Barnsley continue to motor towards the Championship play-offs as they increased the gap to seventh spot to five points with their first home win in four.
This was the Reds 21st Championship victory of the season (from 41 games), moving them within three of their highest total at this level in their history (24 in 1999-2000).
They are also now only one win behind their total from their one and only second tier promotion season of 1996-1997.
Barnsley have the same amount of Championship wins as fourth placed Swansea and only the top two (Norwich 27, Watford 24) have won more this season.
This current total of 21 wins is the same as Barnsley have managed in their past TWO Championship seasons combined (9 in 2017-2018 and 12 in 2019-2020)
Yesterday’s victory saw Barnsley break the 70 point mark for only the fifth time at this level – also doing so in 1988-89 74 points, 1994-1995 72 points, 1996-1997 80 points and 1999-2000 82 points.
The victory was sealed with two second half goals, only the fourth time a Barnsley match has been goal-less at half time and the Reds have gone on to net twice.
This was the 13th Barnsley league match to be goal-less at half time this season, they only went on to win two of the first seven but are now unbeaten in the last six, winning four.
Barnsley have scored 48 league goals under Valérien Ismaël, 29 of which have come in the second half (60%)
This victory ensured Barnsley can finish no lower than 11th place as they sit 15 points above 11th placed Queens Park Rangers (who still have a game in hand) – should they lose at Rotherham on Tuesday then Barnsley will definitely have a top ten finish.
Barnsley are now unbeaten in their last 37 games (all comps) when opening the scoring (W33 D4) last losing when breaking the deadlock at Cardiff in December 2019.
It’s the 25th win of the season (21 league wins, 4 cup wins), their most in a second tier season since 1999-2000 (27)
This was Barnsley’s 12th Championship clean sheet of the season, one more they managed last season and most in a second tier campaign since 2016-2017 (14)
Barnsley have won three of their last four matches with Middlesbrough (all comps) keeping clean sheets in each victory.
They are unbeaten in five Oakwell league meetings (W4 D1) and have won six of the last eight meetings here.
For the third successive match Barnsley had 55% ball possession and have had at least 50% in five successive games.
Barnsley Team:
40. Brad Collins
20. Toby Sibbick
30. Michal Helik
6. Mads Andersen
7. Callum Brittain
27. Alex Mowatt
21. Romal Palmer
4. Callum Styles
28. Dominik Frieser
9. Cauley Woodrow
10. Daryl Dike
Substitutes:
14. Carlton Morris (for Frieser 45)
11. Conor Chaplin (for Woodrow 57)
24. Aapo Halme (for Palmer 57)
Unused Substitutes:
1. Jack Walton, 2. Jordan Williams, 22. Clarke Oduor, 26. Michael Sollbauer, 29. Victor Adeboyejo, 34. Jasper Moon.
Middlesbrough Team:
1. Marcus Bettinelli
20. Darnell Fisher
4. Grant Hall
17. Paddy McNair
27. Marc Bola
16. Jonny Howson
22. George Saville
29. Djed Spence
18. Duncan Watmore
21. Neeskens Kebano
10. Chuba Akpom
Substitutions:
9. Britt Assombalonga (for Watmore 70)
11. Ashley Fletcher (for Akpom 70)
14. Yannick Bolasie (for Kebano 70)
3. Marvin Johnson (for Bola 80)
33. Hayden Coulson (for Spence 80)
Unused Substitutes:
13. Jordan Archer.
Middlesbrough manager Neil Warnock said:
"We should have been two goals up, two good chances really.
"And you know you're not going to get many in a game like that because the ball is never on the floor.
"If we're two goals up I think we win the game, then to concede when we did is ridiculous really."
Sky Bet Championship results
FRIDAY 9TH APRIL 2021
Watford (2nd) 2-0 Reading (7th)
Sarr 12
Sarr 14
SATURDAY 10TH APRIL 2021
Millwall (9th) 0-3 Swansea City (4th)
Ayew 45+1
Lowe 76
Lowe 85
BARNSLEY (5th) 2-0 Middlesbrough (10th)
Mowatt 62
Dike 75
Birmingham City (18th) 2-0 Stoke City (12th)
Jutkiewicz 42
Jutkiewicz 53
AFC Bournemouth (6th) 4-1 Coventry City (21st)
Danjuma 1
James 3
Danjuma 28
Brooks 69
Solanke 90+2
Bristol City (14th) 0-0 Nottingham Forest (15th)
Cardiff City (8th) 2-2 Blackburn Rovers (17th)
Vaulks 27
Armstrong 43
Ralls 70
Armstrong 90
Derby County (20th) 0-1 Norwich City (1st)
Dowell 21
Huddersfield Town (19th) 0-0 Rotherham United (22nd)
Preston North End (16th) 0-5 Brentford (3rd)
Mbeumo 9
Forss 26
Toney 75
Canos 82
Marcondes 90+1
Queens Park Rangers (11th) 4-1 Sheffield Wednesday (23rd)
Dykes 27
Windass 30
Johansen 50
Dykes 60
Willock 90+2
Wycombe Wanderers (24th) 1-3 Luton Town (13th)
Mehmeti pen 37
Moncur 80
LuaLua 85
Adebayo 88
Barnsley lie in 5th place in the Sky Bet Championship with 71 points from 41 games. We are 5 points inside the Play-Offs, 11 points off the Automatic Promotion Places, 19 points off First Place and 35 points above the Relegation Zone.
Up to 11/4/21
Next Up:
On The Road:
Sky Bet Championship Matchday Forty Two: Coventry City v Barnsley, Sunday 18th April 2021. Kick-Off: 3pm
At Oakwell:
Sky Bet Championship Matchday Forty Four: Barnsley v Rotherham United, Saturday 24th April 2021. Kick-Off: 3pm