ball off for his captain Mowatt who curled into the right side of the net from 25 yards. It was his third goal of the season and all from a similar distance.
Preston nearly retook the lead within five minutes but, after a low cross from the right found left wing-back Josh Earl in the box, his first shot was deflected and blocked by the legs of Walton then he blazed the rebound over the bar.
The winner arrived in the 81st minute when Woodrow drove deep into the Preston half and played the ball to Adeboyejo on the left of the box and the substitute curled into the top right corner from 15 yards out.
Barnsley (3-4-3): Walton; Sollbauer, Helik, Andersen; Brittain, James (Kane 79mins), Mowatt, Styles; Frieser (Adeboyejo 60), Woodrow, Chaplin (Thomas 60). Unused: Collins, Moon, Oduor, Palmer, Kane, Miller, Schmidt,. Yellow cards: Styles, Thomas. Goals: Mowatt 54, Adeboyejo 81.
Preston (3-5-2): Rudd; Fisher, Davies, Hughes, Barkuizen (Stockley 75mins), Browne, Johnson, Gallagher (Bayliss 78), Earl; Riis Jakobsen (Sinclair 66), Maguire (Rafferty 66). Unused: Ripley, Storey, Huntington, O'Reilly, Harrop. Yellow cards: Brown. Goals: Maguire 2.
AS IT HAPPENED
  • 7:46pm
    GAME UNDERWAY
  • 7:48pm
    1 Preston win a corner on the left.
  • 7:49pm
    GOAL!
    Sean Maguire opens the scoring in the second minute. Barnsley dispute it but the referee and linesman rule it has crossed the line.
  • 7:50pm
    It was a corner from the left wing, flicked on and headed at the back post by Maguire. Walton looked to have saved it but a goal was given
  • 7:52pm
    Barnsley will have to come from behind like they did at Hillsborough on Saturday
  • 7:53pm
    6 Chance for a leveller as a free-kick from the right-wing is met at the back post by Mads Andersen but he heads wide seven yards out than kicks the advertising hoarding angrily
  • 7:54pm
    Barnsley have recovered pretty well to that early goal. They win a corner on the left
  • 7:55pm
    9 Matty James' corner is played to Styles then Mowatt whose cross is easily caught
  • 7:58pm
    12 Brittain fires a wicket cross-come-shot from the right of the box which goalkeeper Rudd pushes away for a corner
  • 7:59pm
    13 Another headed chance for the Reds, as Michael Sollbauer is free to meet Styles' left-wing corner but sends it just wide of the left post
  • 8:06pm
    So two good headed chances missed by Andersen and Sollbauer who have both never scored for the Reds.
  • 8:07pm
    Jack Walton has made two well-timed runs out of his penalty area in the last two minutes to head the ball away. That will give him confidence after Saturday's error
  • 8:08pm
    21 Clever move sees Woodrow flick a header on from a Chaplin pass to Mowatt who drives well into the Preston hall then shoots with his wrong foot from 25 yards but it is very badly scuffed and rolls through to Rudd
  • 8:12pm
    26 A Mowatt free-kick is punched away by Rudd
  • 8:15pm
    28 Another nice move for the Reds as Conor Chaplin drinks a pass into Woodrow who heads it through for Frieser on the left of the box but it just has too much on it and goes out for a throw-in
  • 8:18pm
    More than half an hour gone now. The Reds have certainly been the better side since falling behind, but missed two headed chances and their front three haven't quite been able to carve out a clear chance so far
  • 8:19pm
    33 Free-kick on the left, Walton gets there and gathered at the second attempt
  • 8:22pm
    Ten minutes left in the first half. It has gone a bit flat. The Reds will be looking to create more chances before the break
  • 8:22pm
    36 Andersen concedes a corner on the left. Gallagher takes, his former Leicester team-mate James heads clear
  • 8:24pm
    Barnsley going long a lot to Cauley Woodrow but the passes are often not quite on target and he's up against a tough defender in Ben Davies
  • 8:29pm
    42 Another chance for the Reds, a lofted ball from the right by Chaplin is met by Styles about seven yards out on the left. It is a tight angle on the volley and he lofts the ball over. He should really have hit the target or tried to loft it to Woodrow in the middle
  • 8:29pm
    43 Woodrow now has a shot blocked behind for a corner. The Reds ending this half well
  • 8:30pm
    44 James' right-wing corner is easily headed clear then Frieser's long-range shot is blocked
  • 8:31pm
    45 Massive chance for 2-0 for the visitors, as they break quickly from the corner. Emil Riis Jakobsen has just one defender and a team-mate around him as he breaks into the box. He chooses to shoot but puts his 15 yard effort too close to Walton with the goal gaping and the 'keeper gets down to his left to save
  • 8:32pm
    One added minute in this half
  • 8:34pm
    HALF-TIME: Barnsley 0, Preston 1. Sean Maguire's second-minute goal separates the sides. Andersen, Sollbauer and Styles all missed decent chances for the hosts then Emil Riis Jakobsen wasted a glaring chance for 2-0 on the stroke of half-time
  • 8:49pm
    SECOND HALF UNDERWAY
  • 8:53pm
    An even start to the second half. The Reds have worked the ball nicely up the pitch but are yet to get it in the visitors' box
  • 8:57pm
    53 Woodrow latches onto a long ball on the left of the box and shoots from a tight angle but it hits the side netting
  • 8:58pm
    GOAL!
    Alex Mowatt levels with a superb 25 yard strike!
  • 9:04pm
    58 Big chance for the visitors. A low ball from the right goes all the way to the left of the box for left-back Josh Earl whose deflected shot is well blocked by Walton then the rebound is blazed over
  • 9:04pm
    Thomas and Adeboyejo coming on for the Reds
  • 9:04pm
    Thomas replaces Chaplin and Adeboyejo is on for Frieser
  • 9:08pm
    YELLOW CARD
    Alan Browne is booked for a tackle on Matty James
  • 9:11pm
    Two Preston changes. Scott Sinclair comes on for Jakobsen and Joe Rafferty for goal-scorer Maguire
  • 9:14pm
    20 minutes to go. Not a great deal has happened in the last ten minutes. Will we see a winner?
  • 9:15pm
    YELLOW CARD
    Alex Mowatt booked for shouting at the referee after being fouled. He thought he should have had a free-kick for a very similar incident seconds earlier
  • 9:18pm
    Preston make another change. Jayden Stockley for Tom Barkhuizen
  • 9:19pm
    Barnsley are on top at the moment. Preston's passing has gone very sloppy. But the Reds are yet to carve out a chance since levelling
  • 9:22pm
    More changes. Gallagher replaces by Tom Bayliss for Preston. Barnsley bring on Herbie Kane for Matty James
  • 9:24pm
    GOAL Victor Adeboyejo with a fantastic finish!
  • 9:26pm
    GOAL!
    Woodrow runs deep into the Preston half and plays the ball to Victor on the left who curls into the top far corner across the goalkeeper. 2-1
  • 9:28pm
    Walton comes out and punches a free-kick
  • 9:30pm
    YELLOW CARD
    Callum Styles booked (we think). So he will miss Saturday's game at Swansea
  • 9:34pm
    YELLOW CARD
    Luke Thomas is booked and concedes a free-kick on the right which is headed out by Helik
  • 9:35pm
    Four added minutes
  • 9:39pm
    FULL-TME: Barnsley 2, Preston 1. Another comeback win for the Reds, who have won their last three and eight of 12 under Valerien Ismael

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