Barnsley 1 Coventry 0: Victory tastes sweet at home for Johnson

Waring’s 56th-minute goal did the damage as the Reds helped Johnson celebrate in his first home game at Oakwell with victory over the struggling Sky Blues.

The Stoke City loan striker pounced to head home from a Conor Hourihane free-kick to keep the resurgent Reds on the upward curve.

Victory was also the first time the Reds have won four on the spin for over two years and also the first time the club have kept four clean sheets in the league for over a decade.

A battling win in his first home fixture must have been extra sweet for Johnson as the Reds climbed two places to 10th in the table.

A sluggish first half came to life when former Reds’ loanee Marcus Tudgay hit the post with a stinging drive.

However, the hosts grew into the contest and midfielder Conor Hourihane wasted a handful of good opportunities.

Ben Pearson was thwarted by goalkeeper Lee Burge and John O’Sullivan was also denied by the same means before also firing another effort over the bar.

But Stoke City loanee Waring, with his third goal of the season, made sure of the points.

Barnsley: Davies, Holgate, Nyatanga, Cranie (C), Smith, O’Sullivan (Bailey 81), Pearson, Scowen, Hourihane, Lalkovic (Berry 81), Waring (Winnall 88). Unused substitutes: Dibble, M’Voto, Jennings, Oates.

Coventry City: Burge, Fleck, O’Brien, Samuel, Barton (Turgott 75), Odelusi (Nouble 62), Phillips, Tudgay (Proschwitz 59), Martin, Pennington, Stokes. Unused substitutes: Charles-Cook, Webster, Finch, Thomas.

Referee: Tony Harrington.