Lee Johnson suffered his first defeat as Barnsley head coach as Sheffield United won 2-0 at Oakwell in the South Yorkshire derby on Saturday lunchtime.
United netted just before half-time and midway through the second half against a Barnsley side who never got going and are now four points off the League One top six in ninth.
Lee Johnson made two changes to the team that drew at Bristol City a week before. Mason Holgate returned from injury and replaced Jean Yves M'voto who was dropped from the squad. George Waring was also left out of the 18 as, with only five loans allowed, Johnson had to make room for Declan John who returned to the team while George Smith dropped to the bench.
United dominated the first 45 minutes. Jason Holt sent a free header straight at Barnsley's teenage goalkeeper Joe Wildsmith, on loan from Sheffield Wednesday, who then blocked Jamie Murphy's deflection from a shot from the edge of the box.
Steven Davies headed a good chance over after a cross from the left but made no mistake on 42 minutes when he nodded Kieran Freeman's free-kick superbly from the left of the box into the top right corner.
Barnsley finally had chances in first half injury time as Mason Holgate headed just wide from a corner by Conor Hourihane who, minutes later, volleyed over inside the box.
It was 2-0 on 72 minutes when Jason Holt fired a low shot into the bottom left corner from 15 yards after Nyatanga's weak clrance from a Bob Harris free-kick'
