Barnsley are on a winless league run that stretches into double figures for the second time this season after a 3-0 loss at Nottingham Forest on Tuesday left them bottom of the Championship.
The hosts took the lead after a horrific error by visiting captain Mads Andersen then were 2-0 up at the break and added another late on.
Forest were on top for the majority of the game and missed several chances, with a depleted Barnsley side offering very little and being truly outclassed.
The Reds remain bottom, eight points from safety, while they are winless in ten games and in any of their 14 away league matches this season.
Head coach Poya Asbaghi was not at the game due to illness – having tested negative for Covid-19 earlier in the week but being unwell – so assistant Ferran Sibila took charge with the support of Jo Laumann and Martin Devaney.
Carlton Morris was the latest player to be added to a list of at least seven who are injured or isolating due to Covid-19, but Callum Styles was available having been a doubt.
Morris and the concussed Liam Kitching were replaced by Devante Cole and Jasper Moon.
Moon, usually a centre-back, started at right-back with the right-footed Jordan Williams left-back.
The six outfielders on Barnsley's bench were all born in 2000 or later and only Will Hondermarck had started a league game for the Reds, once, or the EFL, three times.
Forest dominated the majority of the first half and could have led by more than two at the break.
The hosts started on top and should have taken the lead when Lewis Grabban was played clean through by Keinan Davis but Moon, who had first appealed for offside, got back to make a good block.
Romal Palmer shot wide from 22 yards then Forest's Steve Cook then headed wide when well-placed from a left-wing corner.
The opener eventually came after 15 minutes when captain Andersen inexplicably lost the ball to Davis deep in his half and the striker went clean through to score.
James Garner should have made it 2-0 when he brilliantly jinked past Styles on the edge of the box but badly scuffed his 15-yard shot wide. Brennan Johnson then fired over from a similar distance on the right of the box after the visitors could not clear a corner, then the same player saw a shot from a very tight angle on the right turned behind by Brad Collins.
Barnsley almost levelled against the run of play when Palmer won the ball high up the pitch and Cole charged down the left wing before picking out Styles whose ten-yard shot was blocked on the line by Scott McKenna.
Ryan Yates' header was tipped over by Collins from a Garner corner, but he scored a minute later. After another corner by Garner was cleared, Jack Colback's clever pass totally unlocked the Reds defence on the left and Johnson's low cross was tapped in by Yates four yards out.
The second half was more even as Forest became slightly complacent and sloppy, with Barnsley having plenty of the ball in the home half without creating clear cut chances, until the third goal which Forest could easily have added to.
Gomes had a low shot from 25 yards easily saved by Brice Samba then Styles smashed a free-kick over from a similar distance. Cole dragged a 20-yard shot wide after Palmer headed Samba's weak kick back towards the home goal.
Forest thought they should have had a penalty when Davis went down as Helik tackled but the referee booked the striker for diving. Cole tumbled over in the other box but the referee waved away half-hearted appeals.
The hosts upped their game in the last 20 minutes. Johnson was played in by Grabban as Forest counter-attacked from a Moon long throw but he blazed over on the right of the box.
The third goal came on 76 minutes when Djed Spence powered down the right of the box and pulled the ball back for Johnson to fire into the bottom left corner from 15 yards out.
Barnsley then brought on Matty Wolfe and debutant David Bremang for Palmer and Aaron Leya Iseka. Remy Vita made his league debut soon after, replacing Moon.
Forest almost made it four when substitute Xande Silva swapped passes with Spence and smashed a 15-yard shot off the right post on the right of the box.
Yates' header from a Colback free-kick was then well-saved by Collins diving full-length to his left.
Silva then blazed over five yards out with the goal gaping from Garner's right-wing cross.
Forest (4-2-3-1): Samba; Spence, Cook, McKenna, Colback; Yates, Garner; Johnson (Konate 81mins), Zinckernagel, Grabban (Silva 78); Davis (Lowe 69)
Unused: Horvath, Figueiredo, Cafu, Carvalho.
Yellow cards: Davis.
Goals: Davis 15, Yates 38, Johnson 76.
Barnsley(4-2-3-1): Collins; Moon (Vita 86mins), Andersen, Helik; J Williams, Gomes, Palmer (Wolfe 81), Styles; Adeboyejo, Cole, Iseka (Bremang 81).
Unused: Walton, Hondermarck, Sraha, Thompson.
Yellow cards: Palmer, Andersen, Helik.
AS IT HAPPENED
  • GAME UNDERWAY
  • 7:48pm
    Barnsley start in a back four. Moon RB and Williams LB. Styles, Victor, Iseka behind Cole as the lone striker
  • 7:50pm
    Fairly bright start for the Reds, who have had a few forays into the home half. No chances for either side
  • 7:54pm
    YELLOW CARD
    Romal Palmer into the book in the seventh minute for taking out Brennan Johnson on the right wing
  • 7:54pm
    8 Forest free-kick is headed behind by Andersen for a corner
  • 7:55pm
    8 A corner is played short then Colback crosses and there is a scramble in the box before Barnsley eventually clear
  • 7:55pm
    Forest have started to get on top in the last few minutes playing some decent football and often being well into the Reds half
  • 7:57pm
    11 Barnsley opened up by a Davis pass to Grabban. Moon naively looks to claim offside and lets the striker get away from him but gets back to make a good block in the box. The hosts had a two on one there and really should have scored. 0-0 After 11 minutes
  • 7:58pm
    YELLOW CARD
    Mads Andersen is now in the book after taking out Johnson. That's two in 12 minutes
  • 7:59pm
    13 Free-kick in from the right, Headed by Helik behind for corner
  • 7:59pm
    13 Left-wing corner headed wide by Steve Cook. Good chance
  • 8:01pm
    GOAL!
