Saints stun Barnsley at Oakwell

At times Jan Poortvliet’s team rode their luck but after keeping the game goalless David McGoldrick popped up with the winner on 76 minutes.

The win gives Saints a huge lift and their first win since November.

Next they take on fellow strugglers Doncaster and Norwich but they have given themselves the perfect platform to build from as they bid to ensure Championship safety.

Barnsley should have taken the lead after little over a minute. Maceo Rigters tried his luck form the edge of the area but dragged his shot and it found the feet of Jamie Cureton who controlled and turned but, under no pressure, fired over the bar from 12 yards out.

After that the game settled down and there was something of pattern.

Barnsley were playing very narrowly, trying to get the ball into their front men and play off of them.

Saints on the other hand were playing their usual patient passing football looking for an opening.

Jamal Campbell-Ryce decided to try and catch Kelvin Davis out with a shot from out wide on 11 minutes but the Saints keeper watched it over the bar.

Lee Molyneux made his first foray forward overlapping Lee Holmes on 16 minutes and his cross from the left had to be turned away by Barnsley keeper Heinz Muller.

Jon Macken was the next to have a go, chesting down a long ball, turning and volleying but well over the bar.

Rigters tried to drill in a free kick from 25 yards on 24 minutes but didn’t make a clean connection and it went wide.

Barnsley were trying to use Marciano Van Homoet’s long throw from the left and a half cleared one presented Campbell-Ryce with a volleying chance but on the rise he put it over.

Saints forced Muller into his first proper save of the match on 27 minutes when Holmes found Bradley Wright-Phillips with a shot corner, he jinked past a defender and drilled low only for the keeper to block it with his legs.

David McGoldrick put it a well struck shot from 25 yards three minutes later but it was straight at Muller.

Saints fell apart on the half hour mark were so lucky not to be behind.

Somehow Cureton’s poor touch found its way through to Rigerts in the middle of the area and he slipped the ball past the advancing Davis but somehow wide when he should have scored.

Macken had the ball in the net on 33 minutes but the flag was raised for an offside in the build-up.

Molyneux was the first player in the book on 41 minutes for pulling down Campbell-Ryce.

Davis saved Saints from going behind in stoppage time when Bobby Hassell threaded the ball through to Cureton with Jan-Paul Saeijs not able to deal with it but the keeper dived at his feet to save.

Down the other end Holmes drilled in an effort but Muller made the save.

When the half time whistle went Poortvliet would have been satisfied.

It was not pretty from Saints but it had been reasonably effective as they went in goalless.

The second half started in much the same way as the first ended.

It was far from the highest quality match and certainly short on excitement with chances few and far between.

But the longer Saints kept it goalless the greater their chances of them frustrating the home crowd and getting a win became.

Davis was the man who again kept it goalless when Campbell-Ryce’s corner found the unmarked Stephen Foster whose downward header bounced up but the Saints keeper turned it over the bar.

Barnsley were continuing to play a very narrow game and also very direct which meant Saints were having to dig in but if they remained strong they wouldn’t be pulled out of position.

Centre halves Saejis and Chris Perry were winning most of the balls in the air but Saints were going to need to create a decent chance to win the game.

McGoldrick at least had a go on 66 minutes but it was from distance and wide. Barnsley made their first change with Jacob Butterfield replacing Mounir El Haimour.

Wright-Phillips had switched swings with Holmes and made a good run down the left but only picked out a Barnsley defender with his cross.

Macken got a downward header from a free kick on target but it was weak and easy for Davis.

Lloyd James was the second player booked for a foul.

Barnsley came agonisingly close to getting a goal on 72 minutes when Dennis Souza won a header from corner but it hit the post and Saints got it away.

Down the other end Saints were looking dangerous on the break and after a good ball in from Wright-Phillips, Holmes drilled just wide.

Davis made an amazing save on 74 minutes when a low cross found Cureton at the far post, he struck goalwards but the keeper got back across his goal and flung himself across to save it.

On 76 minutes Saints got themselves a vital goal.

A corner was headed out to Holmes on the left wing, he curled a ball into the middle of the area and McGoldrick headed downwards and into the corner from six yards for 1-0.

Barnsley made a second change with Kayode Odejayi on for Rigters as they chased an equaliser.

Saints responded with Paul Wotton coming on for Marek Saganowski.

McGoldrick went up front, Morgan Schneiderlin in the hole and Wotton in the holding midfield role.

Barnsley had a shout for a penalty turned down with three minutes remaining when Odejayi went down in the area with his back to goal.

Saints tried to run the clock down by making a late change with Kayne McLaggon replacing Wright-Phillips.

Saints had to withstand a late onslaught which included a corner that Barnsley keeper Muller came up for but they remained strong and earned themselves a vital three points.