Barnsley recorded a shock 3-0 win over automatic promotion hopefuls Fulham at Craven Cottage on Saturday, with former Cottager Cauley Woodrow grabbing the spotlight.

The Tykes came into this game needing a miracle to climb towards survival as they sat nine points adrift of 21st-placed Stoke City and faced a side only just outside the top two on goal difference.

Confidence of the Barnsley fans might not have been too high after recent performances but manager Gerhard Struber was confident of nicking a win, based on how both sides set up tactically each game, with Barnsley looking to counteract Fulhams’s possession-based game with high pressing.

The away side were looking to do the double over Fulham after their opening day win and did just that with two goals from Cauley Woodrow either side of a bizarre goal from Jacob Brown, sealing a much-needed win.

A penalty converted by Woodrow opened the scoring before a speculative long ball saw Brown fire home into an empty net after Marek Rodak came charging out wide to close him down. Woodrow added the polish to a great result by firing in a third with just over 10 minutes left to play.

Here are three things we learnt about Barnsley in their emphatic 3-0 win…

Just how important Cauley Woodrow is

It’s been a quiet month or so for Woodrow who was suffering from an injury in the back-end of January, as interest grew in his signature and justifiably so.

However, he came back into the squad and has now scored five in his last five after netting a brace at his old stomping ground. His first was a calmly finished penalty halfway into the first half to give the Tykes a well-deserved lead, to which he refused to celebrate against the team where he spent eight seasons.

To completely kill off the game, Woodrow rounded Michael Hector before firing past Rodak from a narrow angle in front of the travelling fans.

What these past few games have shown is that Woodrow’s goals alongside fellow attackers are going to be a major deciding factor in whether Barnsley can stave off immediate relegation.

No howlers = no goals conceded

A major theme this season in Barnsley’s struggles has been their inability to avoid defensive howlers, costing them wins and draws most games.

It was the reason they conceded the game’s only goal against Birmingham City last time out and Struber’s defence had it all to do against the league’s top striker and one of the division’s best attacks.

However, they defended resolutely when called upon and limited Fulham to mainly just scrambles in a crowded penalty area that never looked like finding the back of the net.

Struber will be able to look forward to more performances like this if they seriously want to stave off the drop, as there have been signs all season that they can put in games like this.

Can you get 16/16 in this Barnsley quiz?

Jacob Brown is coming into his own

Playing up front in a more advanced role has seen Brown become a vital part of Barnsley’s team alongside Woodrow and Chaplin.

His goal to make it 2-0 was only his second of the season but his role up front is far more intricate than just ‘put the ball in the net’ with his assists tally showing just how well he can provide, standing at eight after the game.

Marek Rodak was struggling to deal with Brown’s runs in behind the back four causing him to run out and give away a penalty for dragging him down, before then gifting him a goal by charging out to stop Brown’s run after the interval.

With the width that Barnsley seemingly lack on paper with a narrow diamond in midfield, utilising Brown’s pace in behind will be very important for them stretching opposition defences.