A youthful City side held on for a hard-fought victory in torrential conditions at Oakwell to move level on points with Walsall at the top of the Pontins Premier Division.

A bright start saw Martin Patterson open the scoring with only five minutes on the clock. The Academy striker, making only his second start for the reserves, drilled his shot past home 'keeper Scott Flinders to cap a superb run through the Barnsley rearguard.

City's recent goalkeeping injury jinx struck again on seventeen minutes when Ben Foster was forced off with a knee injury and Chris Sanna took his place between.

The lively Patterson soon followed, hobbling off after feeling the full force of a heavy challenge.

Jermaine Palmer could have doubled City's lead soon after and Potters pressure made a second goal seem inevitable.

But three minutes before the break Barnsley wasted a chance to draw level when Sanna superbly pushed away Griff Jones' spot-kick.

The home side paid the penalty after 51 minutes when Leon Fisher's shot was parried by Flinders and Palmer tucked home the rebound.

Barnsley hit back strongly and were twice foiled by Sanna before Paul Tortoishell nearly made it 3-0, but his shot was cleared off the line.

Defender Jay Denny twice fired over from long range, but Barnsley clawed their way back into the game on 65 minutes when Nathan Joynes rounded Sanna and rolled his shot home.

Leon Fisher cleared off the line and Sanna saved well from Thomas Harban as the Tykes piled on the late pressure, but the young Potters held firm for an impressive win.

City: Foster (Sanna 17), Smith, Dickinson, Wilkinson, Keogh, Denny, Tortoiseshell, Patterson (Graves 20), Palmer, Musgrove, Fisher. Subs: C Swift, M Swift, Hughes.