Parkin lifted by double from Sheron

Barnsley 3 Sheffield Wednesday

Mike Sheron ended his three-month goal drought with a decisive double at Oakwell yesterday to give Steve Parkin his first victory as Barnsley manager and revive the Tykes' hopes of avoiding relegation from the First Division.

Before this win Parkin had taken one point from his first three matches in charge after taking over from the caretaker, Glyn Hodges, the club's reserve-team coach having temporarily succeeded the sacked Nigel Spackman.

First-half goals from the captain, Chris Morgan, and Sheron sparked the success, ending a run of six matches without a win. However, Barnsley remain one off the bottom, with Stockport firmly adrift at the foot of the table.

After four successive clean sheets, three in the league, which had lifted the Owls clear of the drop zone, the Wednesday defence was breached after just five minutes in this south Yorkshire derby. Derek Geary's foul on Darren Barnard led to the Wales international's inswinging free-kick from the left being flicked on by Bruce Dyer for Morgan to slide home his second goal of the season from inside the six-yard box.

Kevin Pressman made stunning saves from Dyer and, in particular, Gary Jones on his Barnsley debut, with Parkin having raided his old club last week to pick up the former Rochdale captain for £200,000.

Further goals should have followed, only for Barnsley to do Wednesday's defending for them as Sheron first blocked a goal-bound Dyer header, swiftly followed by Dyer then getting in the way of Sheron's on-target drive.

Yet Barnsley doubled their lead just before half-time. The New Zealand full-back David Mulligan, a product of Barnsley's youth academy, drove in a 41st-minute shot which was fumbled by Pressman. As Dyer challenged, the ball ran loose for Sheron to tuck home his second of the season and his first since 8 September.

Wednesday were a stronger force in the second half, but Gerald Sibon and Efan Ekoku both missed good chances. They paid for that when Sheron headed home his second goal in the 85th minute from a delightful chipped cross from Kevin Donovan to give Barnsley their biggest win of the season.

Goals: Morgan (5) 1-0; Sheron (41) 2-0; Sheron (85) 3-0.

Barnsley: Miller; Mulligan, Morgan, Chettle, Barker, Donovan, Lumsdon, G Jones, Barnard, Sheron, Dyer (L Jones, 87). Substitutes not used: Marriott (gk), Bertos, Neil, O'Callaghan.

Sheffield Wednesday: Pressman; Geary, Maddix, Bromby, O'Donnell, Donnelly (Bonvin, h-t), Haslam, Soltvedt, Morrison (McLaren, 69), Sibon, Ekoku. Substitutes not used: Stringer (gk), Harkness, Westwood.

Referee: E Wolstenholme (Blackburn).

Bookings: Barnsley: Morgan, Donovan, Lumsdon. Sheffield Wednesday: Sibon, Ekoku, Bromby, Haslam.

Man of the match: Sheron.

Attendance: 16,714.