It was 2 months to the day since Sheffield Wednesday left Bramall Lane with maximum points, but Kevin Blackwell's Sheffield United didn't let that happen again, against another South Yorkshire outfit.
John-Joe O'Toole scrambled the ball into the net with 8 minutes of normal time remaining then, Arturo Lupoli intelligently converted United's second 5 minutes later with a little assistance off the post. Jamal Campbell-Ryce saw his penalty saved by Paddy Kenny with one minute remaining after Greg Halford handled in the area. But Barnsley didn't give up when Bogdanovic who was unmarked headed into a half-empty net, but it was too little too late for the Tykes who see United complete the double over them.
Kevin Blackwell enforced two changes to the side which beat Ipswich last Saturday. Stephen Quinn and Matt Kilgallon both dropped out due to injuries which meant returns to the starting line-up for on-loan Hornets John-Joe O'Toole and Leigh Bromby. Chris Morgan started the game against his former club whilst it was vice versa for Rob Kozluk.
A few minutes into the game, Jamal Campbell-Ryce had the first shot at goal - he let fly from 25 yards but the ball drifted out for a Blades goal-kick. John-Joe O'Toole nearly put United in the lead when his effort on goal at the back-post went wide whilst Greg Halford also missed a good opportunity.
Morgan was penalised for a foul on Macken but Bobby Hassell blasted over. Between the halfway mark in the 1st half and the 30 minute mark, Jamie Ward didn't beat the offside trap twice but it was third time lucky for the former Chesterfield hit-man when he outpaced Darren Moore but drilled over Heinz Muller's crossbar.
Andranik broke and fired at Kenny but the Blades shot-stopper prevented and then the penultimate chance of the half fell to Darius Henderson but he saw his effort parried away. Jamie Ward's attempt on goal was acrobatically tipped over by Muller which proved to be the last real action of the half.
Boos greeted the officials but applauses for the players were witnessed. Kevin Blackwell nor Simon Davey made changes at half-time.
Barnsley had the first chance of the half again when rumoured Blades target Michael Mifsud saw his shot saved by Kenny. United who mounted pressure on the Tykes' backline saw Campbell-Ryce appear to flick the ball up on to his arm in his own penalty area but referee, Hegley, waved away.
Halford nodded over a Cotterill corner and that was then shortly followed by Ward's effort on goal after neat work from Darius Henderson. The pintsize figure saw his shot roll inches wide of the post.
Chris Morgan who was invited with plenty of boos from the Barnsley contingent throughout the match drilled his shot just wide although it did take a deflection. David Cotterill who was fairly quiet throughout the game was replaced by Arturo Lupoli.
Mifsud and Macken saw their headers comfortably saved by Kenny whilst Mifsud latched at goal again but he blasted high and wide - he was later substituted.
Jamie Ward outpaced Rob Kozluk, turned inside and powerfully drilled at goal but Muller was on hand to parry round the post. Bramall Lane was roaring and urging United to snatch that decisive goal.
And the encouragement from the 25,000+ Unitedites worked when the opening goal was scored 8 minutes from time.
Leigh Bromby stepped up from defence to launch his version of the long-throw, it met Morgan at the front post who flicked on, only to find O'Toole who saw his header saved by Muller but after a mini goalmouth scramble, O'Toole poked the ball over the line seconds later to send Bramall Lane absolutely wild!
The on loan Watford man sprinted down the touchline to celebrate with the joyful Blades fans and get mobbed by his team-mates. Barnsley responded almost straight away with two tricky corners which United had to contest with, the latter flew inches past the post with no one getting a touch to the ball.
Halford who constantly swapped wings with Cotterill and Ward respectively,
shrugged Kozluk off the ball at the corner flag and turned in field to lay the ball off to Arturo Lupoli who pounced from the edge of the area and looped the ball with his left-foot to the far-bottom-corner of Muller's goal to see the ball flick in off the post and into the base of the net.
O'Toole lunged out in midfield and received a yellow card for his troubles. Kozluk took the resulting free-kick from inside his own half, he chipped the ball towards Darren Moore but the ball was handled by Greg Halford in the penalty area and the referee had no hesitation in pointing to the spot.
Jamal Campbell-Ryce had the guts to step up and take his second penalty in the space of two games, despite missing one at the weekend. He made it two out of two misses when Paddy Kenny guessed the correct way and tipped his effort round the post.
Shortly after though, Macken's cross found the unmarked Daniel Bogdanovic who could nod in for a consolation in the four added minutes. A little spat between the two managers occurred which held play up for a couple of minutes but the game was back underway shortly after.
Craig Beattie was put through on goal with the ball bouncing and Muller rushing out his goal, the Scotsman attempted a lob but the ball landed on the roof of the net and over the crossbar.
Barnsley lofted balls forward and were trying muster a point, but Morgan who was solid throughout headed away which was soon greeted by the referees' full-time whistle. Sheffield United completed their third double of the season, overcame their Tuesday night hoodoo at the Lane, made it three South Yorkshire derby victories, four wins in a row, nine games unbeaten, and keep the stat of only two defeats in the last twenty games. The Blades are really in the hunt for automatic promotion now, with plenty up for stake in Good Friday's encounter with Reading. United move up a place to third and are now back to only three points behind Birmingham. The final score from Bramall Lane is, Sheffield United 2:1 Barnsley.