Leeds United have defeated local rivals Barnsley 2-0 at Oakwell to drag themselves right back into the Championship playoff mix.

First-half goals from Samuel Saiz and Ezgjan Alioski proved enough as the Whites picked up a first Yorkshire derby away win in four attempts this year.

The visitors, beaten in seven of their last nine matches prior to today, now find themselves level with two other teams on 29 points ahead of a busy afternoon of fixtures in the Championship.

Caleb Ekuban wasted a good chance to open the scoring for Leeds just a minute into the match after being picked out by Alioski, seeing his shot well blocked by a couple of opposition players.

In-form attacker Alioski blasted wide of the post from a decent position soon after as Leeds pressed for an opener, which arrived a quarter of the way through thanks to Saiz's effort that evaded Adam Davies in the Barnsley goal.

Moments after Barnsley had enjoyed their best spell of the match, with Liam Lindsay glancing wide, Ekuban let fly with a shot that Davies this time got right behind.

Leeds had a second goal deep into first-half stoppage time, though, with Alioski curling the ball into the bottom corner from the edge of the area after good play from Luke Ayling.

Pablo Hernandez and Ekuban both came close to sealing the points for Leeds, the latter taking too long to hit the ball when picked out inside the area.

Leeds were looking very comfortable as the game wore on, having done all of the hard work in the opening 45 minutes, as Alioski sent a late scissor-kick over the bar.

Defeat for Barnsley, who had previously won five of their last six meetings against United, leaves them six points above the relegation zone.

Barnsley (4-3-3): Davies; Yiadom, MacDonald, Lindsay, Fryers; Potts, Williams, Moncur (Gardner 46'); Hammill (Hedges 76'), Bradshaw, Barnes (Ugbo 46')

Leeds United (4-2-3-1): Wiedwald; Ayling, Cooper, Jansson, Berardi; O'Kane (Shaughnessy 58'), Phillips; Hernandez, Saiz, Alioski (Grott 88'); Ekuban (Roofe 81')