A penalty from substitute Conor Hourihane ensured Barnsley three points from their opening home game of the season.
Hourihane tucked the penalty beyond Burton 'keeper Jon McLaughlin in the 67th minute to hand The Reds victory in a match they were never in control of.
Burton Albion had a host of chances in both halves and should have pegged Barnsley back through Mark Duffy but the midfielder scooped his shot over the bar when well placed.
Substitute Timmy Thiele also rattled the crossbar with a thunderbolt from distance.Barnsley 'keeper Adam Davies made two good saves in the first half to deny both Duffy and Abdenasser El Khayati.
Barnsley upped their intensity in the second half after changing to a 4-5-1 and Hourihane, who replaced the ineffective Joe Rothwell, tested McLaughlin from distance.The energetic Josh Scowen then won the penalty – Barnsley's third of the season already - after being felled in the box.After some deliberation between the officials Hourihane struck his first of the season and Barnsley clung on to get the win.
Reds head coach Lee Johnson confirmed after the game that the club are signing former Doncaster Rovers right-back Reece Wabara. Wabara is expected to sign a short-term deal.
Barnsley: Davies, Bree, Roberts, Mawson, Nyatanga, Smith (Crowley half time), Scowen, Pearson, Rothwell (Hourihane 54), Watkins, Winnall (Wilkinson 89). Unused: Townsend, Digby, G Williams, R Williams.
