Play-off hopefuls Charlton Athletic secured their sixth consecutive home win against fellow challengers Barnsley in their Sky Bet League One match.

In those six games at the Valley, they have conceded just once and their defence again played superbly meaning that goalkeeper Will Mannion was rarely tested.

Although the visitors started the more lively, it was Charlton who went ahead in the twelfth minute. They were awarded a free kick twenty yards out and Macaulay Gillesphy spotted that the Tykes goalkeeper Jackson Smith had left a gap between the defensive wall and the near post.

His placement was accurate, maybe taking a slight deflection, and although Smith got across, it went under him and into the net.

Davis Keillor-Dunn had a twenty-five yard shot for Barnsley that bounced comfortably into the arms of Mannion before he had another opportunity when getting in behind and hitting a low shot that wedged between Mannion’s legs.

Luke Berry had an opening for the Addicks when a long pass forward picked him out but his control on his chest was too firm and Smith was able to claim. Thierry Small then fired well over after setting himself when a first time effort from Tyreece Campbell’s pull back might have been the better option.

As half time approached, Stephen Humphrys shot wide for Barnsley from fully twenty-five yards.

Darrell Clarke, the Barnsley manager, had made one enforced change in the first half and made two further substitutions at the break and they had a sniff of an opening when Lloyd Jones and Mannion had a communication breakdown from a Marc Roberts long throw, however nobody got on the end of it and it went out for another throw.

After that, Charlton’s defence coped well with whatever was required of them while having opportunities at the other end. Campbell whipped over a cross but Matt Godden failed to get a clean connection and glanced it wide. Small then did well on the other wing and pulled it back to Greg Docherty. He laid it into the path of Berry who was unable to garner sufficient pace on his shot to worry Smith.

Clarke made his last two changes just after the hour mark in an attempt to get more of a foothold onto the game and they did have a wild volley by Luca Connell that didn’t trouble Mannion. Charlton continued to look the most dangerous, though, and Myles Leaburn, who had just come on, found Conor Coventry. It sat up nicely for him and his fierce half-volley drew a great full length diving save out of Smith.

Connell had a good run across goal and hit a shot that shaved the post but that was as close as Barnsley came and Campbell fed Leaburn who was thwarted by the legs of Smith as he looked to make the last few minutes more comfortable for the Addicks.

Results elsewhere meant that Charlton moved up to fifth place in the table with a big game away to fourth placed Stockport County ahead of them on Saturday.

Charlton Athletic: Mannion, Small (Watson 87), Edwards, Ramsay, Jones, Gillesphey, Docherty (McIntyre 86), Coventry, T. Campbell (Aneke 86), Godden (Leaburn 70), Berry (Anderson 70).

Subs not used: Reid, Gilbert.

Goalscorer: Gillesphy (12)

Yellow cards: Edwards (39 delay of restart)

Barnsley: Smith, Farrugia (Nwakali 61), O’Keefe, McCarthy, Roberts, Earl (Barratt 31), Phillips (Benson 46), Connell, Keillor-Dunn, Humphrys (Watters 46), Russell (Lembikisa 61).

Subs not used: Flavell, Rodrigues. 

Goalscorers: None

Yellow cards: None

Referee: Carl Brook

Assistants: Adrian Tranter and Stuart Butler

Fourth Official: Charles Breakspear

Attendance:  12,707 including 316 away supporters.

Pictures supplied by Dave Budden.