Barnsley ended their difficult recent run with an emphatic 3-0 win at high-flying Birmingham City.
Marc Roberts opened the scoring with a header just before the break from a Conor Hourihane free-kick then the captain saw two of his crosses nodded in by Sam Winnall in the last five minutes. Birmingham's David Davis had been sent off at 1-0 midway through the second half.
The Reds had won one out of 11 going into the match while the Blues were fourth and unbeaten in seven at St Andrew's, but Barnsley cruised to victory with an outstanding performance and result which moved them up six places to 12th.
Paul Heckingbottom made four changes from the side that was thrashed 5-2 at home to Nottingham Forest six days earlier. Dropping out of the squad were the suspended Marley Watkins and injured Adam Jackson while Adam Armstrong and Adam Jackson were both benched. Coming into the side were Angus MacDonald, Ryan Kent, Sam Morsy and Tom Bradshaw.
Kent was booked in the third minute for diving in the box then went to ground in a very similar position soon after but the referee gave nothing. The Reds also had a penalty appeal for handball turned down after five minutes.
It was Birmingham who had the first clear chance when ex-Red David Cotterill crossed low from the right and Clayton Donaldson was totally free in front of goal but he was denied by Adam Davies' superb point blank save.
It was then Barnsley's turn to force a brilliant save as Tomasz Kuszczak got down impressively to his left to turn a Kent shot around his left post after a fine team move ended in a pass from Morsy in the box.
City's Lukas Jutkiewicz then dragged a shot just wide from the edge of the box after another good move then Jonathan Grounds headed over a Cotterill corner before the former Barnsley winger floated in another which was a headed by Jutkiewicz straight at Davies.
It was Barnsley who took the lead when Roberts appeared to get a very slight touch on Conor Hourihane's excellent free-kick from the right wing.
The hosts nearly levelled soon afterwards but Davis hit the left post after barging James Bree to the floor to go clean through on goal. The Blues hit the woodwork again when Morrison's looping header from a Cotterill cross landed on the top of the bar.
The Reds started the second half well as Hourihane tested Kuszczak from the edge of the box then fired a free-kick over the bar. Barnsley's captain was then integral in a swift counter-attack which ended in Bradshaw unleashing a vicious shot from the right corner of the box which the Polish goalkeeper did very well to tip over.
Davis was shown a second yellow card for a tackle on James Bree after being booked for a first half challenge on Morsy.
Kent almost doubled the lead after a smart counter-attack but he curled his shot just wide of the top left corner from the edge of the box.
Barnsley had kept the hosts out with an excellent second half performance then killed the game off with two more goals as Winnall headed in left wing set pieces from Hourihane in the 85th and 88th minutes.
