Barnsley strengthend their grip on six spot with a fourth win in five league outings and a seventh away league victory of the season.
Only Sheffield Wednesday (8) have won more away games in League One this season with Ipswich and Wycombe also winning seven.
It is however their 10th away victory in all competitions, now only two less than they won in their last League One season of 2018-2019.
The Reds took the lead after just 25 seconds, the first time they have scored in the opening minute of a game since the 29th September 2019 when Cauley Woodrow netted in the first minute against Brentford in a match they would eventually lose 3-1.
It was scored by Luca Connell who then went on to assist Liam Kitching’s second, the sixth time this season a Barnsley player has both scored and assisted in the same game.
It was also Connell’s fifth assist of the season, no other Barnsley has set up more goals this season – Jordan Williams also has five.
Kitching has scored three goals for Barnsley and two have been against Port Vale after also netting in the reverse fixture. All three goals have come against teams who start with the letter P as he also netted at Portsmouth.
The win was sealed by Adam Phillips, the eighth time this season (all comps) Barnsley have scored at least three times in a match – the most occurrences in a season since 2018-2019 (14)
Connell’s opener was the sixth goal Barnsley have scored inside the opening ten minutes of a league match in 2022-2023.
It is the most league goals Barnsley have scored before the ten minute mark in a season since 2020-2021 (also 6)
They have scored in the opening ten minutes in successive matches for the first time since February 2021 when Callum Styles scored after nine minutes against Stoke and then Cauley Woodrow scored after two minutes against Millwall.
This was only Barnsley’s second victory in 11 visits to Vale Park, however they have now won back to back league trips there for only the second time ever – the previous time was between 1904 and 1906.
These last two victories in 2016 and 2023 are surrounded by six losses from eight trips.
The last time Barnsley scored as many as three goals at Vale Park was back in October 1996 when they also won 3-1 and went on to be promoted to the Premier League that season.
Barnsley Team:
1. Harry Isted
2. Jordan Williams
12. Bobby Thomas
6. Mads Andersen (c)
5. Liam Kitching
7. Nicky Cadden
3. Jon Russell
48. Luca Connell
8. Herbie Kane
9. James Norwood
44. Devante Cole
Substitutes:
30. Adam Phillips (for Russell 45)
23. Oli Shaw (for Cole 73)
31. Slobodan Tedic (for Norwood 74)
Unused Substitutes:
14. Josh Martin, 17. Barry Cotter, 20. Jamie Searle, 26. Ziyad Larkeche.
Port Vale Team:
1. Aidan Stone
15. Will Forrester
6. Nathan Smith
5. Aaron Donnelly
7. David Worrall
10. Tom Conlon (c)
14. Funso Ojo
11. Mal Benning
8. Ben Garrity
19. Gavin Massey
13. Jamie Proctor
Substitutions:
20. Matty Taylor (for Proctor 62)
33. Dennis Politic (for Conlon 62)
22. Ellis Harrison (for Benning 67)
Unused Substitutes:
23. Tom Pett, 24. Derek Agyakwa, 25. Jack Stevens, 27. Sam Robinson.
Port Vale manager Darrell Clarke said:
“It was a disastrous start wasn’t it, after 27 seconds we were picking the ball out of the back of the net.
“Then I thought we responded really well. We got a good goal, but then concede another sloppy goal from a set piece. Then the third, it takes a deflection and we didn’t get back into the game.
“We huffed and puffed. There was nothing wrong with the effort and endeavour but we just seem to be falling short against the top six, top ten teams in this division.
Match Reports:
Sky Bet League One Results:
Tuesday 14th February 2023:
Accrington Stanley (22nd) 0-2 Wycombe Wanderers (7th)
Scowen 18
McCleary 90
Bolton Wanderers (3rd) 5-0 Milton Keynes Dons (20th)
Santos 7
Mbete 21
Jones 28
Toal 62
Williams 90+2
Bristol Rovers (14th) 0-0 Ipswich Town (4th)
Cambridge United (23rd) 1-2 Cheltenham Town (18th)
Bonds 57
Ironside pen 61
Olayinka 79
Derby County (5th) 1-1 Lincoln City (13th)
Shodipo 43
Hourihane 69
Exeter City (12th) 0-0 Shrewsbury Town (8th)
Fleetwood Town (17th) 1-0 Peterborough United (9th)
Omochere 20
Forest Green Rovers (24th) 0-1 Charlton Athletic (11th)
Blackett-Taylor 12
Oxford United (16th) 1-3 Plymouth Argyle (1st)
Butcher 19
Brannagan 44
Earley 65
Hardie 90+3
Port Vale (15th) 1-3 BARNSLEY (6th)
Connell 1
Smith 14
Kitching 21
Phillips 61
Portsmouth (10th) 1-0 Burton Albion (19th)
Scarlett 90+2
Sheffield Wednesday (2nd) 3-0 Morecambe (21st)
Bannan 1
Windass 22
Windass 87
Barnsley lie in 6th place in Sky Bet League One with 53 points from 29 games. We are 3 points inside the Play-Offs, 12 points off the Automatic Promotion Places, 14 points off First Place and 25 points above the Relegation Zone.
Up to 16/2/23
Next Up:
On The Road:
Sky Bet League One Matchday Thirty: Cheltenham Town v Barnsley, Saturday 18th February 2023 Kick Off: 3pm
At Oakwell:
Sky Bet League One Matchday Thirty One: Barnsley v Derby County, Saturday 25th February 2023. Kick Off: 3pm