Finally a win! Barnsley’s first in eight in all competitions. It came with a clean sheet too, only the club’s third of the season.
Danny Wilson got his first win since returning to the Oakwell hotseat, ending a run of three successive home defeats under him.
It is only the club’s second win in 15 matches under the 54 year old. He was 38 the last time he won as Barnsley manager, back in April 1998.
Barnsley scored a first half goal for only the fourth time in 13 matches and led at half time for only the seventh time in 28 matches this season.
The Reds are yet to lose in the league when leading at the break in 2013-2014. They drew with Charlton and Sheffield Wednesday and defeated Huddersfield, Middlesbrough, Brighton and now Blackpool. Their other half time lead did lead to a defeat- in the FA Cup to Coventry.
Indeed the last time they lost a league game when in front at the break was against Ipswich back in December 2011.
Chris O’Grady’s penalty was the first goal by a Barnsley striker for six matches and only the second in 13. And his second, three minutes after the break made him the first Reds striker to score from open play for 13 games. Marcus Pedersen was the last against Sheffield Wednesday.
O’Grady bagged his third brace of the season; he is the only Reds player to score twice in one game this campaign.
Remarkably today's goals were O'Grady's first since he last grabbed a brace, in Barnsley's last win at Oakwell, 3-2 against Middlesbrough in October.
Barnsley scored more than once in a game for the first time in eight games and only the seventh time this season.
Summer signing Dale Jennings made his first start for the club since September. It was his sixth appearance overall and finally his first win. The Reds had lost four and drawn one of his previous five.
The only downer for Barnsley was that three of the other teams in the bottom five also won, including the two other relegation zone incumbents, Doncaster and Yeovil.
Blackpool have now lost six games on the spin away from home and have lost nine of their last 10 home and away.
Barnsley Team:
Luke Steele
Ryan McLaughlin
Tom Kennedy
Peter Ramage
Martin Cranie
Stephen Dawson
Dale Jennings
Jacob Mellis
Jim O'Brien (YC)
Brek Shea
Chris O'Grady
Substitutes:
Reuben Noble-Lazarus (for Shea 77)
Liam Lawrence (for Mellis 83)
Paul Digby (for O’Grady 87)
Unused Substitutes:
Christian Dibble, Lewin Nyatanga, Paddy McCourt.
Match Reports:
Sky Bet Championship results Saturday 18th January 2014:
Leeds 0-1 Leicester
BARNSLEY 2-0 Blackpool
Birmingham 0-2 Yeovil
Bournemouth 1-1 Watford
Burnley 1-1 Sheffield Wednesday
Derby 1-0 Brighton
Doncaster 3-0 Wigan
Middlesbrough 1-0 Charlton
Millwall 1-0 Ipswich
Nottingham Forest 4-1 Blackburn
QPR 2-1 Huddersfield
Reading 7-1 Bolton
Barnsley lie in 24th place in the Sky Bet Npower Championship with 20 points from 25 games.
We are 21 points off the Play-Offs 32 points off the Automatic Promotion Places, 37 points off First place and 4 points inside the Relegation Zone.
Up to 18/1/14
Next Up:
At Oakwell:
Sky Bet Championship Matchday Twenty-Six: Barnsley v Blackburn Tuesday 28th January 2014. Kick-Off 7:45pm
Tickets:
Adults £23.00
Over 65's £16.00
Student (aged 18-20) £16.00
Under 18's £16.00
Under 12's £5.00*
*Under 12's tickets must be purchased with an adult or over 65's ticket
On The Road:
Sky Bet Championship Matchday Twenty-Seven: Sheffield Wednesday v Barnsley Saturday 1st February 2014. Kick-Off: 3pm.
Tickets:
Adults £29.00
Over 65s £18.00
Under 18s £18.00
Sales dates
Monday 13th January- season ticket holders only, 1 per season ticket
Friday 17th January- centenary society members, 1 per membership
Monday 20th January- general sale