Barnsley won 4-3 away from home for the sixth time in the Football League; it was the first since Peterborough in 2012. That game was also in December and whereas The Reds threw a 3-1 lead away on Saturday before grabbing a winner, they threw a 3-0 lead away at London Road.
Barnsley defeated Cardiff for only the third time in 16 league meetings and the first time in eight.
This was Cardiff’s second home defeat in seven games and only the second under Neil Warnock.
Barnsley have won five of their last ten games immediately prior to Christmas Day. This victory means they will spend Christmas Day in their highest league position (12th in the second tier) for nine years. They were also 12th in the Championship on Christmas Day 2007.
They will spend the festive day on 31 points, their highest amount again since 2007 when they also had 31, they had played 23 games then however compared to 22 now.
Last year they lost their final game before Christmas, 2-0 to Wigan to lie in the League One relegation zone.
Barnsley conceded in the third minute at the weekend, the earliest they have conceded in 2016. The last time they conceded so early in a match was in November 2015, ironically in another 4-3 game, but Barnsley lost that one at Coventry. Current red Ryan Kent netted a third minute goal that night.
Ryan Williams dramatic 95th minute winner was the latest Barnsley have scored in a game since Conor Hourihane’s 95th minute equaliser against Sheffield United in November last year- a goal some credit with being the turning point in Barnsley’s 2015-2016 season.
It is not the latest goal Barnsley have scored at the Cardiff City Stadium however, in their last visit in April 2013, Stephen Foster netted in the 96th minute to earn the Reds a valuable point on their way to avoiding relegation.
Williams’ goal is the fifth Barnsley have scored in the 90th minute or later this season and the 12th in the final ten minutes of games.
It was the Australian’s first goal for the club and his first for any club since September 2013 when he scored for Oxford in a 3-1 win at Hartlepool.
Sam Winnall has now scored five goals in Barnsley’s last five away matches (1,0,2,0,2). Since joining in the summer of 2014, Winnall has scored 46 goals in 92 starts, moving up to joint 31st in the club’s all-time list.
Barnsley scored three times in the first half on the road for the first time since November 2008 when they led 3-0 at half time at Charlton on the way to a 3-1 victory.
It is the first time Barnsley have scored three first half goals in any game since October 2013 when they defeated Middlesbrough 3-2.
It is the first time since the final game of last season at Wigan that Barnsley have won a game after conceding the opening goal.
Barnsley have scored at least twice in four of their last five trips to Cardiff now, they last failed to net there seven meetings ago (2008)
Adam Davies, Angus MacDonald, Andy Yiadom, Sam Morsy and Sam Winnall were all shown a yellow card, the first time Barnsley have had as many as five bookings in a game since December 2013 when Peter Ramage, Scott Wiseman, David Perkins, Jacob Mellis and Jason Scotland were all carded in a 2-1 win at Brighton.
Barnsley have now scored 38 goals in their 22 league matches – the joint second most in the division, only Newcastle (45) have scored more.
They have also now scored 19 times on the road; again the second most in the Championship and again only Newcastle (22) have scored more.
Barnsley scored at least four goals on the road for the second time this season – it is the first time they have achieved this more than once in a single campaign since the year 2000! They won 4-1 at Walsall and then 4-0 at Birmingham in the play-offs. The last time they managed it twice in a regular season (excluding playoffs) was 1992-1993 when they won 5-1 at Bristol City and 4-0 at Millwall
Barnsley Team: