OXFORD United made it three wins from three with an impressive, yet hard-fought, victory away against Barnsley.

Cameron Brannagan gave the U’s the lead within 10 minutes from the penalty spot, before a Jordan Williams own goal doubled the advantage nine minutes into the second half.

Devante Cole then made it nervy in the closing stages when he headed home a corner, but Tyler Goodrham wrapped up the three points when he poked home after being put through by Gatlin O’Donkor.

Liam Manning made just the one change to the side which won 2-1 at Derby County in midweek, as Stanley Mills replaced Goodrham, who dropped to the bench.

The hosts had the first sight of goal when Adam Phillips hammered in a shot with three minutes played, but James Beadle was able fist the ball away for a corner.

At the other end, Brannagan clipped in a deep free kick from the left-hand side, with Elliott Moore getting up at the back post to head the ball across goal, however Ciaron Brown was unable to stretch enough to nod the ball in.

Moments later, the U’s were awarded a penalty when Marcus Browne burst into the penalty area and was tripped by Mael de Gevigney.

Brannagan made no mistake from 12 yards, sending Liam Roberts the wrong way to find the bottom corner.

The Tykes had an opportunity just before the quarter of an hour mark when a tidy move found Andy Dallas on the left corner of the six-yard box, however he scuffed his effort well off target.

Nicky Cadden was a bright spark for the home side, and he nearly founds the top corner when he cut inside from the right wing, but his shot drifted narrowly over the crossbar.

Shortly before half an hour had been played, Manning was forced into a substitution when Browne hobbled off. In his place came Ruben Rodrigues, with the alteration seeing Billy Bodin move to the left, while Rodrigues occupied a central position.

The Portuguese midfielder was instantly involved, when he found the run of Mark Harris, who arrowed a shot towards the near post, yet Roberts was able to scoop the ball up.

A lovely floated ball from Bodin on the halfway line found Mills in space on the right, with the Everton loanee finding his way into the box, before firing a low shot into the gloves of Roberts.

Moore then headed wide from a Brannagan corner, while a 20-yard shot from Phillips slipped under Beadle and the fortunate side of the post for a Tykes corner late in the opening period.

The last chance of the half saw Cadden once again cut inside from the right, with him this time smashing an effort just over the crossbar.

The first sniff of goal in the second period came when Rodrigues freed Mills down the right, who then picked out Bodin in the area, however his clipped effort went narrowly over.

Not long after, United doubled their lead, and it came from the right-hand side and Mills, who got to the byline and cut the ball back where the unfortunate Williams put the cross into his own net from a matter of yards.

Bodin sought a third goal of the afternoon for the U’s when he was afforded space in a central area, but he sent his 20-yard effort just wide of Roberts’ post.

Goodrham, on as a substitute for Mills, nipped in to steal the ball from the Barnsley backline, before then unselfishly feeding Harris, who saw his shot well saved by a recovering Roberts.

Cole then pulled one back for the hosts from a corner, when he nodded home from inside a congested six-yard box.

Oakwell then found its voice as United weathered some pressure from the Tykes.

Substitute Aiden Marsh pulled the ball across the six-yard box, with a sliding Cole inches away from making a connection.

Straight up the other end, Roberts produced a brilliant stop to push over a Moore header from Brannagan’s right-wing corner.

Beadle then preserved United’s lead when he denied Cole from a rapid Barnsley counter-attack.

Cole charged down the right and smashed a shot towards the near post, but Beadle made himself big to thwart the striker.

Goodrham scored what proved to be the winner though when O’Donkor squeezed the ball through for him, with the young winger able to tap home from close range.

There was still time at the other end for Sam Long to clear a Cole shot off the line following a corner, however United were able to hold on.

Barnsley (3-4-1-2): Roberts; de Gevigney (Cotter 37), Lopata, Kitching; Williams, Kane, Phillips (Russell 65), Cadden; Styles (Marsh 65); Dallas (Watters 65), Cole.

Unused subs: Killip, Nejman, Shepherd.

Booked: Styles, de Gevigney, Williams, Kitching.

Oxford United (4-2-3-1): Beadle; Long, Moore, Negru, Brown; McGuane, Brannagan; Mills (Goodrham 61), Bodin (Stevens 71), Browne (Rodrigues 27); Harris (O’Donkor 71).

Unused subs: Eastwood, McEachran, Smyth.

Booked: Brannagan.

Referee: Martin Coy (County Durham).

Attendance: 11,753 (620 away).