Barnsley were totally outclassed in a 3-0 loss at home to Championship leaders Leicester City on Tuesday night.
The Reds remain second bottom but still only two points adrift of safety after their rivals also failed to win. Millwall, Barnsley, Yeovil and Charlton are now five points behind the rest of the league.
More worrying news is that both centre-backs Martin Cranie and Peter Ramage limped off with injuries and were replaced by Lewin Nyatanga and Jean Yves M'voto.
M'voto, who came on for Cranie after ten minutes, was beaten far too easily by Jamie Vardy who then fired in for 1-0 on 21 minutes.
The Foxes could have been further ahead as star player Anthony Knockaert hit the bar and had a long-ranger saved by Luke Steele, who denied both Vardy and David Nugent in one-on-one situtations.
But the visitors secured the win with two goals in three minutes either side of the hour-mark. Ex-Red Danny Drinkwater netted from close range after good passes from Matty James and Vardy, who then outpaced the Reds defence to latch onto a Riyad Mahrez pass before rounding Steele and netting.
