Haynes is instant hit as Rovers continue to struggle

His goals were the perfect reply to a half-time jibe from former world darts champion Dennis Priestley – who made a guest appearance on the pitch at the Keepmoat Stadium.

Priestley, a lifelong Barnsley supporter, had compared the Tykes to ‘women’ due to their ignorance of the offside law and demanded better in the second half.

It may have been a tongue-in-cheek reference to events surrounding the sacking of Sky TV pundit Andy Gray yesterday but it will still have hurt Barnsley’s pride.

Haynes only joined Barnsley six days ago in a £200,000 move from Bristol City and his goals will help soften the blow of Adam Hammill’s departure to Wolves.

Victory lifted Barnsley above Rovers in the table and the jeers from the home supporters at the final whistle told a story of their own.

This was Rovers’s fourth consecutive defeat and they have conceded 13 goals in the process. Far from being play-off contenders, Sean O’Driscoll’s men are rapidly sliding into a relegation battle.

Both sides had been looking for a victory to arrest recent slumps in form.

Rovers have now gone five games without a win while Barnsley recorded only a second victory in eight games.

Centre-backs Jason Shackell and Stephen Foster returned from suspension for Barnsley with Diego Arismendi and Jim O’Brien dropping to the bench.

Rovers manager O’Driscoll kept an unchanged side despite a weekend defeat at Ipswich Town.

Rovers, who enjoyed the better of the first half, threatened to take the lead in the 19th minute when Barnsley goalkeeper Luke Steele made a good save at his near post to deny Billy Sharp.

The visitors initially found it difficult to carve out chances and, apart from an optimistic drive by midfielder Hugo Colace, there was little to trouble Rovers goalkeeper Neil Sullivan for long periods of the first half.

The period saw a vastly improved defensive display by Rovers who frequently got 10 men behind the ball whenever Barnsley attacked. Yet things slipped after the break.

Sharp always looked lively but was often shadowed by his close friend and former team-mate Jason Shackell who played on loan for Rovers last season before opting to join Barnsley last summer.

Rovers supporters voiced their clear disapproval at his decision at one stage last night.

As the interval approached, Barnsley full-back Matt Hill picked out Gary O’Connor at the far post but the former Scottish international failed to get a header on target and Lockwood cleared the danger.

A mistake by Lockwood nearly let in Haynes, however, but Sullivan blocked on the edge of his area.

Just before the break, Rovers sent on new signing Paul Keegan as a replacement for the injured Mark Wilson in the centre of the park.

Barnsley manager Mark Robins made his first change at half-time, throwing on winger Jim O’Brien for the out-of-sorts Kieran Trippier.

The Scot sparked an immediate improvement in his side along with Jacob Butterfield on the opposite flank.

Both players showed real urgency and delivered balls into the danger zone that Colace and O’Connor narrowly failed to convert.

It was just that sort of approach that unlocked the Rovers’ defence after 55 minutes when Bobby Hassell’s deep cross was headed in at the far post by Haynes.

Having raised the tempo, Barnsley looked a different proposition. Colace poked a good chance wide before Haynes douibled Barnsley’s advantage.

Rovers will surely be unhappy about events during the build-up to the goal as referee Mike Haywood failed to stop play for a foul by Matt Hill on Dean Shiels.

By the time Haywood had produced the yellow card to punish Hill for the challenge, Haynes had scored his second of the night leaving Rovers with a mountain to climb.

The goal was another personal nightmare for Rovers goalkeeper Sullivan who allowed Hayne’s low shot to slip under his body and roll over the line.

Now 40, Sullivan will always be open to suggestions that he may be over the hill.

One of the finest goalkeepers to play for Rovers, he will not need telling that he should have done better with a number of goals over recent weeks.

O’Connor should have grabbed a consolation for Rovers in stoppage time but headed over from three yards out.

Barnsley are now the top team in South Yorkshire and they will be looking to retain that mantle for the rest of the season.

Doncaster Rovers: Sullivan; Chambers (Friend 53), Lockwood, Kilgallon (Hird 71), O’Connor; Wilson (Keegan 45); Coppinger, Oster, Shiels; Sharp, Hayter. Unused substitutes: Souza, Fairhurst, G Woods, Mason.

Barnsley: Steele; Hassell, Foster (Arismendi 72), Shackell, Hill; Trippier (O’Brien 45), Colace, Doyle, Butterfield; O’Connor ( Gray 88), Haynes. Unused substitutes: Preece, Lovre, Bennett, Taylor.

Referee: M Haywood (West Yorkshire).

Results and tables: Page 22.