Barnsley produced a much-improved performance in a 0-0 draw at Wigan Athletic on Saturday.
The Reds were far better than in their first two away games of the season and the 3-1 home loss to Luton a week ago, as they created more chances than their hosts.
Young left-back Ben Williams was sent off in injury-time for a wild tackle but the visitors held on for the point and now have five from their first six games this season.
Daniel Stendel made five changes to the side which lost a home to Luton Town a week ago. Central midfielders Cameron McGeehan and Alex Mowatt both dropped out of the squad, as did injured duo Bambo Diaby and Sami Radlinger, while Dani Pinillos was put on the bench.
In came Brad Collins, Ben Williams, Conor Chaplin, Aapo Halme and Dimitri Cavare. Toby Sibbick played in central midfield, and had an excellent game, alongside Mike Bahre with Luke Thomas and Mamadou Thiam on the wings while Conor Chaplin played just behind striker Mallik Wilks.
The Reds’ first half performance saw them be much more adventurous and attacking than in their previous two away games in which they lost 2-0.
Barnsley had the first shot on target of the game as Thiam’s powerful 30-yard free-kick was tipped over by goalkeeper David Marshall. Ben Williams’ cross was then headed by Chey Dunkley straight at Conor Chaplin whose shot ten yards out was blocked by the same defender.
Wigan’s first shot on target was a Charlie Mulgrew free-kick which goalkeeper Collins pushed out of his top right corner.
Early in the second half, left-back Williams blocked an attempted clearance and advanced into the box but blazed a shot across the face of goal from a very tight angle when he should have cut it back for one of his team-mates. Chaplin then scuffed an excellent chance 15 yards out after he and Thomas had worked the ball very well in a clever one, two inside the home box.
Marshall had to dive at full stretch to his right to keep out a low and powerful 25-yard Bahre shot then, from the resulting Thiam corner, the goalkeeper repelled a close-range back post volley by Thomas.
Gavin Massey’s shot from just inside the box then took a big deflection and trickled narrowly wide of the bottom left corner with Collins stranded.
Substitute Patrick Schmidt almost put the visitors ahead in the 83rd minute when he slid in to meet a Ben Williams cross at the back post just a few yards out but it was a difficult position and he put it well wide from a tight angle.
Wigan nearly snatched the win when Chey Dunkley met a Mulgrew free-kick unmarked six yards out in the 86th minute and sent his header straight at Collins who made a good block.
Williams was then dismissed in the first minute of injury-time for lunging in wildly on Lee Evans.
Barnsley (4-4-1-1): Collins; Cavare, Halme, Andersen, B Williams; Thomas (Styles 90+6mins), Sibbick, Bahre, Thiam; Chaplin 7 (Schmidt 81); Wilks (Pinillos 90+3).Subs: Walton, J Williams, Green, Styles, Oduor, Pinillos. Yellow cards: Halme, Andersen, Wilks.Red cards: Williams.
Wigan team: Marshall; Byrne, Mulgrew, Dunkley, Robinson; Massey (Evans 80mins), Morsy, Williams, Jacobs (Gelhardt 63); Lowe, Moore (Garner 63)Wigan subs: Jones, MacLeod, Kipre, Naismith.Yellow cards: Williams.
