Barnsley drew 0-0 at home to Preston North End at Oakwell on Saturday.
The Reds played well for the first hour but faded later on and hung on for a point. They are now four off the top six in ninth position.
Paul Heckingbottom made four changes to the side that lost 3-1 at home to Wolverhampton Wanderers on Tuesday.
Matty James came in for the suspended Alex Mowatt in central midfield while strikers Tom Bradshaw and Adam Armstrong returned to the side in place of Ryan Williams and Adam Hammill. Callum Elder replaced Callum Evans at left-back and made his Barnsley debut.
The Reds were the better side in a quiet first 20 minutes, with Armstrong heading over a cross from Marley Watkins – who had been pushed back out to the right wing – and Josh Scowen having a shot deflected over after a clever Ryan Kent free-kick.
But huge Danish striker Simon Makienok should have given the visitors a lead when he headed a Paul Gallagher cross straight at Barnsley goalkeeper Adam Davies. James then dragged a shot wide after being given the ball by a square Watkins pass on the edge of the box in plenty of space.
Preston goalkeeper Chris Maxwell then almost spilled Kent's corner into the top right corner of his net after he seemed to misjudge its flight. Gallagher's fine past then put Jordan Hugill through on goal but North End's top-scorer had to go quite wide to the right of the box and then fired a low shot wide of the left post.
The visitors were furious when the referee did not award a penalty for a foul after Gethin Jones appeared to nudge Jordon Hugill over in the box.
The Reds went in at the break having played the better football but without having a shot on target but rectified that within 30 seconds of the restart as Armstrong's weak 30-yard effort was straight at Maxwell. The Newcastle loanee also tried a lob from 40 yards but sent it over the bar.
Gallagher curled a 25-yard free-kick wide for the Lilywhites but Barnsley very nearly took the lead when Bradshaw saw a close range effort cleared off the line by Greg Cunningham.
Hugill almost won it in injury-time but Davies brilliantly clawed the ball out after diving to his left at full-stretch.
