Barnsley took a gigantic step towards not only their first top half second tier finish in 21 years but also an end of season play-off shot at this level for the same length of time.
This excellent come from behind victory at 7th placed Bournemouth kept the Reds in 6th and crucially put them five points clear of the chasing pack.
This victory also put them level on points with 5th placed Reading who were held to a draw at Nottingham Forest.
Barnsley’s successive winning run had been stopped by Derby County in midweek but they have now won eight of their last nine Championship outings with this their fourth successive away win – their longest away winning run at this level in the same season since 1925 when they won their final four second tier away games of the 1924-1925 season.
It is the first time they have won four second tier away games in a row at all since winning the final away match of 1995-1996 and the first three of 1996-1997.
The Reds are unbeaten in five away league games (W4 D1) their best run since a run of nine in the 2018-2019 League One promotion season (W5 D4) but for the first time in the second tier since the opening five away games of 2011-2012 (W1 D4)
By not going behind inside the first 23 minutes at the Vitality Stadium, Barnsley set a new club record for longest run without falling behind – surpassing the previous record set in 1906-1907. The run was ended when Arnaut Danjuma scored in first half stoppage time to put the Cherries 2-1 up. Prior to this you had to go back to the 1-0 defeat at Watford on the 19th January for the last time Barnsley trailed in a Championship match.
Barnsley opened the scoring, fell behind and then came back to win a match for the first time since 7th April 2018 when they defeated Sheffield United 3-2 at Oakwell.
It is the first time they have completed this feat away from home since the 9th February 2013 when they won 3-2 at Middlesbrough.
It is the first time this season they have won a game when conceding at least two goals in any competition in 2020-2021 and indeed the first time since the 14th December 2019 when they defeated QPR 5-3 at Oakwell – they have won 32 games since.
It is the first time away from home in a league game since the 31st October 2017 when they won 4-2 at Burton Albion.
It is the first time they have opened the scoring and then fell behind in any game since the 17th October against Bristol City (finished 2-2)
It’s the first time they have opened the scoring and been behind at half time since 2nd October 2019 against Derby (finished 2-2)
Both of the above two matches have finished 2-2 due to last minute equalisers for Barnsley.
This was Barnsley’s 22nd win of the season (18 league wins, 4 cup wins), their most in a second tier season since 1999-2000 (27)
Barnsley conceded in first half injury time for the first time since the home game with Swansea on the 16th January.
They have though conceded in first half injury time in both encounters with Bournemouth this season.
Barnsley have scored three goals in successive away games for the first time since winning 4-1 at Wigan and then 3-1 at Walsall at the end of the 2015-2016 season.
It is the first time at second tier level since winning 3-1 at Reading and then 4-1 at Yeovil in March 2014.
This win saw Barnsley hit the 60 point mark at this level for the first time since finishing fourth with 82 points in 1999-2000.
Michal Helik had opened the scoring for the Reds with his sixth goal of the season (all comps), the most in a season by a Barnsley defender since Alfie Mawson scored seven in 2015-2016 and the most in a second tier season since Darren Barnard scored eight in 2001-2002.
Helik’s goals have come in five games and they have gone on to win four and draw one.
Carlton Morris grabbed Barnsley’s winner, his fifth goal in his last nine appearances. This was his fourth goal as a substitute and the eighth Barnsley goal scored by a substitute this season.
Cauley Woodrow received a yellow card for the second successive game, the first player to be booked in back to back games since Mads Andersen against Birmingham and then Bournemouth in December.
Both Mads Andersen and Alex Mowatt assisted goals in this game and are the top two in the club’s assist chart this season – Mowatt with seven and Andersen with four.
Barnsley have won a game when behind at half time on two occasions this season (also at Birmingham) the first time they have won two league matches in the same season when behind at the break since 2013-2014 (also 2) – at Crewe and home v Bradford.
It is the first time at this level since 2006-2007 when they did it on three occasions (at Hull, at Colchester and at home v Leeds)
Barnsley are unbeaten in 11 league matches (W8 D3) which is their best unbeaten second tier run since going 12 without defeat between December 2001 and February 2002 (W5 D7)
Barnsley are now unbeaten in their last 34 games (all comps) when opening the scoring (W30 D4) last losing when breaking the deadlock at Cardiff in December 2019.
Despite failing to win any of their first seven league matches of 2020-2021 only the division’s current top four have won more than Barnsley’s 18 so far this season.
