Barnsley kept their League One automatic promotion hopes firmly alive when they secured a comfortable 3-0 win over Plymouth on Easter Monday.

Cauley Woodrow, Jacob Brown and Alex Mowatt were all on target for the Tykes as they sealed their third consecutive win.

Daniel Stendel's side knew they needed a victory after promotion rivals Portsmouth scored a late winner to see off Coventry in the early kick-off.

But relegation-threatened Plymouth were no match for Stendel's men as they raced into a three-goal lead after just 28 minutes.

Barnsley are now two points ahead of third-placed Portsmouth with two games remaining, but Kenny Jackett's side do have a game in hand.

Here are three things we learned from Barnsley's emphatic Easter Monday victory...

Clinical finishing a huge help

It would not have been easy for Barnsley fans to watch Portsmouth seal victory before their side had kicked off, with this piling even more pressure on the Plymouth clash.

But any nerves were soon quashed courtesy of Barnsley's potent finishing in front of goal.

The three early goals meant victory was all-but-secured before the clock had even struck 30 minutes. This goal-scoring efficiency can only serve them well if they maintain it in the remaining two matches.

Proven resolve

It is becoming a regular occurrence for Pompey and Sunderland to check Barnsley's results, only to discover they have made no mistake.

The ability to keep churning out victories shows the determination and courage that Stendel has instilled into this side.

Their game management was also impeccable on Monday. With victory sealed in the first-half, the Tykes could rest up more in the second half in order to conserve energy for the coming matches.

Kiefer Moore not quite match-fit

The striker played a key role for Stendel's side in the early part of the campaign, scoring 16 goals before suffering a head injury in February that appeared to derail his season.

However, Moore has made a surprise return to the Barnsley side after featuring against Shrewsbury on Friday and against Plymouth.

The 26-year-old missed a couple of chances during the 21 minutes he featured on Monday, which were chances he would have been expected to finish earlier in the season.

He may be itching for a starting place, but he is not quite ready to feature regularly for the promotion-chasing side.