Barnsley suffered their first defeat under Valerien Ismael as they went down 3-0 at Cardiff City on Tuesday.
The hosts took the lead in the fourth minute then doubled it just before half-time from the penalty spot.
The Bluebirds added another after the break against a Reds side who delivered one of their worst performances of the season and saw their five-game unbeaten run end.
Barnsley were very poor in the first half, failing to make most of their passes while playing aimless long balls to a small front three and badly struggling to make from Cardiff's dangerous crosses and set pieces. The second half was more even but the visitors never really looked like getting back into the match.
Ismael, who had won his first two games, brought in Elliot Simoes for the injured Callum Brittain, with Dominik Frieser moving to right wing-back.
Barnsley were exposed after just three minutes when a simple long ball played in Junior Hoilett on the left of the box and goalkeeper Jack Walton rushed out to just beat him to the ball with a good block.
But it was 1-0 seconds later when no defenders closed down Joe Bennett on the left wing after he got the ball from a throw and he sent in a cross which Michal Helik missed, leaving Hoilett to bring it down and beat Walton from close range.
It could have been 2-0 after five minutes but Robert Glatzel glanced wide a right-wing cross by Harry Wilson with a headed chance. Centre-back Curtis Nelson then headed a right-wing Marlon Pack corner straight at Walton from five yards out in the 19th minute.
Glatzel came close again when he stuck out his right foot to divert another Bennett cross towards goal ten yards out but Walton dived down to his left to save easily.
Ismael then brought off the ineffective Simoes for Clarke Oduor who went to left wing-back with Styles moving to the right and Frieser going onto the right of the front three.
Former Barnsley striker Kieffer Moore should have doubled the lead but his five-yard header was too close to Walton, who made a fine save, after Morrison slid in to volley a left-wing free-kick back across goal. Walton also denied Glatzel comfortably after the German striker shot from the left of the box at a tight angle.
The Reds had their best chance of the first half when Matty James' excellent pass over the top was well brought down by Chaplin but goalkeeper Alex Smithies made a good block then Schmidt's shot was blocked by Morrison.
Wilson won a penalty just before the break when he swapped clever passes in the box with Moore then Helik lunged in and tripped him on the right of the six yard box. Joe Ralls netted the penalty.
Glatzel missed his fourth chance of the game on the hour-mark when his header ten yards out from a right-wing Ralls cross was easily caught by Walton.
Schmidt then headed a Chaplin corner onto a defender so the ball looped up and goalkeeper Smithies tipped over the bar. That was Schmidt's last action was he was instantly replaced by Victor Adeboyejo.
Wilson made it 3-0 on 77 minutes with a fine 20-yard effort which flew past Walton into the top right corner. Moore almost added a fourth after going one-on-one with Walton but the goalkeeper saved with his legs in injury-time.
Barnsley (3-4-3): Walton; Sollbauer, Helik, Andersen; Frieser, James (Halme 79mins), Mowatt, Styles; Simoes (Oduor 39mins), Schmidt Adeboyejo (65), Chaplin. Unused: Collins, Kane, Miller, Thomas. Yellow cards: James
Cardiff City (4-4-2): Smithies; Bacuna, Morrison, Nelson, Bennett; Wilson, Pack, Ralls (Vaulks 86mins), Hoilett; Moore, Glatzel (Ojo 67). Unused: Phillips, Bamba, Bagan, Whyte, Murphy. Goals: Hoilett 4, Ralls 44 (pen), Wilson 77.
AS IT HAPPENED
  • GAME UNDERWAY
  • 7:48pm
    Conor Chaplin has started on the right of the front three with SImoes on the left and Schmidt in the centre
  • 7:48pm
    3 The hosts launch a long throw into the box from the left but Mowatt heads clear
  • 7:49pm
    GOAL!
    Junior Hoilett opens the scoring
  • 7:50pm
    No one closed Joe Bennett down on the left after a throw and his cross was missed by Helik then chested down and tucked home by the Canadian from close range
  • 7:52pm
    5 A chance for 2-0 but Robert Glatzel rises to head Wilson's cross and flicks it wide
  • 7:52pm
    A sloppy start for the Reds. Even before the goal a simple long ball played in Hoilett on the left of the box and Walton had to come out to make a good block
  • 7:56pm
    A tough first ten minutes for the visitors, but they have had more of the ball in the last few
  • 8:00pm
    The game has calmed down after a really dominant start for the hosts. Barnsley are having more of the ball but are yet to create a chance or really have an attack
  • 8:04pm
    18 minutes in and Barnsley have reacted well to the goal, They are passing the ball around well when they have it and pressing well when they don't. They still haven't come anywhere near scoring though
  • 8:05pm
    19 Cardiff win a corner on the right. Marlon Pack takes. It is met by Curtis Nelson five yards out but he heads straight at the goalkeeper Walton
  • 8:09pm
    Midway through the first half. Cardiff will feel they should be 3-0 up. They are causing big problems with crosses into the box. Glatzel and Nelson have missed headed chances.
