Barnsley lost 2-1 at home to fellow relegation-battlers Burton Albion in Jose Morais' first game as head coach of Barnsley.
The new head coach's reign began disastrously as Burton's Jamie Allen scored a long-range screamer in the first minute then Jacob Davenport added an equally-impressive free-kick deep into first half injury-time.
Kieffer Moore pulled a goal back with a quarter of an hour left but the Reds lost and slipped down one place to second-bottom, still one point adrift of safety, with Burton moving above the Oakwell club.
Barnsley were awful in the first half then much better in the second but they have now won just once in 18 matches and none in nine at home. Mamadou Thiam had a 96th-minute equaliser controversially disallowed.
Portuguese Morais, who was appointed four days earlier, made no changes to the side that drew 1-1 at home to Sheffield Wednesday under caretaker manager Paul Harsley. On the bench, Dimitri Cavare, Brad Potts and the fit-again Adam Jackson replaced Matty Pearson, Stevie Mallan and Connor Mahoney.
The match was just 55 seconds old when Allen found the top left corner with a sensational strike from 25 yards out. That seemed to shock the hosts and it took until 33 minutes for them to have an attack or shot, with Joe Williams dragging well wide with a low 30-yard effort.
It was Burton who came closer to another goal just before the break when Hope Akpan twice went clean through in the home box after clever passes from the right wing, but Matt Mills and Andy Yiadom had to produce excellent last-ditch blocks.
The second goal eventually came on the stroke of half-time when Manchester City loanee Davenport curled a fantastic free-kick into the top corner. Barnsley trudged off to boos around Oakwell after a very poor first half display.
Morais brought on Thiam for Lloyd Isgrove at half-time and the Reds began brightly with visiting goalkeeper Stephen Bywater beating away Adam Hammill's shot from a tight angle on the left. Hammill was then replaced by Brad Potts as Barnsley moved to 4-3-3 with striker McBurnie on the left.
Former Oakwell trialist Martin Samuelsen could have netted a third for Burton headed over a right-wing free-kick from Davenport. At the other end, Gary Gardner's free-kick was caught by Bywater who had to dive full-length to his right. Gardner then won the ball off Bywater who had raced to the edge of his box on the right wing but, after the cross found McBurnie, the shot was blocked.
McBurnie then headed a Thiam corner onto the before Mills produced one of the misses of the season by nodding the rebound over from just five yards out with the goal gaping.
Moore netted his first Reds goal with 15 minutes left when left-back Daniel Pinillos received Yiadom's pull-back on the edge of the box, after a good run from the home captain, and unleashed a low shot which took a deflection and trickled in.
The Spaniard came close to an equaliser in the 88th minute but his 25-yarder whistled wide of the top right corner.
Barnsley thought they had levelled in the 96th minute when Thiam tapped in after a goalmouth scramble but it was ruled out for offside. The Reds also thought there was a foul on Potts in the box before the ball fell to the Frenchman.
AS IT HAPPENED
18:20pm: Good evening and welcome to the Chronicle's live coverage of Barnsley's home game against Championship bottom club Burton Albion.
18:28pm: This is a definite 'six-pointer' between two relegation-battlers while it is also new head coach Jose Morais' first match in charge of Barnsley.
18:29pm: The 52-year-old from Portugal, who was Jose Mourinho's assistant at Inter Milan, Real Madrid and Chelsea, has been a manager in Germany, Sweden, Portugal, Greece, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Tunisia. He was appointed on Friday after Paul Heckingbottom's move to Leeds United the previous week and had his first press conference yesterday.
18:29pm: Yesterday, Morais said he was 'more than just a coach' and that he would improve the way his players lived. He admitted the squad was 'shy' and lacking belief, but that he would bring it out of them. He said the challenge of changing the Oakwell club's fortunes was what appealed to him and that he would like to stay with the Reds for longer than his 18-month contract.
18:35pm: This is the first time Barnsley have been managed by someone outside Britain since March 2004 when Icelander Gudjon Thordarson, the club's first overseas boss, was sacked after a 6-1 defeat at Grimsby and 1-0 home loss to Peterborough.
18:35pm: Earlier in the season, Barnsley won 4-2 at Burton Albion – in a match known for Joe Williams' sensational long-range screamer – on Tuesday October 31 then beat a underperforming Birmingham City side at Oakwell 2-0 the following Saturday. Since then, the Reds have won just one of 17 games and will be desperate for another six points as they once again face Burton on a Tuesday then Birmingham the following Saturday.
18:39pm: This is the first leg of a potentially season-defining week for the Reds as they follow the Burton and Birmingham games with a trip to Hull City on Tuesday. From today they play six matches in 18 days.
18:39pm: This is an opportunity to complete a double over Burton. Barnsley have already beaten one side home and away this season, fellow strugglers Sunderland.