Barnsley have scored 39 league goals under Valérien Ismaël, 22 of which have come in the second half (56%)
This was Barnsley’s eighth away league win of the season, their most at this level since 2016-2017 (9)
This win ended a run of six without victory against the Cherries, the last three of which they had lost.
It is though their fourth win at Bournemouth in the last nine visits, however those nine games do come across 42 years.
Each of Barnsley’s last two victories at Bournemouth (in 2004 and 2020) have seen them score three goals.
Nine goals were scored in meetings between Barnsley and Bournemouth this season, the most since 12 were scored in 1988-1989.
There were 27 shots in this game, the most in 25 Barnsley matches (all comps) since Blackburn away in November (30)
Barnsley’s total of 17 is the most away from home since that Blackburn game (23)
Barnsley Team:
40. Brad Collins
20. Toby Sibbick
30. Michal Helik
6. Mads Andersen
7. Callum Brittain
21. Romal Palmer
27. Alex Mowatt
2. Jordan Williams
28. Dominik Frieser
9. Cauley Woodrow
11. Conor Chaplin
Substitutes:
4. Callum Styles (for Williams 45)
8. Herbie Kane (for Palmer 45)
14. Carlton Morris (for Chaplin 45)
10. Daryl Dike (for Frieser 67)
Unused Substitutes:
1. Jack Walton, 22. Clarke Oduor, 24. Aapo Halme. 26. Michael Sollbauer, 29. Victor Adeboyejo.
Bournemouth Team:
1. Asmir Begovic
15. Adam Smith
18. Cameron Carter-Vickers
3. Steve Cook
5. Lloyd Kelly
22. Ben Pearson
8. Jefferson Lerma
19. Junior Stanislas
9. Dominic Solanke
10. Arnaut Danjuma Groeneveld
12. Shane Long
Substitutions:
17. Jack Stacey (for Smith 45+1)
14. Sam Surridge (for Long 65)
29. Philip Billing (for Pearson 65)
Unused Substitutes:
6. Chris Mepham, 11. Jack Wilshere, 20. Rodrigo Riquelme, 23. Mark Travers, 32. Jaidon Anthony, 33. Jordan Zemura.
Bournemouth manager Jonathan Woodgate said:
"First half I thought we were very good. Second half, it's two different performances.
"You've got to match these teams when they come here. Barnsley - they press, they play long ball, they are very direct, they are difficult to play against but you've got to match it. You've got to get the ball down and play like we did in the first half - second half we didn't do it.
"It's a concern but we've got 10 games to go so we know that can quickly change."
Sky Bet Championship results
FRIDAY 12TH MARCH 2021
Blackburn Rovers (14th) 0-1 Brentford (4th)
Toney pen 10
SATURDAY 13TH MARCH 2021
Luton Town (16th) 0-1 Swansea City (3rd)
Hourihane 3
Birmingham City (21st) 0-3 Bristol City (12th)
Palmer 35
Semenyo 62
O’Dowda 76
Bournemouth (7th) 2-3 BARNSLEY (6th)
Helik 16
Danjuma Groeneveld 22
Solanke 45+2
Frieser 60
Morris 80
Cardiff City (8th) 1-2 Watford (2nd)
Sierralta og 14
Chalobah 15
Masina 90+4
Derby County (19th) 0-1 Millwall (10th)
Hutchinson 45
Middlesbrough (9th) 3-0 Stoke City (11th)
Hall 21
McNair 40
Mendez-Laing 88
Nottingham Forest (17th) 1-1 Reading (5th)
Holmes 49 og
Meite 81
Queens Park Rangers (13th) 0-1 Huddersfield Town (18th)
Bacuna 55
Wycombe Wanderers (24th) 1-0 Preston North End (15th)
Tafazolli 27
SUNDAY 14TH MATCH 2021
Sheffield Wednesday (23rd) 1-2 Norwich City (1st)
Rhodes 7
Pukki 61
Cantwell 77
Barnsley lie in 6th place in the Sky Bet Championship with 61 points from 36 games. We are 5 points inside the Play-Offs, 8 points off the Automatic Promotion Places, 18 points off First Place and 29 points above the Relegation Zone.
Up to 14/3/21
Next Up:
On The Road:
Sky Bet Championship Matchday Thirty Seven: Wycombe Wanderers v Barnsley, Wednesday 17th March 2021. Kick-Off: 7pm
At Oakwell:
Sky Bet Championship Matchday Thirty Eight: Barnsley v Sheffield Wednesday, Saturday 20th March 2021. Kick-Off: 3pm