Barnsley’s miserable season hit a new low as they were crushed 4-1 at Millwall, leaving them eight points from safety with six games to play.

The hosts led 1-0 at the break then scored a second minutes into the second half and, after Romal Palmer replied quickly, they added two more goals. It was the joint heaviest loss of the season with the November beating at Fulham.

Fourth-bottom Reading lost 2-1 at home to Cardiff City so Barnsley are eight points adrift of safety with a game in hand.

But the performance suggested they have no hope of survival as, after missing big early chances, they conceded a series of poor goals and looked a broken side in the second half. They looked a broken team in the second half.

Romal Palmer replaced Matty Wolfe in the only change from the draw with Reading. Isaac Christie-Davies was on the bench for the first time since New Year’s Day 2021.

Barnsley began very brightly with Callum Brittain swapping passes with Palmer then breaking into the right of the box before his shot from a tight angle was blocked by the legs of goalkeeper Bartosz Bialkowski.

Millwall then began to get on top with Brad Collins easily gathering from a cross-come-shot by Scott Malone and a flicked shot by Oliver Burke from Danny McNamara’s right-wing cross.

The hosts should have taken the lead when Remy Vita lost the ball near halfway and Millwall got behind Barnsley but Burke’s weak cross was cut out by Brittain when he should have played Benik Afobe clean through. That led to two successive corners with Murray Wallace heading wide from the second.

Barnsley had to change their goalkeeper midway through the first half due to an injury to Collins’ left shoulder. He tried to carry on but, after saving a soft Dan Ballard header, he went down and had to be replaced by Jack Walton who made his first league appearance since January last year.

Walton made a comfortable save after Jake Cooper met a left-wing corner but headed into the ground.

Styles missed a big chance on 28 minutes when he was put clean through by Morris, who did very well well to see off defenders, but Bialkowski again saved one-on-one.

It was 1-0 to the hosts soon after when Jed Wallace was played behind the defence and, with Vita playing him onside, was totally unmarked so he could drive into the box and cross to the back post when Danny McNamara was unmarked and fired into the bottom right corner from close range.

Very little happened in the remainder of the second half then but the start to the second was frantic.

The hosts doubled their lead 75 seconds after the interval when Malone was given too much space to cross from the left and it was met by the unmarked McNamara who headed into the top right corner from close range.

Palmer replied within two minutes as he smashed a fine strike into the top left corner after Morris headed down a left-wing cross.

But the hosts restored their two-goal lead on 58 minutes. Amine Bassi should have cleared following a corner but lost the ball and out was moved to right then crossed into the box for Ballard whose header was brilliantly pushed onto the bar by Walton but Burke tapped in.

Ballard then could have made it 4-1 as he met a corner from the left but headed straight at Walton when he should have scored.

Quina’s swerving effort was pushed away by the goalkeeper from 30 yards.

It was 4-1 after a free-kick was headed down by Cooper to Afobe who was totally unmarked and fired into the bottom right corner from close range.

Barnsley capitulated in the second half, with Millwall regularly threatening from set pieces and been gifted the ball by slopping Reds passing.

Millwall (3-4-1-2): Bialkowski; Ballard, Cooper, M Wallace; McNamara (Leonard 81mins), Mitchell, Kieftenbeld, Malone; J Wallace (Bradshaw 60); Burke (Burey 76), Afobe.

Unused: Long, Ojo, Saville, Evans.

Goals: McNamara 32, 47; Burke 58, Afobe 73.

Barnsley (4-2-3-1): Collins (Walton 24 mins); Brittain, Andersen, Kitching, Vita; Palmer (Iseka 71), Gomes; Styles (Adeboyejo 61) , Bassi, Quina; Morris.

Unused: Moon, Christie-Davies, Oduor, Wolfe.

Goals: Palmer 49.