Report | Barnsley 0 Swansea City 2
Swansea City stretched their unbeaten run to six games in all competitions as goals from Ben Cabango and Jamal Lowe saw them beat Barnsley and tighten their grip on second place in the Championship table.
At the end of a scrappy opening half Cabango netted the opener with a glancing header to register his third goal of the season.
And in-form striker Lowe took his tally to nine this campaign, with seven coming in his last seven appearances, when he calmly capitalised on a slip-up in the Barnsley defence.
The result ensures the Swans remain second in the table, four points behind leaders Norwich and four points clear of the teams in the play-off places.
They also racked up a 14th league clean sheet – and 15th in all competitions – with this latest shut-out, and further extended a 15-year unbeaten streak against the Tykes.
There had been one change from the previous Championship outing with Kyle Naughton coming in for Ryan Manning, while new signing Ben Hamer was among the substitutes.
The Swans made a solid start, working some space for Matt Grimes by the left byline with the final cross just evading Jay Fulton.
A slip from Cabango allowed Victor Adeboyejo a sight of goal, but the forward volleyed well over the bar with red shirts in support.
The hosts were looking to impose themselves, with Freddie Woodman pushing wide an angled Adeboyejo effort, before Andre Ayew made an important block from Conor Chaplin’s volley from the resulting corner.
On a heavy pitch – following rainfall and snowfall in South Yorkshire - it was proving to be a game of few chances as the half-hour mark came and went.
Woodman made a routine save from Callum Styles after the wing-back had worked space for a tame shot.
But it was the Swans who took the lead through Cabango on the stroke of half-time.
The centre-half held off his marker to meet a long throw from Connor Roberts and glance a looping header into the far corner.
The Swans carried the momentum into the second half, with Callum Brittain making a key clearing header as Roberts swung in an excellent corner, before the wing-back whistled a volley narrowly wide.
And they doubled their lead on 55 minutes through Lowe.
Mads Andersen and Michal Helik got themselves in a muddle dealing with a Grimes header, and the forward ran on to calmly slot the ball beyond Jack Walton.
The Tykes soon made a double change as they sought a way back into the game, and one of the new faces – Romal Palmer – had an effort blocked by Roberts after finding space on the edge of the box.
Swansea then had penalty appeals turned away after Ayew appeared to be fouled on the edge of the box, and recovered superbly at the other end when a collision between Jake Bidwell and Cabango had given Barnsley a glimmer of an opportunity.
Woodman made an outstanding stop after Brittain had hit a rocket of a strike from 25 yards that looked destined for the top corner, while Walton tipped a free-kick from Roberts around his post as it threatened to creep in.
But there were no further goals as Steve Cooper's side continued their fine run of form.
Barnsley: Jack Walton; Michal Helik, Mads Andersen, Michael Sollbauer (Toby Sibbick 84); Callum Brittain, Herbie Kane (Carlton Morris 62), Alex Mowatt (captain), Callum Styles; Conor Chaplin (Romal Palmer 63); Cauley Woodrow, Victor Adeboyejo (Luke Thomas 84).
Unused Substitutes: Patrick Schmidt, Clarke Oduor, Dominik Frieser, Jasper Moon, Ben Collins.
Swansea City: Freddie Woodman; Kyle Naughton, Ben Cabango, Marc Guehi; Connor Roberts, Korey Smith, Jay Fulton, Matt Grimes (captain), Jake Bidwell; Jamal Lowe, Andre Ayew.
Unused Substitutes: Ben Hamer, Ryan Manning, Wayne Routledge, Liam Cullen, Yan Dhanda, Joel Latibeaudiere, George Byers, Oli Cooper, Jordon Garrick.
Referee: Jeremy Simpson
