Barnsley 6 - 1 Rochdale: Sam Winnall hat-trick helps Barnsley to a big win

Sam Winnall scored a hat-trick as Barnsley romped to a 6-1 win over Rochdale at Oakwell.

Free-flowing attacking moves and sharp finishing earned the Reds a deserved victory.

They took the lead when Adam Hammill curled a free-kick into a dangerous area for Alfie Mawson to head the ball home in the eighth minute.

The Tykes doubled their lead early in the second half through Hammill's second assist of the game. He picked out Winnall who made no mistake from six yards.

Substitute Nathaniel Mendez-Laing got Rochdale back into the game with a downward header from a corner but Winnall tapped in sub Ashley Fletcher's low cross to make it 3-1.

Marley Watkins added a fourth with six minutes remaining, drilling the ball low through the legs of Dale goalkeeper Josh Lillis.

Winnall sealed his hat-trick in the 89th minute after Lillis jumped for a cross but missed the ball, leaving the striker the simple task of nodding into an unguarded net.

Kevin Long headed in from a Conor Hourihane cross in injury time to make it six of the best for Barnsley.