After less than 20 minutes of his beloved team’s excursion to Barnsley, those diehards in the away end could have been forgiven for doing just that and beating a hasty retreat back to Red Rose county, with their side 3-0 down and the contest over.

They were entitled to fear a cricket score, in truth.

You have to go back to September 1954 and the time of Winston Churchill’s second spell in office as Prime Minister for the last time that Stanley won at Oakwell. This latest meeting was no occasion where Barnsley had to dig for victory.

January is invariably a long month and Barnsley had been starting to feel that. The chill would have been felt down to their bones had they not won for a third successive match in League One. This was just what the doctor ordered.

They would have settled for a win in any way, shape or form in truth. In the event, this triumph was pretty handsome as opposed to dog-eared.

A penalty concession to Accrington with the last kick of the match tarnished it slightly in the eyes for some - certainly those who were chasing a clean-sheet bonus.

But Michael Duff - an exacting manager who can be hard to please - was happy enough and took the rap for that moment in any case.

Before the start, Barnsley were being viewed as vulnerable by those among the chasing play-off pack in League One. By the final whistle, their credentials were reinforced. Not that Duff had been panicking.

The previous weekend, the Reds posted 23 shots against Charlton and a possession count of 63 per cent but failed to score.

Stand-out numbers and the opening spell on Saturday was stellar.

The fun started when James Norwood, preferred to Devante Cole in the starting line-up, displayed dexterity that you usually don’t associate with a 32-year-old.

His acrobatic finish, just five minutes in after debutant Bobby Thomas helped on Adam Phillips’s lob from the right, was a thing of beauty.

That said, the manager in Duff would have been more pleased by his overall display on a day when he ‘old-manned’ the Accrington backline and gave a flawless example of the art of leading the line.

His hold-up play and appetite for work was a joy. It was summed up just before half-time when he chased a ball down the right flank which he had no right to get with the enthusiasm of a teenager on debut.

He won the ball and a free-kick into the bargain. It won’t have escaped the attention of Duff, standing not too far away. It’s the sort of thing that managers love. His decision to field a wily senior against a kindergarten defence bore not just fruit, but an orchard.

It was a microcosm of a day when Barnsley’s intensity was pronounced. No goals arrived on the restart, but not for the want of trying. The hosts did not sit back, take it easy and pat themselves on the back. Again, Duff would have noticed.

Norwood's stunner got things going nicely and Barnsley soon doubled their money.

A cross from the left from Luca Connell - one of many in red to excel - was coughed up by Stanley keeper Toby Savin, fearful of the presence of Norwood in close proximity. It was a recurring theme for Accrington.

Jack Aitchison stayed alive and tucked away the loose ball. It was his first Oakwell goal and just reward for a day when his subtle movement unhinged the visitors frequently.

Across the pitch, Barnsley had the measure of their opponents. There was confidence, but not arrogance.

Two quickly became three thanks to a fine goal which exhibited Barnsley's élan on the day.

A super raking pass from Connell found Phillips on the right. He spotted Jordan Williams haring on his inside and caressed the ball into his path. After a splendid first touch, he steadied himself before converting.

Norwood went close to a fourth and chances on the restart came for Herbie Kane and Williams.

Barnsley actually 'lost' the second half when substitute Ziyad Larkeche felled Rosaire Longelo and Tommy Leigh squeezed in a penalty at the end. Another spot-kick awarded against his side, but this time there were no recriminations from Duff.

Barnsley: Collins; B Thomas, Andersen, Kitching; Williams, Phillips, Connell, Kane (Wolfe 82), Cadden (Larkeche 81); Aitchison (Watters 65), Norwood (Cole 76). Substitutes unused: Searle, J Martin, Oduor.

Accrington: Savin; Astley (Nottingham 79), Tharme (Perritt 80), Rodgers; Coyle; Quirk, D Martin, Hamilton (Longelo 60), McConville (Adekoya 70); Whalley (Woods 60), Leigh. Substitutes unused: Jensen, Fernandes.

James Norwood is the master as Barnsley FC send message to chasing pack in League One