BARNSLEY Woolley Miners were delighted to end a six-game losing run in all competitions with a home victory over Wickersley Old Village in the ECB Yorkshire Premier South.

The Shaw Laners are now two places and 26 points clear of the bottom two. Barnsley captain Boeta Beukes said: “It was nice to get back to winning ways.

“It’s been a long couple of weeks travelling to Appleby, Cleethorpes and York – and losing.

“It’s not been great but we’ve bounced back now. We’ve played eight league games and we’re starting to understand each other as a group.

“We haven’t started how we wanted to but we lost a lot of experienced players and our average age is 20.

“We understand we will be in a relegation battle if we don’t perform.

“Beating teams below us helps a lot.

“We’re quite confident about pulling away from the bottom two or three.

“By the end of the season, hopefully we’re looking up the table.”

Barnsley posted 183 for seven then restricted the visitors to 168, with Beukes taking four wickets.

“It was a very good result. Wickersley are below us. It helps us get room from the other teams down there.

“We delayed the game until 2pm due to the rain. We lost a wicket with the first ball but batted quite well.

“It wasn’t the best bowling attack we’ve faced. We had a couple of run-outs but everyone chipped in and we got to a decent score.

“We were poor with the ball in the first ten overs but we got a wicket just before drinks and the momentum changed.

“Overall it was a great performance.”

Next up, Barnsley visit Tickhill who signed Barnsley’s previous captain Liam Johnson and opening bowler Adam Copley along with the captains of Cawthorne and Elsecar for this season.

Beukes said: “They are the big money-spenders. But they got bowled out for 70-odd this week.

“They look beatable. We are only a few points behind them.”