Barnsley claimed a fourth consecutive League One away win with a 4-0 victory at Cambridge.

The Tykes made an ideal start by opening the scoring inside seven minutes when Nicky Cadden was slotted in by Corey O’Keeffe and fired into the far corner.

That lead was doubled in unconventional style after 33 minutes when Cadden’s corner was met by a Cambridge header before ricocheting off Mael de Gevigney and back past Will Mannion for the 24-year-old’s first career goal.

Cambridge did provide a threat, with Liam Roberts keeping out a Jack Lankester effort and denying Gassan Ahadme in the final moments of the first half.

In a decisive passage of play just before the hour, strong Cambridge appeals for a penalty for a foul on John-Kymani Gordon were waved away, and within seconds Barnsley added their third when Callum Styles played in Max Watters, whose effort went in under Mannion.

Seven minutes from the end Jon Russell completed the scoring, firing an excellent finish from outside the box following Josh Benson’s pass.