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But the goal seemed to settle the home side's nerves, and levelled with a penalty conversion from captain Andy Crosby and a stunning solo strike from second-half substitute Cleveland Taylor.
Laws said: "The last time we came up we took three games to get any points up, so we're delighted.
"And we've done it in style, it was an electric atmosphere which never stopped from start to finish.
"We've hit the ground runnning now, that'll give us confidence going into the game against Gillingham.
"I thoguht the tempo was excellent, didn't allow them to settle. They're a good footballing side, but we dealt with them very well.
"The crowd got right behind us, they were electrifying - please come again on Saturday.
"Barnsley made a major contribution to the game, and I'm sure it was fantastic to watch."
It was virtually inevitable that Hayes would score against his former club, and Laws felt the home defence made it too easy for him.
He said: "It's sod's law isn't it, that your ex player will score against you - he's a good player and will score goals in this division.
"We were a bit sloppy, I felt we didn't deal with him. Mussy and Crozzer were trying to outmuscle rather than outsmart him, and chose wrong. He easily put the ball away.
"But I think it settled the nerves, it relaxed us and we went out and played our own football.
"I thought the balls up to Steve Torpey were excellent, they couldn't handle him.
"We had players runing off him, he laid it off to Matty Sparrow and he just got clipped. It was a penalty, i don't think anybody could doubt that.
"Cleveland was disapoointed not to be starting, but with the game being tight I chose Sparrow and Wayne Corden as I thought we needed to be calmer in the first-half.
"He (Cleveland) wants to play, but I felt in this game it was appropriate to have him on the bench.
"And what a blistering finish from him, he's a great character, everybody loves him at the club and he's going to play a major part this year."