Barnsley produced possibly their best performance of the season in a 2-0 win at home to near neighbours Rotherham United on Friday evening.

Jon Russell put the hosts in front in the first half then substitute Stephen Humphrys added another late on.

The Reds were the better side by far throughout and could have won by a lot more, with a poor Rotherham side only having one real chance.

They moved up to fourth in League One but could slip down after tomorrow’s games.

Darrell Clarke made one change from the FA Cup win at Port Vale six days earlier. Adam Phillips came into the 11 for Humphrys. Gaga Slonina was not on the bench due to injury but Jackson Smith had recovered from a side strain to be the back-up goalkeeper.

Davis Keillor-Dunn shot well over from distance then, after a superb run down the left abdomen pull-back by Josh Earl, saw an effort in the box blocked by a defender.

Keillor-Dunn then had another two efforts in the box blocked by defenders after fine work on the right by Max Watters and Phillips, who had sent in a low cross.

Watters had the first shot on target of the game as, after Luca Connell beat a man and sent in a low cross from the left, the striker’s scuffed effort was fumbled wide by Cameron Dawson.

The deadlock was eventually broken when Corey O’Keeffe’s left-wing corner was headed by Russell and, although Dawson saved the initial effort, the Jamaica international smashed home the rebound.

The Reds should have added a second in first half injury-time when Georgie Gent’s cross from the left perfectly picked out Keillor-Dunn just a few yards out but his header was somehow clawed out by Dawson.

Russell then headed in again from an O’Keeffe free-kick but he was rightly ruled offside.

Rotherham fans booed their side off after they had no shots on target before the break.

In the second half, Phillips headed a tough chance over from a right-wing O’Keeffe free-kick.

Keillor-Dunn saw a goal ruled out for a very close offside call, after Watters impressively dinked the ball over a defender’s head and played him in.

Phillips then flicked O’Keeffe’s left-wing corner up and onto the crossbar on 69 minutes.

Rotherham almost levelled with their first shot on target completely against the run of play. A left-wing cross picked out substitute Jack Holmes but he was denied at close-range by a fine Ben Killip save with his legs.

Phillips almost made it 2-0 but his powerful 12-yard effort after a clever one, two with substitute Humphrys was brilliantly touched wide of the bottom left corner by Dawson.

It was 2-0 soon after when Killip’s long ball was not dealt with by the visiting defence and Humphrys could bring it down and smash into the bottom left corner from the edge of the box.

Connell picked up his fifth booking of the season so will miss the game at Cambridge next Saturday. But overall it was an excellent night for the Reds who recorded a second home win of the season.

Barnsley (3-5-2): Killip; de Gevigney, Roberts, Earl; O’Keeffe, Phillips, Connell (Craig 90+2), Russell, Gent; Watters (Humphrys 77), Keillor-Dunn.

Unused: Smith, Pines, Jalo, Lofthouse, Craig, Nwakali.

Yellow cards: Connell.

Goals: Russell 32, Humphrys 87.

Rotherham: Dawson; Rafferty, Raggett, Jules, James; Powell (Tiehi 50mins), Odoffin, Kelly; McGuckin (Hungbo HT), Hugill (Holmes 60), Nombe.

Unused: Phillips, Bramall, MacDonald, Humphreys.