Goals in either half from Sam Cosgrove and Herbie Kane saw us to a hard-fought three points on the road in Fleetwood this afternoon.
With a perfect header, Sam Cosgrove got the ball rolling today before Bosun Lawal's scorching equaliser, but a well-worked Reds counter saw Herbie Kane slot home to ensure another three-point matchday for the Super Reds!
On a surface that lacked grass and in quite wet and windy conditions it should have come as no surprise that the contest was scrappy, particularly in the first quarter of proceedings.
Neill Collins had restored Jamie McCart to the starting lineup after injury, Luca Connell returned from a one-match ban and Cosgrove started ahead of John McAtee.
We had to wait until 18 minutes had passed before Barnsley registered a shot on goal, when Herbie Kane tried to bend one into the goal from 20 yards out but the effort - whilst well-hit - was straight at Fleetwood goalkeeper, Jay Lynch.
But five minutes later we took the lead, and just as the hosts were beginning to look the most likely to break the deadlock. Some decent football from Neill Collins' side eventually saw Adam Phillips cross towards the six yard box and Sam Cosgrove got ahead of his marker to head home in front of the travelling army of Reds supporters.
That didn't deter the Cod Army though, and after Liam Roberts had pulled off a terrific one-handed save to thwart Ben Heneghan's header from a corner kick, just a couple of minutes later they levelled up the game when Bosun Lawal struck a fierce shot from 23 yards out, with the power doing for Roberts this time, beating him to his left.
Fleetwood probably ought to have gone into the half time interval ahead when Ryan Broom looked destined to slam home following a long throw but his effort was tame and straight at Roberts, leaving the affair all level heading into the break.
HALF TIME: Fleetwood Town 1-1 Barnsley
Even as we kicked off the second half, the hosts were the ones threatening. It took a well-timed slide tackle from Connell to deny Promise Omochere who was about to shoot, one-on-one inside the box.
But the Reds began to settle down. A wicked low cross from Nicky Cadden, wide left saw Cosgrove again get ahead of his man but he could only knock the ball a yard wide from 12 yards.
Back-to-back bookings for Maël de Gevigney and McCart saw Donovan Pines warming up on the touchline, but soon after, the game's pivotal moment arrived..
Some good football on the break saw Cosgrove hold the ball up superbly on the right flank before touching outside for Cole and he released Phillips and yet again, our master creator had the vision to lay the ball perfectly into the path of the arriving Kane, 10 yards out who coolly slid the ball into the net to restore the Reds' lead.
We did see the debut of Pines with 20 minutes remaining, replacing McCart. He would go on to put in an assured display, with every header won celebrated by the Reds faithful behind him.
Other than a sliding block from de Gevigney to put a stop to one particular attack and then a Gavin Kilkenny strike that flew a few inches over the bar, there was little to repel, and if anything, it ought to have been Barnsley adding to their tally.
Phillips saw a powerful drive parried away by Lynch and substitutes John McAtee and Aiden Marsh were both denied by Lynch after more spade work by the imperious Phillips who had put in a standout performance from the right of the Reds' midfield.
Another win on the road as the Reds kept up with the promotion-chasing pack.
FULL TIME: Fleetwood Town 1-2 Barnsley
Roberts, Williams, de Gevigney, McCart (Pines), Earl, Cadden, Kane, Connell, Phillips, Cole (Marsh), Cosgrove (McAtee).
Unused: Killip, O'Keeffe, Cotter, Grant.