18:45pm: Barnsley: Townsend; Yiadom, Mills, Lindsay, Pinillos; Isgrove, Gardner, Williams, Hammill; McBurnie, Bradshaw Subs: Davies, Jackson, Moncur, Cavare, Moore, Potts, Thiam
18:46pm: So Morais has kept the exact same team Paul Harsley picked for the draw with Sheffield Wednesday. On the bench, Dimitri Cavare, Brad Potts and the fit-again Adam Jackson replace Matty Pearson, Stevie Mallan and Connor Mahoney.
18:47pm: BURTON LINE-UP: Bywater, Allen, McFadzean, Akins, Dyer, Naylor, Davenport, Samuelsen, Akpan, Sbarra, Boyce.
18:49pm: Burton subs: Campbell, Murphy, Buxton, Bent, Barker, McCrory, Varney
18:55pm: Barnsley are on a winless run of six which has brought four defeats while they have not won in eight home games since Birmingham on November 4 which was 98 days ago. The club record is 11 home games without a win set under Keith Hill and David Flitcroft in 2012/13.
18:55pm: Burton are bottom of the league, two points and two positions behind 22nd-placed Barnsley. The Brewers are on a winless run of seven matches since New Year's Day after five successive losses were followed by 0-0 draws in the last two games against Ipswich Town and Nottingham Forest, who had a man sent off after 32 minutes.
19:05pm: It sounds as though Lloyd Dyer and Lucas Akins will be Burton's full-backs tonight in a very attacking formation
19:06pm: Albion have conceded the most goals of any Championship club while only League Two strugglers Chesterfield have let in more this season of all clubs in the top four divisions. Only Birmingham City have scored fewer in the Championship than Burton who have netted 22. Their goal difference of minus 34 is by far the worst in the country.
19:33pm: Burton's last four wins have all come away from the Pirelli Stadium, where they have not triumphed in 12 matches since September 16.
19:36pm: Albion secured their safety in the Championship the last time they came to Oakwell, a 1-1 draw last April, but defeat tonight would leave them cut adrift at the bottom. That last Oakwell meeting was Barnsley's final game of last season and, if the Reds lose, some pessimists might argue they have just written off another campaign.
19:39pm: The Reds have been put through their paces on the Oakwell pitch by new fitness coach Joao Cunha and former Juventus and Portugal star, Dimas, who is the assistant manager. They are now back in the changing rooms receiving their first pre-match talk from Jose Morais.
19:41pm: The players are walking out onto the pitch.
19:44pm: 'It's a new era and time for new heroes' says the announcer as Jose Morais is announced to the fans who he applauds
19:45pm: WE'RE UNDERWAY
19:46pm: 1 Barnsley 0, Burton 1. Spectacular strike from Jamie Allen after 55 seconds
19:47pm: Oakwell is stunned after Allen finds the top left corner with a brilliant strike from 25 yards
19:51pm: Barnsley fans in the Ponty end are trying to get the atmosphere going again but it was a disastrous start
19:53pm: 8 Tom Bradshaw wins the ball deep in Burton territory and plays a through ball for Hammill who is offside
19:54pm: That goal was the first in Burton colours for Jamie Allen, whose only two previous games at Oakwell have brought 5-0 and 6-1 losses with Rochdale
19:58pm: Disjointed so far from Reds. Townsend rolls the ball out to Lindsay who has his back to it and doesn't realise for several seconds until the crowd seem to alert him
20:03pm: 18 minutes in and Barnsley have struggled to get far into Burton's half. Andy Yiadom just went on a long run up the right wing then into the middle but his attempted pass was blocked
20:04pm: You can see why these two sides have struggled so far this season, there is a lack of confidence and adventurousness so far. But Burton will be happy with that having already scored a superb goal
20:05pm: The Brewers are the leakiest defence in the EFL but have kept clean sheets in their last two games so may try to defend this lead and hit the Reds on the break
20:07pm: 23 We're now a quarter of the way through this game and Barnsley are yet to get on the ball within ten yards of the Burton box never mind have a shot on goal
20:09pm: Burton's Liam Boyce floors Gary Gardner but escapes despite the crowd's protests
20:11pm: 25 Barnsley suddenly have a four on three break away but Williams' pass is slightly behind Bradshaw who cannot take it in his stride and is disposed after three visiting players converge on him. Once again the home fans want a card after Williams is taken out after passing, but there is no booking
20:12pm: The atmosphere is getting quite hostile in Oakwell, mainly towards referee Tim Robinson who has ruled against Barnsley twice in the last few minutes
20:13pm: The home fans are making a lot more noise than they often do, despite a very uninspiring first 28 minutes from their trailing team
20:15pm: 30 Burton scorer Allen briefly came off injured but is back on then Pinillos took a painful tumble and screamed loudly but is now up and back in action
20:18pm: 33 Barnsley have had a shot! Joe Williams – who netted a screamer in the reverse fixtures – drags well wide with a low 30-yarder. That was after McBurnie showed real strength to win the ball near halfway
20:19pm: You could argue that Barnsley have very, very slightly been the better team since the goal but it's been very low quality and pretty boring
20:21pm: 36 Bradshaw wins a free-kick for a foul by Allen, which the home fans cheer sarcastically
20:22pm: Andy Yiadom has probably been Barnsley's liveliest player so far, always trying to run with the ball and move his team forward, sometimes beating a few men.
