Another goal-fest at Oakwell saw The Reds secure a fifth successive home victory against another of their promotion rivals and make it 10 league games unbeaten.
It is Barnsley's longest unbeaten league run (W8 D2) since a run of 12 Championship matches (W9 D3) between January and March 2021.
It is the first time they have won five successive league games at home since a run of six between December 2018 and February 2019 also in League One.
Indeed in all competitions they have won 10 of their last 11 matches at Oakwell with the one blip a 3-0 defeat to Bolton on the 2nd January.
Barnsley have scored at least 2 goals in five successive home league games for the first time since another run of five between Boxing Day 2020 and 27th February 2021, it’s the first time they have won five successive home league matches by scoring at least twice since 1955 when they won six in a row in this way (a total of 18 goals)
And indeed in all competitions they have scored at least twice in 10 of their last 11 matches at Oakwell with the one blip being that Bolton defeat.
They have scored 3+ goals in three successive home league games for the first time since December 2001 when they defeated Sheffield Wednesday 3-0, Walsall 4-1 and Gillingham 4-1.
All three of Barnsley's goals came in the second half, the first time they have scored three goals after half time since 14th December 2019 when three of the five they netted against QPR were in the second half.
Barnsley gained their 13th league clean sheet of the season and their tally of 29 goals conceded is only bettered by league leaders Sheffield Wednesday (22)
This was Barnsley's 20th league victory of the season (from 34 games), it is one game sooner than they reached it in 2018-2019 when they finished second in League One.
It is only the eighth time in the last 34 years that Barnsley have won 20 league games in a season and three of those have occurred in the last five seasons.
Overall Barnsley have reached 20 league victories on 19 occasions - they have previously gone on to win promotion nine times.
Mads Andersen scored his first league goal for 13 months, he has scored exactly one league goal now in each of his last three seasons at the club and the club are unbeaten in all three games (W2 D1)
The win was sealed by an excellent injury time free-kick from Nicky Cadden, the third goal Barnsley have scored straight from a free-kick in all competitions this season, it was the fifth goal Barnsley have scored in the 90th minute or later this season (all comps)
Barnsley have now lost only two of their last 20 league games (W14 D3 L2)
This was the tenth time Barnsley have scored 3+ goals in a league game in 2022-2023, five of which have come in the last six outings.
It is their most in a season since 2018-2019 (11)
Adam Phillips scored his ninth goal of the season and fourth in his last six outings, – he has now been involved in 15 goals this season (9 scored 6 assisted) – the most goal involvements from any Barnsley player this season.
This was only Barnsley’s second win in six meetings with the Pilgrims (W2 D2 L2)
However two of the last three meetings have ended in 3-0 wins for the Reds.
In only one of the last five meetings have both teams managed to score.
Barnsley have won five of the last nine Oakwell meetings but it is only the second time they have beaten Plymouth by three goals at Oakwell – the other occasion being a 4-1 win in April 1950.
For the second game in a row Barnsley had only 39% possession but scored three goals in both games.
There were only five corners in the game, the lowest in 12 Barnsley matches (all comps)
There were only 16 fouls in the game, the lowest in 17 Barnsley matches (all comps)
Barnsley Team:
1. Harry Isted
12. Bobby Thomas
6. Mads Andersen (c)
5. Liam Kitching
2. Jordan Williams
30. Adam Phillips
48. Luca Connell
8. Herbie Kane
7. Nicky Cadden
44. Devante Cole
9. James Norwood
Substitutes:
47. Max Watters (for Cole 45)
10. Josh Benson (for Phillips 71)
31. Slobodan Tedic (for Norwood 72)
16. Luke Thomas (for Kane 83)
3. Jon Russell (for Connell 90)
Unused Substitutes:
20. Jamie Searle, 26. Ziyad Larkeche.
Plymouth Team:
25. Callum Burton
21. Nigel Lonwijk
5. James Wilson (c)
3. Macaulay Gillesphey
17. Bali Mumba
28. Jay Matete
7. Matt Butcher
14. Mickel Miller
18. Finn Azaz
26. Callum Wright
9. Ryan Hardie
Substitutions:
8. Joe Edwards (for Miller 56)
10. Danny Mayor (for Wilson 65)
11. Niall Ennis (for Hardie 65)
4. Jordan Houghton (for Matete 74)
23. Ben Waine (for Azaz 74)
Unused Substitutes:
2. James Bolton, 32. Adam Parkes.
Plymouth manager Steven Schumacher said:
"We got beat 3-0 by a team who, second half, I felt deserved it. I thought first half we did okay, we looked as though we had a bit more energy than Barnsley.
"We spoke to the players about how intense these have been playing at their place. They are in great form, but I just felt in that first 45 minutes they weren't playing with the energy they have been going at.
"We said at half-time I felt the game was there for us, it was there for the taking. I said 'If we get the first goal then I don’t know if these have got anything to come back so let's make sure we concentrate and if we get one opportunity take it.'
"Unfortunately we didn't take it. Ryan missed a chance you would expect him to score, and then they get the first goal and the game changed. We looked as though we had no energy and they did - fine margins."
Match Reports:
Sky Bet League One Results:
Saturday 11th March 2023:
BARNSLEY (4th) 3-0 Plymouth Argyle (2nd)
Phillips 60
Andersen 77
Cadden 90+1
Bolton Wanderers (6th) 0-2 Ipswich Town (3rd)
Hirst 44
Burgess 68
Burton Albion (18th) 2-1 Wycombe Wanderers (7th)
Taylor 10
Powell 18
De Barr 85
Charlton Athletic (16th) 1-1 Accrington Stanley (20th)
Whalley 28
Sessegnon 37
Exeter City (11th) 2-1 Lincoln City (12th)
O’Connor 19
Nombe 33
Nombe 73
Fleetwood Town (15th) 1-1 Port Vale (14th)
Taylor 57
Marriott 83
Forest Green Rovers (24th) 1-3 Bristol Rovers (13th)
Savage 12
Marquis 19
Sinclair 26
Marquis 61
Milton Keynes Dons (22nd) 1-0 Cambridge United (23rd)
Eisa 35
Oxford United (19th) 2-3 Derby County (5th)
Long 14
Sibley 23
Sibley 40
Long og 61
Joseph 90
Peterborough United (9th) 0-3 Cheltenham Town (17th)
Bradbury 15
May 21
May 74
Portsmouth (10th) 0-1 Sheffield Wednesday (1st)
Windass 11
Shrewsbury Town (8th) 3-1 Morecambe (21st)
Leahy pen 33
Street 44
Crowley 45+1
Dunkley 84
Barnsley lie in 4th place in Sky Bet League One with 66 points from 34 games. We are 9 points inside the Play-Offs, 8 points off the Automatic Promotion Places, 11 points off First Place and 33 points above the Relegation Zone.
Up to 12/3/23
Next Up:
On The Road:
Sky Bet League One Matchday Thirty Five: Wycombe Wanderers v Barnsley, Saturday 18th March 2023 Kick Off: 3pm
At Oakwell:
Sky Bet League One Matchday Thirty Six: Barnsley v Sheffield Wednesday, Tuesday 21st March 2023. Kick Off: 8pm