Barnsley FC 2 Bristol Rovers 1: Dream start for Davis Keillor-Dunn who whets appetite with Luca Connell

Barnsley have their first home league win in 195 days - or eight matches if you prefer.

A time for celebration, considering.

And the contribution of marquee arrival Davis Keillor-Dunn certainly provided it.

Speaking in the matchday programme beforehand, he spoke of his desire to get fans on the edge of their seats and of football being about entertainment. He proved as good as his word.

He struck a quality opener in the 11th minute and while Barnsley’s litany of silly concessions at Oakwell continued to enable Ruel Sotiriou to pull Rovers level on 37 minutes, they finally found a way to win at home for the first time in the league since February 24, thanks to Adam Phillips’ fourth goal of the season midday through the second half and his penchant for goals surfaced once again.

The contribution of Keillor-Dunn, who was serenaded in song before kick-off and when he came off late on was the main substantive.

For Barnsley, it was a first half when they went from the sublime to the ridiculous.

Some of their attacking work, with Keillor-Dunn right at the heart of it, was of the highest order and seriously whet the appetite.

Their goal arrived with an air of inevitability, even though it was just 11 minutes. That their marquee deadline-day signing scored it should not have constituted a surprise either.

Keillor-Dunn and Luca Connell combined beautifully for that moment, with the former Mansfield Town man applying a crisp, instinctive and deadly low finish.

Barnsley should have had more goals, given the quality of their play going forward. On the touchline, Rovers chief and ex-Rotherham manager Matt Taylor spent much of the half chastising his players.

He reckoned without the hosts presenting his side with a gift on 37 minutes.

A dreadful miscommunication involving Donovan Pines, who struggled against Reds’ summer target Promise Omochere and keeper Gab Slonina was seized upon by Sotiriou, who could scarcely believe his luck as he tapped into an empty net.

Much of what Barnsley did attacking the other side was far more convincing.

Keillor-Dunn, one of three changes with Sam Cosgrove and Marc Roberts also returning to the side, with another deadline-day arrival in Stephen Humphrys among the substitutes, exhibited his talents throughout - whether in his set-piece deliveries, passing range and movement.

After a slightly delayed kick-off, Barnsley flew out on the traps and Keillor-Dunn soon announced himself and paid back the first instalment on his transfer fee.

Barry Cotter, whose start was of the express variety, tested the reactions of Rovers keeper Josh Griffiths twice. It looked like being a long afternoon for the visitors, with Keillor-Dunn and Connell in particular causing no end of bother.

It was reinforced when Keillor-Dunn struck. In truth, the opener should have arrived minutes before when Adam Phillips was off target with a downward header which he should have buried from Keillor-Dunn’s corner, but there was no harm done.

The Reds were in the mood for more with Griffiths’ fingertip save keeping out Roberts’ header, with Keillor-Dunn again providing the assist.

It was a half which Barnsley dominated, but unfortunately, there was a twist and a needless one.

A half-time change saw Pines replaced by Corey O’Keefe after a half in which the big American toiled.

Roberts moved into the middle of the three-man defence, with Josh Earl slotting in as the left-sided centre-back.

Enthused by their earlier gift of a leveller, Rovers made the more positive start upon the resumption, with Barnsley again looking flaky at the back.

It really should have yielded a second goal for the visitors, with O’Keeffe’s awful headed clearance from Bryant Bilongo’s left-wing cross arriving right at the feet of Omochere, but he somehow failed to convert from close in, with Slonina saving.

It was a big moment in the context of proceedings and a let-off for the Reds.

Barnsley eventually got with it and Connell, shortly after seeing a shot deflected wide, forcing Griffiths into more good work, tipping over his drive from distance.

A penalty shout was rebuffed after Cosgrove went down. Barnsley cracked on and were starting to worry Rovers’ backline again.

They soon had their lead again after quality play down the right from Cotter saw him send over a peach of a cross which was buried by the head of Phillips, as the midfielder atoned for his early miss.

It was Phillips’ last involvement as Josh Benson soon entered the fray.

In contrast to a fortnight earlier, Barnsley’s game management was better in the final quarter and they had their win, although there were late scares when Rovers subs Scott Sinclair and Gatlin O’Donkor went close.

Barnsley: Slonina; De Gevigney, Pines (O’Keeffe 46), Roberts; Cotter (Lofthouse 78), Craig, Phillips (Benson 67), Connell, Earl; Keillor-Dunn (Marsh 89), Cosgrove. Substitutes unused: Killip, Gent, Humphrys.

Bristol Rovers: Griffiths; Moore, Wilson, Mola; Garrett; Thomas (Sinclair 78), Ward (Shaw 77), McCormick (Forde 78), Bilingo (Sousa 67); Sotiriou (O’Donkor 62), Omochere. Substitutes unused: Taylor, Hutchinson.

Referee: E Duckworth (Lancs).

Attendance: 9,325 (337 Bristol Rovers supporters).