Doncaster Rovers talking points: Defensive steel, McGoldrick instructions + proud derby record

Fine margins

As the scoreline perhaps suggests, this was a tight encounter and truthfully it's not one you'd be in a rush to watch in full again.

Genuine scoring chances were few and far between with Rovers' only attempts on target coming from an early, tame effort from Glenn Middleton and then Elliot Lee's successful penalty - which proved to be the matchwinner. The hosts fared slightly better in terms of shots on target - with three - but couldn't find a way past a resolute Rovers defence and goalkeeper Thimothee Lo-Tutala (more on that further down).

For Grant McCann, he was defiant in his belief about the penalty awarded to his side after sub Hakeeb Adelakun went down under a challenge from Corey O'Keeffe. But he believes that should have been one of two spot-kicks awarded by referee David Rock.

"I thought we should have had another one," said the Northern Irishman when quizzed on the one given. "I thought there was one (a penalty) on Brandon (Hanlan), where he's been blocked out and he's about to shoot. But I didn't think the referee would give two in the space of ten minutes."

Defensive steel coming to the fore

For only the second time this season Rovers racked up back-to-back clean sheets in the league. That's not occurred since way back in August.

After some slipshod performances over the last few months, albeit in fits and bursts, Rovers look to have finally firmed up at the back. The partnership of Neill Byrne and Matty Pearson is going from strength to strength and behind them they have a goalkeeper in Lo-Tutala who is growing in confidence thanks to a sustained run in the team, even despite the return to availability of Zander Clark.

"Barnsley had a push at us but defensively we were sound," McCann reflected. "Timmy didn't have a lot to do apart from one or two little point-blank saves that he dealt with well. A lot of shots were from distance but the shape of the team was good.

"I think since Bolton at home on New Year's Day, we've been really strong and our performances have mostly been good."

McGoldrick nullified

Arguably the go-to man for Barnsley this season has been the evergreen David McGoldrick. He's well into double figures for goal contributions and it's easy to see why. Against Rovers he seemed to be enjoying a free role, of sorts, popping up all over the park and trying his luck from all angles. That said, of his six attempts at goal just one forced a save out of Lo-Tutala.

"He's so difficult to prep for, he really is," McCann said of a player just seven years his junior. "I was saying to Neill and Matty that you need to be careful because he drifts. You need to talk to people in front of you and the communication needs to be good.

"Tactically as a team we needed to be good today just to be aware of where he is because when he drifts you get people running past him. So they're a hard team to prep against Barnsley because they've got different ways of playing."

Derby record

This victory - a first league success at Oakwell since 2010 - makes it five wins from eight Yorkshire derbies this season for Rovers.

That means they'll finish joint-top of the 'League One Yorkshire table' after all the results are included between Rovers, Barnsley, Rotherham, Huddersfield and Bradford this season (even with some local dust-ups to come). The scenes in the away end, where Rovers were backed vocally by almost 3,000, were reminiscent of those enjoyed just a few weeks ago down the road at the New York Stadium as the travelling support toasted the bragging rights.