Courtesy of the Official Site: BARNSLEY assistant manager Rick Holden gave his thoughts following tonight's victory over Gillingham. He said: "I think we dug in there well and it was just the win we needed really. We are a little thin on the ground defensively and we were forced to change things around so we have to give huge credit to the lads because they coped well with that. "Paul Hayes worked hard throughout and is an excellent player so we always knew that he could slot into that role if we needed him to. "We have improved as a team and we have been working hard on our attacking play. We try to get it wide and stretch teams and I think we did that in spells. We should have won by more in the end really but it always going to be hard work when you are playing against an alehouse team who play the game more like rugby union. They get the ball down and stop at every free kick and it is very difficult to get a flowing game going. "Gillingham are a very physical team and Ronnie Jepson has them playing to their strengths. "Our fans will get frustrated at times but it is always going to be hard to play silky football in every game all the time. Hopefully when we look back on the season come May we will think of tonight as just a hard fought win. "We have some more niggles to contend with now. Robbie Williams has a slight medial ligament problem and Martin Devaney picked up a dead leg so both will be doubtful for Saturday. We will be stretched again and maybe we will have to go cap in hand to the chairman this week".
Also from Official Site Match Report: BARNSLEY 1 (Shuker 15) GILLINGHAM 0 THE Reds scored one but could and probably should have had a bagful against a poor Gillingham side at Oakwell but, just when they desperately needed a win, Andy Ritchie's side delivered the points. Reds boss Andy Ritchie made one change from the side that stuttered to a draw against Walsall just three days ago with new boy Tommy Wright making his full home debut at the expense of Marc Richards. Richards dropped to the bench alongside Richard Kell, Ryan Laight and Daniel Nardiello. Barnsley again started the game quickly and could have been in front inside two minutes when Chris Shuker sent Wright through on goal but the striker's low shot was easy pickings for Gills keeper Jason Brown. Wright had the ball in the back of the net just a minute later as he out fought Brent Sancho to plant a perfectly good header from Paul Hayes' cross past Brown and into the corner of the net only for the referee to award a harsh foul. Seconds later Nick Colgan had to be quickly off his line to smother Neil Harris' effort but was clattered extremely late by the Gills striker but this time the official gave nothing. Colgan recovered well enough to turn Danny Jackman's corner away off the top of his crossbar. Gillingham got in again on 12 minutes as Sean Clohessey breezed past Robbie Williams and into the area before hammering his shot high over the top. Darren Byfield then managed to head straight at Colgan two minutes later after Harris' flick had beaten the Reds defence. The visitors' pressure was cut shot in dramatic fashion on 15 minutes as Williams and Hayes combined brilliantly down the left to fashion an opening for Shuker and this time there was no referee's whistle to save the Gills as the winger hammered his shot into the roof of the net. Gillingham worked hard and looked to bully their way back into the game although Mike Flynn would probably want to forget his 21st minute effort that flew well over the top of Colgan's goal. At the other end Wright was inches away from netting a second for the Reds on 23 minutes as he stretched towards Shuker's cross. A silly foul by John Wallis gave Jacob Burns the chance to test his shooting boots from a free kick on 27 minutes and the Aussie almost doubled the Reds lead when he forced Brown into a fine save from 25 yards. Byfield almost took advantage of a hopeful long ball that got caught in the wind on 35 minutes and got in behind the Reds for a split second but a combination of Paul Reid, Neil Austin and Williams managed to clear. Another Jackman corner then gave Sancho a great chance on 42 minutes but the big centre back could only plant his free header firmly over the top. With injury forcing Williams out of the action at half time the Reds were forced to reshuffle and bring Kell into the action. Barnsley almost grabbed a second on 49 minutes as Marc Richards broke well down the right before firing the ball towards Brown's goal but his effort dropped well wide. Richards again went close on 51 minutes as he threw himself at Shuker's cross but the ball bounced through to Brown. Shuker again sent a dangerous ball across the face of goal two minutes later and this time Wright flung himself at it but could not apply a killer touch. Barnsley came forward almost at will against a poor Gillingham side lacking in ideas all over the pitch. Hayes was simply tearing the visitor's right hand side to shreds every time the ball went out wide and his run almost opened a chance for Wright on 61 minutes but Leon Johnson's last-gasp challenge prevented a certain goal. Although Colgan had been a virtual spectator for most of the second half the Reds keeper proved he was still alert and awake on 67 minutes as he dove to grab Danny Spiller's cross-shot. Again the Reds came and yet again the ammunition was provided from Shuker's right boot as the winger sent over another perfect cross a minute later. This time Richards was free in the middle but somehow put a diving header well wide with only Brown to beat. Gillingham finally piled on the pressure in the closing seven minutes with a non-stop bombardment of long balls but the Reds defence held firm although Johnson managed to get his head onto a cross on 84 minutes but his effort flew wide. Another lightening break by Shuker opened the Gills defence wide open for substitute Nardiello in stoppage time but the striker hammered the ball straight at Brown when he probably should have broken the net. BARNSLEY: Colgan, Reid, Burns, Hayes, McPhail, Austin, Shuker, Tonge, Devaney (Richards 41), Wright (Nardiello 75), Williams (Kell 45). Subs: Flinders, Laight. GILLINGHAM: Brown, Clohessey (Shield 87), Jackman, Sancho, Johnson, Crofts, Wallis (Pouton 70), Flynn, Spiller, Byfield (Grant 70), Harris. Subs: Crichton, Hope.