Barnsley lost 2-1 at second-placed Cardiff City on Tuesday evening, despite a battling second half comeback.
The Reds trailed to goals in the 31st and 48th minutes but Oliver McBurnie made it five goals in as many starts to set up a nervous finale for the hosts who just hung on.
Barnsley remain 21st in the table, two points clear of the relegation zone after the sides below them also failed to win.
Jose Morais made three changes to the side that drew 1-1 at Hull City a week earlier, with Ethan Pinnock replacing the injury Adam Jackson. At full-back, Zeki Fryers and Andy Yiadom replaced Daniel Pinillos and Dimitri Cavare.
Cardiff's former Barnsley winger Kadeem Harris fired the first chance of the game into the side netting from the left edge of the box then slide a one-on-one effort wide inside the box after being put clean through by Kenneth Zohore. Nick Townsend then kept out a low 12-yard Craig Bryson effort following a penalty box scramble.
At the other end, home goalkeeper Neil Etheridge made a comfortable save from Brad Potts then should have been beaten by Gary Gardner who headed a Potts right-wing cross wide ten yards out.
Zohore had a shot saved comfortably by Townsend who was eventually beaten on 31 minutes by Paterson who fired low into the bottom right corner after Harris' left-wing cross was not cleared.
Junior Hoilett almost made it 2-0 but his 25-yard effort curled just wide of the top right corner then Kieffer Moore almost levelled but headed a Mamadou Thiam corner off target. Morais made a change at the break, with Christoph Knasmullner replacing Gardner who had been suffering with illness in the build-up.
Cardiff doubled their lead just over minute into the second half when Serbian Marko Grujic, on loan from Liverpool, fired an impressive low effort into the bottom right corner.
Barnsley responded well with McBurnie and Thiam both firing narrowly wide but Hoilett almost made it 3-0 when he blazed over on the left of the box.
McBurnie eventually pulled one back from close range after a good low cross from Andy Yiadom. It was a sweet moment for the Swansea loanee who had been booed all evening by the home fans.
McBurnie almost levelled soon after following a goalmouth scramble but Neil Etheridge saved diving to his right. The game then got scrappy with a series of fouls and bookings while Brad Potts had a low shot comfortably saved.
It was the hosts who almost added another goal in injury-time as Craig Bryson fired wide in the box after tackling Yiadom then Natheniel Mendez-Laing hit the post following a loose Joe Williams pass.
Tom Bradshaw diverted the ball wide from a tight angle in the box after a low right-wing cross by fellow substitute Ryan Hedges.
