Barnsley were finally given a league penalty this season – and missed it – but won 5-1 at Forest Green Rovers who were relegated to League Two.

The visitors raced into 3-0 lead before the break with goals by Slobodan Tedic, Adam Phillips and James Norwood.

The Reds were then awarded their first penalty of the season just after the break which Phillips missed but he turned in the rebound.

Forest Green pulled one back but substitute Devante Cole added a latte fifth.

Barnsley stayed fourth in League One but moved to within four points off the top two. Ipswich and Plymouth both won but Sheffield Wednesday dropped down to third with a 3-2 loss at Burton Albion .

The Reds have played better throughout the season but were far too good for League One’s bottom club, who were destroyed by some first half set pieces.

Ziyad Larkeche, Tedic and Norwood came into the 11 for the suspended Nicky Cadden and benched duo Devante Cole and Max Watters.

Tedic netted in the eighth minute, heading Luca Connell’s right-wing corner into the bottom left corner.

Charlie Savage tried to reply immediately but his 25-yard effort was well-saved by Harry Isted springing to his right.

Norwood then shot wide from outside the box after the hosts lost the ball in their half before, at the other end, Jordan Williams made a fine block from Savage in the box.

The lead was doubled after half an hour when a left wing free-kick was cleared and Phillips’ 25-yard shot took a crucial deflection past the goalkeeper.

Herbie Kane nearly made it 3-0 but shanked wide just inside the box after Norwood did well to find him.

It was 3-0 soon after when Norwood deftly flicked in a front post header from Connell’s right-wing corner against his former club to join Phillips in reaching ten goals this season.

Another Connell corner was headed by Bobby Thomas and cleared off the line by Udoka Godwin-Malife.

Barnsley added a fourth early in the second half when Bobby Thomas was fouled in the box by Dylan McGeouch after a good move down the right. Phillips’ weak effort was saved by Ross Doohan but the ball came straight back to him to fire in.

Home goalkeeper saved easily from a long-range Tedic shot then from Substitute Luke Thomas who was gifted the ball in the box.

The hosts pulled one back with a fine long-range strike by substitute Reece Brown. Larckeche then limped off with an injury.

Cole diverted Jordan Williams’ impressive right-wing cross into the bottom left corner in the 90th minute for his 16th goal of the season.

Barnsley (3-5-2): Isted; B Thomas, Andersen, Kitching; Williams, Kane (L Thomas 63mins), Connell (Russell 63), Phillips (Benson 63), Larkeche(Cundy 75); Tedic, Norwood (Cole 63).

Unused: Collins, Watters.

Yellow cards: Andersen, Phillips.

Goals: Tedic 8, Phillips 30, 52 (pen) Norwood 38, Cole 90.

Forest Green (4-4-2): Doohan, Godwin-Malife (Bernard 83), Casey, Cooper, Robson, Garrick, Bunker, McGeouch (Brown 56), McAllister (Peart-Harris 17), Savage (Bakayoko 56), Omotoye (O’Brien 83).

Unused: Burnett, Moore-Taylor.

Yellow cards: Casey.

• GAME UNDERWAY
• 3:00pm
  Barnsley's 1,200 or so fans are all the way down the side of the ground - mostly in terracing
• 3:02pm
  Not much to report in the opening three minutes. A couple of long balls for Barnsley with no one on the end
• 3:03pm
  Plymouth have already won today. 1-0 in their derby a Exeter. Barnsley will just look to keep winning and stay in touch with them
• 3:04pm
  Kyle McAllister put clean through for the hosts by a long ball. The offside flag goes up to the anger of the hosts but he had knocked the ball well past Isted anyway
• 3:06pm
  Barnsley yet to settle down properly. They have. had a lot of the ball but not quite passing crisply yet
• 3:06pm
  A better move from the Reds sees Tedic win the game's first corner on the right
• 3:07pm
  GOAL!

  Luca Connell's corner from the right wing is headed in by Slobodan Tedic
• 3:08pm
  A perfect start for the Reds. The Serbian striker moves into space and perfectly heads the inswinging corner into the bottom left corner
• 3:09pm
  10 Charlie Savage's 25-yard shot well saved by Isted diving to his right. Follow up corner cleared
• 3:11pm
  12 Forest Green lose the ball in their half and Norwood shoots wide from outside the box
• 3:13pm
  So a great start for the Reds. Remember the home team will go down if they don't win
• 3:13pm
  YELLOW CARD

