The good, bad and the ugly as Barnsley keep their League One season alive, just - final word on victory over Lincoln City

Do not let it be said that anything to do with Barnsley is ever straightforward.

Three goals to the good early in the second half, this game was done and dusted, to all intents and purposes.

Unfortunately with Barnsley, old habits die hard and you always have a chance.

Darrell Clarke walked into the media room afterwards and metaphorically looked like he’d just done 12 rounds with Muhammad Ali at Caesar’s Palace.

Much more of this and I’ll have a heart attack, he opined. It was easy to understand the sentiment.

After a glass of red later on that evening, at the end of a long day, the Barnsley head coach said he might just have calmed down sufficiently enough to reflect on the fact that his side had just won three games in a row to keep their fires burning.

You’d hope for his sake that he did. Better to focus on the good, for your health and sanity. And there was some good, mercifully.

The opener painted former Reds defender and skipper-for-the-day Adam Jackson in a poor light as did the second goal. That said, Barnsley’s execution was impressive.

Barnsley have a goalscorer and creative force in Davis Keillor-Dunn, without question. They also have a player of pure instinct and intelligence on the football field. Someone who is always in the game, a thinking man’s footballer, a canny player.

A routine punt forward saw Jackson challenge Stephen Humphrys in the air. His miscued header put the visitors in bother and Keillor-Dunn was onto the loose ball in a flash.

With keeper Zach Jeacock stranded off his line 14 minutes in, Keillor-Dunn didn’t think twice, sending over an effortless lob into the unguarded net from 20 yards out. It’s the sort of thing you cannot coach. It is now 14 for the season for Barnsley’s talismanic force.

On St David’s Day, it looked like being Davis’ day. The daffodils are sprouting and Barnsley’s talisman was in bloom. Spring is here and Barnsley were alive.

A two-goal cushion was provided on 33 minutes and Jackson was again in the dock.

He slipped when trying to challenge the ever-alert Keillor-Dunn.

DKD slotted in Adam Phillips, who rammed the ball low past Jeacock with a clinical angled strike and it was an opportunity he was never going to miss as he reached double figures in terms of goals for the third season running at Barnsley.

And then, a third goal, as Lincoln’s fitful defence and flaky goalkeeper again erred.

Humphrys showed persistence to wriggle past Sean Roughlan and after goalkeeper Jeacock – not having a good day – spilled his low centre, Georgie Gent arrived right on cue to fire home the loose ball as Lincoln dithered to register his first goal in Barnsley colours.

And then the fun and games truly began.

Gent erred in his day job and failed to clear with a cross and Tendayi Darikwa fired in from close range. It was a scruffy concession and worse was to come. Much worse.

Seemingly, any fleeting nerves were then eased when tenacity from substitute Josh Benson saw him win the ball and set up fellow replacement Max Watters, who surged clear and finished well.

Annoyingly, events were not over, far from it.

Reeco Hackett got away from Josh Earl and finished confidently with a low drive. Those Lincoln followers who booed off their side at the interval, with those in visiting jerseys having to endure a ‘walk of shame’ past them into the dressing room, were suddenly feeling a bit better about themselves.

Barnsley were freaked out and the final ten minutes was an ordeal, quite simply, not for the first time in the second half of a game in 2024-25.

Sporting a red cap, Clarke was red-faced. He could barely look.

Dreadful defending enabled substitute Jovo Makama to make it 4-3. All bets were now off.

If Barnsley had conceded, their season would well and truly have been over and in bits. Fortunately, they didn't and journey on for the time being.

Barnsley: Smith; McCarthy, Roberts, Earl; Nwakali; O’Keeffe (Lembikisa 46), Phillips, Russell (Benson 58), Gent (Barratt 82); Humphrys (Watters 58), Keillor-Dunn (Rodrigues 82). Unused substitutes: Flavell, Bland.

Lincoln City: Jeacock, Montsma, Jackson, Roughlan; McGrandles (Gardner 73), Darikwa (Hamer 80), Hamilton (Hackett 55), Bayliss, Jefferies, House (Makama 55), Draper (Collins 55). Unused substitutes: Wickens, Clucas.

Referee: S Oldham (Lancs).