    Keinan Davis opens the scoring after a horror moment for Mads Andersen who is robbed deep in his half
  • 8:03pm
    Absolute last thing Barnsley needed was their captain to make a massive error. Clumsily loses the ball about 30 yards out and Davis is clean through to score. That was 2019 Andersen. It had been coming with Forest dominant
  • 8:08pm
    21 Should be 2-0. Brilliant piece of skill by James Garner to move into space in the box but he badly scuffs a 15-yard shot wide
  • 8:09pm
    23 Now Brenann Johnson shoots over from the 15 yards out on the left of the box after Barnsley struggle to clear a left wing corner
  • 8:12pm
    It already feels like a case of how many, but it is only 1-0
  • 8:12pm
    26 Davis plays Johnson through on the right of the box and his shot from a very tight angle is blocked behind by Collins for a corner
  • 8:15pm
    28 First big chance for the Reds. Good work on the left by Cole and he pulls it back to Styles whose ten yard shot is blocked on the line by McKenna
  • 8:17pm
    31 Long throw by Moon on the left is headed out
  • 8:20pm
    Short break after Palmer takes a whack to the head but he's OK and the game resumes
  • 8:21pm
    34 Forest play a corner short but Philip Zinckernagel's 25-yard shot is blocked
  • 8:22pm
    The game has settled down a bit now after Forest dominated early on. Styles could have levelled a moment ago. The hosts do look the more dangerous side though
  • 8:22pm
    Djed Spence causing Jordan Williams a lot of grief on the right wing. The Barnsley left back is hanging in there though and has conceded two corners in the last few minutes
  • 8:23pm
    37 Garner's right-wing corner is headed out, He crosses in low again and Andersen puts it behind for a corner
  • 8:24pm
    37 Yates comes close with a header, connecting with Garner's corner but Collins tips over
  • 8:24pm
    GOAL!
    Ryan Yates makes it 2-0
  • 8:26pm
    A third corner in two minutes by Garner is half cleared but Colback passes to Johnson on the left and his low cross is tapped in by Yates about four yards out
  • 8:29pm
    Barnsley totally up against it now. This is looking like a very bleak night
  • 8:31pm
    Just a couple of minutes until the break now. Barnsley will look to hang on at 2-0
  • 8:32pm
    Two added minutes
  • 8:33pm
    HALF-TIME: Nottingham Forest 2, Barnsley 0. A nightmare half for the depleted Reds, whose captain Andersen gifted the hosts a goal then they added another on 38 minutes. Styles could have levelled but overall the hosts have been well on top
  • 8:49pm
    SECOND HALF UNDERWAY
  • 8:52pm
    48 Moon long throw on the left. Easily headed out to sarcastic cheers
  • 8:54pm
    50 Forest corner on the right. Garner takes it. It is headed clear then Williams leads a charge on the counter but is dispossessed
  • 8:57pm
    52 Barnsley free-kick almost 30 yards out. Styles crosses and it head out then Gomes shoots from 25 yards out but the low effort is easily caught
  • 8:59pm
    The second half has started pretty quietly, but you feel Forest could step up a gear and create more chances if they wanted to
  • 8:59pm
    Styles wins another free-kick about 25 yards on, on the right
  • 9:00pm
    56 Styles' free-kick. He shoots well over from 25 yards
  • 9:01pm
    58 Another free-kick. About 35 yards out. Styles crosses into the box and it's headed away
  • 9:02pm
    Barnsley putting the ball regularly into the Forest box with Styles free-kicks or Moon throws but not coming close to scoring
  • 9:04pm
    YELLOW CARD
    61 Forest want a penalty after Davis goes down as Helik tackles. But the referee rules the striker has dived and books him. That was after Grabban easily beat Moon on the left.
  • 9:07pm
    63 Now Barnsley want a penalty as Cole tumbles in the box but the referee waves away some half hearted appeals
  • 9:08pm
    65 Cole shoots wide from 20 yards after Palmer heads goalkeeper Samba's kick back towards goal. The hosts are becoming a bit sloppy and their ground are just grumbling a little bit
  • 9:12pm
    The first change sees Forest bring on Max Lowe for Davis
  • 9:15pm
    71 Forest break from a Moon long throw with Grabban playing in Johnson on the right of the box but he blazes over
  • 9:19pm
    GOAL!
    Brennan Johnson gets another
  • 9:20pm
    Djed Spence powers easily into the box down the right and cuts it back from the byline to Johnson who fires into the bottom left corner from about 15 yards
  • 9:21pm
    It's been a nothing second half but Forest could rack up even more goals here
  • 9:22pm
    Grabban replaced by Xande Silva
  • 9:23pm
    Barnsley are about to bring on Matty Wolfe and David Bremang
  • 9:25pm
    Palmer and Iseka come off
  • 9:25pm
    Ateef Konate replaces Johnson for Forest
  • 9:27pm
    83 Forest very close to a fourth. Xande Silva gets the ball in the box and thumps a 15 yard shot onto the right post
  • 9:29pm
    85 Forest corner on the left is headed by McKenna, they appeal for handball and Andersen clears
  • 9:29pm
    Remy Vita is coming on for his league debut
  • 9:30pm
    86 Forest close again. Colback's free-kick is headed by Yates and Collins throws himself full length to his length to make a good save
  • 9:36pm
    90+2 Astonishing miss by Silva, who blazes over five yards out with goal gaping from Garner's cross
  • 9:38pm
    FULL-TIME: Nottingham Forest 3, Barnsley 0. A comfortable win for the hosts who outclassed their depleted visitors and could have won by a lot more

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