  • 8:10pm
    25 Another chance for the hosts. Bennett crosses from the left and Robert Glatzel steers it towards goal with his right foot ten yards out but Walton dives to his right to save easily
  • 8:11pm
    26 Conor Chaplin wins a free-kick on the right of the box. Styles takes it but the goalkeeper catches easily
  • 8:13pm
    27 Schmidt is played into space on the right wing but makes a mess of a simple pass to Styles who is on the edge of the box. Barnsley can't afford to waste opportunities like that in a game in which they have had very little joy so far
  • 8:16pm
    Barnsley's passing just isn't working at the moment. They are struggling to find each other and long balls up to a small front three are not working
  • 8:19pm
    34 A nice Cardiff move ends with ex-Red Moore heading a left-wing cross wide but the linesman had already raised his flag
  • 8:20pm
    Into the final ten minutes of the first half, Barnsley are yet to create a chance whereas their hosts have missed several as well as their early goal from Hoilett
  • 8:23pm
    37 Hoillet gets into the box on the left and thuds a cross into the chest of Walton
  • 8:24pm
    YELLOW CARD
    Matty James the first man in the book for clipping Glatzel's heels when Cardiff were breaking
  • 8:25pm
    Elliot Simoes off for Clarke Oduor
  • 8:26pm
    A very difficult game for Simoes who lost the ball a lot and contributed very little
  • 8:27pm
    41 Massive chance for Kieffer Moore but he is denied with a point blank header by Walton. It was a free-kick from the left which Morrison slid in at the back post to steer back across
  • 8:28pm
    42 Big chance for the Reds, their first of the match. James' superb pass over the top puts Chaplin clean through and he brings the ball down well but goalkeeper Smithies makes a fine block. Then Morrison blocks Schmidt's follow up
  • 8:29pm
    43 Now another chance for Cardiff striker Glatzel. His shot from the left of the box is easily stopped by Walton from a tight angle
  • 8:30pm
    Penalty to Cardiff
  • 8:30pm
    Helik slides in and trips Wilson
  • 8:31pm
    GOAL!
    Joe Ralls makes it 2-0 from the penalty spot after Helik's foul on Harry Wilson
  • 8:33pm
    Two added minutes
  • 8:33pm
    45+1 Styles' corner from the left is cleared
  • 8:34pm
    HALF-TIME: Cardiff 2, Barnsley 0. Goals at either end of the half for the hosts who have had most of the chances against a disappointing Reds side.
  • 8:50pm
    SECOND HALF UNDERWAY
  • 8:53pm
    48 James takes a free-kick from the right but it is headed clear
  • 8:58pm
    A bright start to the second half for the Reds, without yet creating a chance. They have had more of the ball and a lot of play in the home half
  • 9:03pm
    Approaching the hour-mark. This second half has been a lot more even but neither side has created a chance yet after the break
  • 9:04pm
    59 Clarke Oduor has done well since coming on. He slides in in the box to tackle Harry Wilson who would have been clean through
  • 9:04pm
    60 Now Oduor heads out a corner by Wilson but the cross comes back in from the right and Glatzel's header is easily caught by Walton
  • 9:07pm
    62 Chaplin's cross from the left of the box is headed by Schmidt onto a defender and the goalkeeper has to push it over
  • 9:07pm
    Schmidt is replaced by Victor Adeboyejo
  • 9:08pm
    63 James' corner is cleared
  • 9:09pm
    Barnsley have been a lot better in this half. Bennett has to turn the ball behind for a corner
  • 9:10pm
    65 James' corner is headed out and so is Styles' follow up cross
  • 9:12pm
    A first change for the hosts. Sheyi Ojo replaces Glatzel who has had four chances tonight
  • 9:16pm
    A more even second half but the Reds still haven't created much. If they get a goal soon though against a side winless in four and without a home victory this season, it could be a nervous finish
  • 9:18pm
    74 Chaplin shoots from 25 yards but screws it well wide
  • 9:22pm
    GOAL!
    Harry Wilson makes it 3-0 with a fine strike from long range
  • 9:24pm
    Matty James is replaced by Aapo Halme
  • 9:26pm
    That third goal has sucked all the life out of the game. It is a case of damage limitation now
  • 9:29pm
    Into the final five minutes now of what has been a dismal night for the Reds
  • 9:30pm
    Ralls comes off for former Rotherham man Will Vaulks
  • 9:33pm
    This has been a really poor performance from the Reds. They have created very little up front, struggled with their passing across the pitch all night and struggled to mark from Cardiff's many crosses into the box
  • 9:35pm
    Three added minutes
  • 9:36pm
    90+1 Kieffer Moore is put clean through on goal on the left of the box but his shot is saved by the legs of Walton
  • 9:38pm
    FULL-TIME: Cardiff City 3, Barnsley 0.

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