Barnsley fans at Oakwell were treated to a much-needed boost on January 31, 2026, as Davis Keillor-Dunn’s double led the Reds to a spirited 3-1 victory over Stevenage in League One. With the transfer window’s final hours looming and speculation swirling around the futures of key players, Barnsley’s win couldn’t have come at a better time, pulling them away from the relegation zone and settling nerves among both players and supporters.
It’s been a tense week for everyone involved with the club. Just days earlier, Barnsley had suffered a bruising 4-0 defeat to Cardiff City, leaving captain Luca Connell and his young squad under pressure to bounce back. As Connell put it before the match, "There's no other option. That's the benefit of having (games on) Saturday, Tuesday for however many weeks we've got it. If something goes wrong you've a chance to bounce back and try and create a bit of momentum." That’s exactly what the Reds managed to do.
The match began with a near miss for Barnsley, as David McGoldrick had a goal ruled out for offside in the opening minute. But the veteran striker wouldn’t be denied for long. In the 14th minute, McGoldrick capitalized on a rare mistake from Stevenage’s usually reliable Carl Piergianni, slotting home his fourth goal in three games. The goal set the tone for a first half that Barnsley head coach Conor Hourihane later described as "outstanding – the best we’ve been for a little bit. I think it could have been 3-0 or 4-0 by half-time."
It wasn’t just McGoldrick causing headaches for the visitors. Reyes Cleary and Davis Keillor-Dunn combined well throughout, and it was Keillor-Dunn who doubled Barnsley’s lead in the 31st minute. Picking up the ball, he drove through the Stevenage defense and fired in off the post, notching his 12th goal of the campaign and sending the home crowd into raptures.
Yet, as has so often been the case this season, Barnsley’s grip on the match wavered. Just six minutes later, a misplaced pass from Connell was seized upon by Jamie Reid, who quickly played in Dan Kemp to halve the deficit for Stevenage. The goal was a reminder of the defensive lapses that have haunted the team, and for Connell, who had been partially at fault for three goals in the Cardiff defeat, it was another moment to put behind him.
Despite the setback, Barnsley refused to let their heads drop. Five minutes into the second half, Keillor-Dunn restored the two-goal cushion. Beating Stevenage goalkeeper Filip Marschall to the ball, he calmly tapped into an empty net for his 13th league goal of the season and his 16th in all competitions. The relief around Oakwell was palpable. As Hourihane said after the match, "From my point of view it was really important to settle things down with a win and that’s what we’ve gone out and done."
The remainder of the match saw Barnsley defend with renewed composure, determined not to let another lead slip away. Stevenage, meanwhile, struggled to find their rhythm. Their manager Alex Revell was blunt in his assessment: "It was a performance littered with mistakes. The first goal is a huge error and you get punished against a team that’s got good forward players. At half-time I said a few words in terms of the performance and getting rid of those errors but then you concede a goal straight away. Ultimately, you can’t play in any game where you make as many mistakes as we did and expect to win games. Today wasn’t good enough. But we have to, again, learn from it and get better for next week."
The victory saw Barnsley move five points clear of the relegation zone, a significant cushion as the season enters its crucial phase. Stevenage, by contrast, dropped to eighth place, now six points adrift of the play-off places and facing questions about their away form after suffering a fourth consecutive defeat on the road.
For Barnsley, the win was about more than just three points. With the transfer deadline set for February 3, 2026, uncertainty has hovered over the futures of several key players. Keillor-Dunn, the subject of intense interest from Wrexham, and Reyes Cleary, tracked by Sheffield United, have both been at the center of transfer rumors. Hourihane addressed the speculation directly: "We’re really hoping so. There’s a lot of talk going around now." He emphasized the importance of keeping his star men, especially after their match-winning contributions. "It was really important to settle things down with a win and that’s what we’ve gone out and done."
Barnsley’s squad has seen significant changes in recent weeks. January signings Tawanda Chirewa, Scott Banks, and Charlie Lennon have bolstered the wing options, while Neil Faruggia and Fabio Jalo have been loaned out to Oldham Athletic. These moves, coupled with the leadership of 24-year-old captain Connell, have helped maintain a sense of stability amid the transfer window’s chaos. Connell, reflecting on his own experiences with transfer speculation, offered a mature perspective: "Until the papers are signed there’s nothing you can do except train every day, make sure you keep fit and see what happens. When you’re young there’s no hiding from it, you get a little bit carried away with the information, that’s normal. But as you get older, I’ve been through enough windows where there’s been some bids, they haven’t been accepted. You’ve got to make sure you’re professional at the club you’re at. They’re the one paying your wages. If that changes, it changes."
Connell’s leadership has been vital for a young Barnsley squad navigating a challenging period. He credits the support of experienced teammates like McGoldrick and Keillor-Dunn for helping him keep the group focused and level-headed. "If you asked the lads I think they’d say I’m quite passionate and emotional so it’s lucky I’ve got Didzy (David McGoldrick), Robbo (Marc Roberts), Josh (Earl), Phillo (Adan Phillips) and Davo (Davis Keillor-Dunn) I can speak to and they can give me help as well as me helping the likes of Blandy (Joanathan Bland), Vimal (Yoganathan) and PK (Patrick Kelly),” Connell explained. “We all try to keep each other level-headed."
As the transfer deadline approaches, all eyes will remain on Oakwell to see if Barnsley can hold onto their prized assets. For now, though, the team and its supporters can savor a hard-fought win that has lifted spirits and provided a timely reminder of what this group is capable of when firing on all cylinders.
With a bit of breathing room in the league table and momentum restored, Barnsley will look to build on this result, regardless of what the next few days bring in the transfer market. The fight for League One survival continues, but after a week of questions and uncertainty, the Reds have delivered some answers where it matters most—on the pitch.