Barnsley ended their five-game winless run in league fixtures with a 2-1 success at near neighbours Doncaster Rovers on Saturday.
Vimal Yoganathan’s first EFL goal put the Reds in front but the hosts levelled five minutes later then, in the second half, Davis Keillor-Dunn came off the bench to score.
The Reds stayed 11th, five points off the top six with games in hand.
Top-scorer Keillor-Dunn was benched for a league game for the first time since signing at the start of last season. Jake Rooney made his league debut while Yoganathan started for the first time since being sent off against Bolton in August. Rooney, a natural centre-back, played at left-back with Yoganathan on the right wing in a 4-2-3-1.
Rooney was easily beaten early on by Luke Molyneux who crossed for Billy Sharp whose effort was kept out by Murphy Cooper then Harry Clifton shot wide from a tight angle on the left.
David McGoldrick headed a Reyes Cleary corner straight at the goalkeeper. Yoganathan then shot well over from 20 yards after a superb team move involving McGoldrick, Cleary with a back heel and Patrick Kelly who beat a man and found Yoganathan.
McGoldrick and Cleary shot wide from distance then, at the other end, Doncaster’s Jordan Gibson hit the right post from the edge of the box.
Clifton should have put the hosts in front after half an hour but skied a shot well over from 12 yards having been teed up by Molyneux after Barnsley were opened up down their left again.
Barnsley opened the scoring on 33 minutes when Cleary put Yoganathan through with a superb pass and he showed composure to cut past a defender and find the bottom left corner from inside the box.
The lead lasted just five minutes until Gibson’s acrobatic volley over the top of the Reds defence put Billy Sharp through and he held off both centre-backs before playing in Molyneux for a simple finish on the right of the box.
The hosts then had a strong spell with Owen Bailey unable to get enough power on a good headed chance from close-range after meeting a cross from the right and Cooper saved easily.
Rooney, who had had a torrid debut, came off at the break for Nathanael Ogbeta, while Doncaster replaced Sean Grehan, who had struggled against Cleary, with Tom Nixon.
Yoganathan’s looping header was tipped over then, at the other end, Gibson should have put the hosts in front when a long ball put him clean through but his shot trickled wide of the bottom right corner.
Jack Senior also missed a massive chance for the hosts, shooting back across goal a few yards out after meeting Nixon’s low cross from the right. Soon after, Sharp was played in on the right of the box but his weak effort was straight at Cooper.
Barnsley took the lead totally against the run of play on 68 minutes. Former Doncaster player Patrick Kelly brilliantly beat a man deep in his half then surged forward and found Keillor-Dunn who had come on minutes earlier and found the bottom left corner from just outside the box.
Bailey headed over a free-kick then Cooper caught a looping header by substitute Brandon Hanlan.
Doncaster thought they should have had a penalty on 85 minutes when Sharp was played through and went to ground under pressure from Watson but no spot-kick was awarded. Grant McCann, the Doncaster manager, was booked for his reaction.
Barnsley (4-2-3-1): Cooper; Watson, Roberts, Shepherd, Rooney (Ogbeta HT); Connell, Bland; Yoganathan (Farrugia 80), Kelly, Cleary; McGoldrick (Keillor-Dunn 61),
Subs: Flavell, Vickers, Russell, Graham.
Yellow cards: Yoganathan, Roberts, Ogbeta.
Goals: Yoganathan 33, Keillor-Dunn 68.
Doncaster (4-2-3-1): Lo-Tutala; Grehan (Nixon HT), Pearson (Hanlan 78mins), O’Riordan, Senior; Broadbent, Bailey; Gibson (Middleton 72), Clifton (Gotts 72), Molyneux; Sharp.
Subs: Lawlor, McGrath, Crew.
Goals: Molyneux 38.