20:22pm: Wingers Hammill and Isgrove have looked up for it as well, but Barnsley have badly lacked any kind of penetration in the Burton half
20:25pm: 40 Hope Apkan has a great chance to make it 2-0 as he beats Yiadom to a fine cross field pass but Mills gets across to intercept crucially
20:26pm: The good news for Barnsley is that fellow strugglers Hull, Birmingham and Sunderland are all also trailing 1-0
20:30pm: Four minutes added time at the end of this first half, which has included a few stoppages for injuries
20:32pm: 45+2 Another huge chance for Akpan after another clever pass puts him through by this time it is Andy Yiadom who produces a superb last-ditch block
20:33pm: Barnsley 0, Burton 2. Jacob Davenport
20:34pm: HALF-TIME: Barnsley 0, Burton 2.
20:36pm: The second goal was another long-range screamer, which came within seconds of the end of the second half whereas the first goal came within a minute of the start
20:37pm: Inbetween the goals, there was barely any action until Hope Apkan had two fine chances just before the second goal
20:37pm: A shanked Joe Williams effort is all a very poor Reds side have offered so far
20:41pm: There were plenty of boos from the home fans at half-time after a really poor display from the home side
20:42pm: It is far too early to be clinging on to other teams' results as a sign of hope, but that is all we have at the moment so it is a relief that Sunderland, Hull and Birmingham are all losing at the break.
20:50pm: Half-time change. Isgrove off for Thiam. Meaning Barnsley have three strikers on the pitch
20:50pm: SECOND HALF UNDERWAY
20:53pm: It looks as though Thiam is playing on the right wing with McBurnie and Bradshaw staying together up front
20:55pm: 51 Burton centre-back McFadzean is booked for handling the ball on the left wing in the Brewers' half
20:57pm: 52 Hammill gets the ball back from a corner and has a shot from a tight angle on the left which is beaten away by Bywater then Thiam's low effort is cleared`
20:57pm: Barnsley have definitely started this half better than they played in the first, with a succession of early corners. The latest from Hammill is caught by Bywater
20:59pm: 54 Joe Williams is. booked for sliding in on Allen
21:00pm: 56 Former Barnsley triallist Martin Samuelson heads over a free-kick by Jacob Davenport
21:01pm: 57 Brad Potts replaces Adam Hammill.
21:02pm: Barnsley have gone to 4-3-3 with McBurnie on the left
21:06pm: 62 Tom Naylor is booked for bringing down Tom Bradshaw when chasing a long ball
21:08pm: 63 Gary Gardner's 25-yard free-kick is caught by Bywater diving to his right. The Reds are getting a little bit closer
21:10pm: 65 Golden chance for Barnsley after Bywater comes to the edge of his box and loses the ball on the right wing and Gardner gets the ball, crosses and McBurnie has a shot which is blocked.
21:11pm: Barnsley are definitely starting to carve out better chances but the game is two thirds done now and they need to score soon to have a chance
21:15pm: 70 Barnsley are bringing on former England striker Darren Bent for their record signing Liam Boyce who made his full debut today
21:16pm: 71 Gardner has been Barnsley's best player in the second half and he drives forwards again before his long-range effort is deflected behind for a corner.
21:16pm: 72 Tom Bradshaw is replaced by Kieffer Moore as Barnsley make their final change
21:18pm: 75 McBurnie heads a Thiam corner onto the bar then Mills nods the rebound over from close range. A terrible miss with the goal gaping
21:19pm: Where have Thiam's set pieces been all season? He's causes some chaos in the box with his free-kicks and corners.
21:20pm: 75 - Barnsley 1, Burton Albion 2 . Daniel Pinillos
21:21pm: A great run by Yiadom on the right side of the box then he pulled the ball back to the edge of the box where Pinillos ran in and hit a 20-yard shot which took a deflection and trickled in
21:21pm: Game on and the volume has been turned up considerably at Oakwell
21:23pm: That was Pinillos' first goal for the Reds, and only his second in English football after an injury-time leveller for Nottingham Forest against their bitter rivals Derby County last season
21:25pm: 81 Darren Bent almost went clean through on goal but Liam Lindsay produced a superb latch-ditch tackle
21:28pm: Centre-back Jake Buxton replaces midfielder Joe Sbarra for Burton
21:31pm: 87 Allen is booked for a high foot on Yiadom
21:32pm: 88 Burton are brining goal-scorer Allen off for veteran Luke Varney
21:33pm: 88 Pinillos comes close to a second with a strike from almost 30 yards which whistles past the top left corner
21:35pm: Five minutes of injury-time. Can Barnsley find an equaliser?
21:38pm: There have been a couple of goalmouth scrambles in injury-time but the Reds are yet to carve out a real chance to level
21:39pm: We are into the last of the five added minutes
21:40pm: 90+5 Heartbreak at Oakwell. Mamadou Thiam has the ball in the net but it is ruled out for offside.
21:41pm: Full-time: Barnsley 1, Burton Albion 2. A terrible result for Barnsley
