Barnsley beat a fellow top eight side for the first time this season as they came from behind to defeat Stevenage 2-1.

The hosts took a very early lead but Jon McAtee netted a stunning leveller before the break, then Herbie Kane marked his 100th appearance with a second half goal.

The Reds stayed seventh and are two points behind sixth-placed Stevenage with two games in hand on them, and six behind second-placed Peterborough who have played a game more than Barnsley.

It was far from a vintage performance and the Reds rode their luck but showed character to come from behind to win for the first time at home in more than two years.

Neill Collins made two changes from the side that drew 1-1 at home to Charlton a week earlier. Callum Styles returned from injury to replace Owen Dodgson, who dropped out of the squad, at left wing-back, with McAtee in up front for the benched Sam Cosgrove. Nicky Cadden was back on the bench after injury. Herbie Kane made his 100th appearance for the club.

The visitors took the lead in the fifth minute. Mael de Gevigney was beaten in the air by ex-Red Kane Hemmings, from a long ball, and Jamie Reid beat two men in the box then Liam Roberts made a fine save down to his left, before Luther Wildin-James’ shot from a tight angle on the right hit the goalkeeper and went in.

Styles put Kane through on goal but his first touch was clumsy then, at the other end, Jordan Roberts should have made it 2-0 after going clean through following more poor defending but dragged a shot across goal.

The home crowd were beginning to turn on their side when McAtee levelled with a fantastic first goal at Oakwell. He brilliantly lobbed the ball into the top right corner from 20 yards out after a long ball by Styles.

McAtee could have made it 2-1 seconds later when played clean through but goalkeeper Taye Ashby-Hammond made a good one-on-one save.

Ex-Red Hemmings thought he had made it 2-1 to the visitors seconds before half-time when he tapped in after Carl Piergianni headed down a free-kick, but the flag was up.

Stevenage were on top early in the second half, as Barnsley were again sloppy and lacking ideas, but only had Dan Butler’s volley from 20 yards which went well wide to show for it.

But Barnsley gradually improved and took the lead when Kane drove forward from near halfway and saw his 20-yard shot deflect into the top left corner.

Elliot List’s powerful shot from the right of the box was easily saved by Roberts.

Barnsley thought they had made it 3-1 when Fabio Jalo was put clean through on the left and squared to fellow substitute Sam Cosgrove to tap in but Jalo was ruled offside.

Finley Burns then glanced a header wide from a Stevenage free-kick deep in injury-time.

Barnsley (3-5-2): Roberts; Williams, de Gevigney, McCart; O’Keeffe (Cotter 60mins), Phillips (Cosgrove 60), Connell (Russell 75), Kane, Styles; Cole (Jalo 85), McAtee (Cadden 85).

Unused: Killip, Lopata.

Yellow cards: Connell, Cotter, Kane.

Goals: McAtee 32, Kane 71.

Stevenage (3-4-3): Ashby-Hammond; Sweeney, Piergianni, Vancooten, James-Wildin, Burns, Forster-Caskey (White 87), Butler, ; Roberts (Freeman 77), Reid (List 77), Hemmings (Pressley 77).

Unused: Hegyi, N Thompson, L Thompson.

Yellow cards: Butler.

Goals: Wildin-James 5.