  Mads Andersen booked for pulling down a home attacker about 25 yards from goal
• 3:14pm
  15 Savage's free-kick is overhit and out for a goal kick
• 3:16pm
  It's a pretty even game overall. The hosts will think they have played pretty well so far
• 3:18pm
  Barnsley win a second corner. They scored from the first, on the right. This is on the left
• 3:19pm
  20 Luca Connell's left wing corner is headed out
• 3:21pm
  Barnsley's passing just hasn't quite been at their usual standard today. Many times they have tried big cross field switches to put their wide players in space and underhit them
• 3:22pm
  Kyle McAllister has to come off injured with Myles Peart-Harris replacing him. Peart-Harris has five goals this season, the most of the current squad
• 3:24pm
  Barnsley win a free-kick on the left
• 3:25pm
  26 Left wing free-kick taken by Connell. Headed out, Phillips' cross then cleared
• 3:26pm
  27 Opening for the hosts. Charlie Savage played in on the left of the box but Williams makes a fine block
• 3:27pm
  28 Left wing corner for the hosts. Batted down by Isted then cleared. Nervy moments
• 3:29pm
  GOAL!

  Adam Phillips smashes in another long range goal!
• 3:30pm
  A free-kick from the left was half cleared then Phillips hits a very powerful 25 yard shot which looked to be deflected on the way in. His tenth of the season in all competitions
• 3:30pm
  A free-kick from the left was half cleared then Phillips hits a very powerful 25 yard shot which looked to be deflected on the way in. His tenth of the season in all competitions
• 3:33pm
  That's a big goal for the Reds who now have a nice cushion
• 3:34pm
  35 Chance for Kane but he shanks wide just inside the box and Norwood sets him up
• 3:36pm
  GOAL!

  James Norwood heads home a Connell corner
• 3:39pm
  Deft flick header at the near post from a Connell corner on the right. And he loves it in front of the fans of his former club. Barnsley in total control before the break. He joins Phillips on ten for the season
• 3:41pm
  YELLOW CARD

  Tedic wins a free-kick then gets involved in some pushing and shoving with Oliver Casey who is booked
• 3:43pm
  Free-kick cleared
• 3:44pm
  45 Good run by Williams on the right. His cross headed. behind for a corner
• 3:45pm
  45+1 Connell's left-wing corner headed towards goal by Thomas and Udoka Godwin-Malife clears it off the line. Incredibly, the referee gives a goal kick
• 3:45pm
  We're into three added minutes
• 3:47pm
  HALF-TIME: Forest Green 0, Barnsley 3.
• 4:03pm
  SECOND HALF UNDERWAY
• 4:06pm
  49 Connell corner headed out
• 4:06pm
  49 Connell corner headed out
• 4:06pm
  Great news from elsewhere that Barnsley under 18s have won their league following a. 4-1 success at Cardiff
• 4:07pm
  YELLOW CARD

  Adam Phillips booked for a challenge on Dylan McGeouch
• 4:08pm
  Barnsley have their first penalty of the season!
• 4:09pm
  Bobby Thomas tripped up in the box
• 4:10pm
  GOAL!

  Phillips with a penalty after a foul on Bobby Thomas. He misses but the rebound comes back to him to tap home
• 4:14pm
  Forest Green take off Savage and bring on Amadou Bakayoko
• 4:15pm
  Recce Brown comes on for Dylan McGeouch
• 4:17pm
  Quadruple change coming up for the Reds
• 4:17pm
  Cole, Benson, Russell and Luke Thomas coming on
• 4:20pm
  Coming off are Phillips, Norwood, Kane and Connell
• 4:24pm
  Not a great deal has happened since the fourth goal. The. hosts are still going for it and attacking but don't have the quality to create a chance at the moment
• 4:24pm
  68 Tedic's low long0-range shot easily saved
• 4:28pm
  70 Decent chance for Luke Thomas. He is gifted the ball by a defender and cuts in from the left of the box but h is shot is too close to the goalkeeper who dives to his left to save
• 4:29pm
  Larkeche down and has to come off. Cundy coming on
• 4:30pm
  Hopefully that is not serious given Cadden is out for the next two
• 4:32pm
  GOAL!

  Reece Brown pulls one back for the hosts
• 4:33pm
  Now Forest Green attacking again. They win a couple of corners
• 4:33pm
  The goal was a fine strike b y the substitute from outside the box into the left of the net
• 4:38pm
  Game. has settled down a bit now.
• 4:42pm
  Bad wifi here. Forest Green have brought on Dom Bernard and Sean O’Brien for and Udoka Godwin-Malife
• 4:42pm
  This hasn't been a scintillating Barnsley performance. But they got the job done early and have outclassed their visitors who are about to be relegated
• 4:44pm
  In the last three minutes of normal time here. The game is just drifting towards a big Barnsley win
• 4:45pm
  Tedic looks to have picked up a knock but is still playing
• 4:47pm
  GOAL!

  Devante Cole makes it five
• 4:48pm
  He diverts a good right wing cross by Williams into the bottom left corner
• 4:55pm
  FULL-TIME