Shayne Lavery struck in second-half stoppage time to earn Cambridge United a come-from-behind 2-1 victory at Barnsley this afternoon.

The U’s headed into the interval a goal behind after a lacklustre opening 45 minutes at Oakwell.

But the half-time introduction of Lavery gave them a big boost, and after setting up the equaliser that was scored by Ben Knight, the Northern Irishman’s first goal of the campaign secured all three points that has kept Cambridge fifth in the table.

A scrappy and fragmented first half was best summed up by Barnsley’s deadlock-breaking goal in the 41st minute.

Cambridge goalkeeper Jake Eastwood’s punch from Reyes Cleary’s left-wing corner struck his own team-mate Owen Moxon, and after a bit of a pile-on, the ball was eventually bundled over the line by Vimal Yoganathan, who scored his second goal of the season.

Barnsley actually should have been in front before that. In the 18th minute, Cameron McGeehan had the freedom of the Cambridge box after being picked out by Patrick Kelly’s cross, only to see his close-range header saved by Eastwood’s leg. The ball then broke for recent arrival Tobi Adeyemo, who looked to have the tap-in before Cathal Heffernan threw himself in bravely to make the block.

Eastwood was also called into action to keep out Ryan Brownlie’s low strike from distance, while Cambridge’s only attempt of note came in the 27th minute when his downward header from Moxon’s corner was hacked clear by Arley Kay.

It came as little surprise that Cambridge boss Neil Harris opted to make alterations during the break. Shayne Lavery and Ra’ees Bangura-Williams got the nod to replace Issac Heath and Moxon, and it is now five league fixtures in a row that Harris has turned to his bench at half-time.

Both substitutes had been booked for fouls by the 50th minute, but just two minutes later, Lavery made a telling positive impact. The Northern Irishman drove towards the left byline with purpose, and his cutback was perfect for Ben Knight, who swept the ball home with a finish that was too good for Rogan Ravenhill in the Barnsley goal.

With parity restored, the game livened up. Lavery proved to be a real thorn in the side of the Barnsley defence, and at the other end, Cleary was making it a tough afternoon for U’s right-back Liam Bennett. In the 63rd minute, the winger jinked inside and saw his effort deflected off Heffernan and drift just over, while two minutes later Brownlie beat Eastwood to a high ball, only to see his header land on the roof of the net.

Cleary was again in the thick of the action for Barnsley in the 73rd minute after a corner was cleared as far as the 22-year-old. The angle was against him, but his bouncing effort still brought a smart stop out of Eastwood at the near post.

Cambridge were also proactively hunting a winning goal, and it almost came with four minutes remaining. Pelly Ruddock Mpanzu’s back-post header from a Knight corner was dropped by Ravenhill, but with nobody in a light blue shirt reacting, the Barnsley goalie was able to pounce on the rebound.

Knight and Watts had shots hacked clear as United continued to push in the closing stages before Lavery’s decisive impact. Louis Appere – on for Gassan Ahadme – saw his close-range shot on the turn kept out by Ravenhill, but Lavery was in the right place at the right time to turn the ball in.

Barnsley: Ravenhill, Noslin, O’Riordan, Shepherd, Kay, McGeehan, Yoganathan (Reid 83’), Adeyemo (Taylor 85’), Kelly, Cleary, Brownlie (Richards 82’)

Cambridge United: Eastwood, Bennett, Watts, Heffernan, Bradshaw, Ball (Hoddle 66’), Mpanzu, Moxon (Bangura-Williams 46’), Heath (Lavery 46’), Knight, Ahadme (Appere 77’)