Reds see six match unbeaten run ended by well drilled Nottingham Forest.
Barnsley Under 18s' six-game unbeaten run came to an end as they were beaten 3-1 by Nottingham Forest Under 18s at Oakwell.
A goal inside the opening 60 seconds had the Reds chasing the game early on, but Kane Swinburn smashed them level with a rasping drive from the edge of the area.
Swinburn hit the post and Tom Clare fired just wide as the sides went in level art half time, but two quick goals almost immediately after the restart put the game out of Barnsley’s reach.
The midfielder had a free kick cleared off the line on the hour before substitute Wilberforce Ocran hooked the ball just wide in a bid to try and spark a comeback.
Nottingham Forest’s Jake Taylor thought he’d added a fourth goal two minutes from time, only for his close range finish to be ruled out for offside.
From the first whistle, Forest were on top and it took them only 50 seconds to make the breakthrough when a long ball out of defence was taken around Jake Greatorex and slotted into an unguarded goal.
The visitors increased their pressure on the Barnsley goal with Adam Lund doing just enough to pressurise the visiting striker to head over before the Reds upped their game.
Louis Wardle picked up the ball midway inside the visiting half, drove at goal and let fly from the edge of the area, only for his goalward effort to be parried behind for a corner.
Forest almost poked a second goal home from close range but Greatorex stood tall to turn the ball away to safety, before the Reds got their equaliser on 20 minutes.
A short corner routine was part-cleared by the visitors and the ball fell to Swinburn on the edge of the area, who fired left-footed into the bottom corner of the goal.
Moments later, Sham Bertie went in for a challenge with the visiting right winger, in which the left-back won the ball but the winger suffered a serious looking injury.
He was taken away on a stretcher and Barnsley Football Club wish him a very speedy recovery.
Greatorex proved alert after the restart to flick an angled effort behind before Swinburn’s low cross proved just too long for Jeff McGowan to stab home.
In stoppage time at the end of the half, Tom Clare spun smartly on the edge of the area, fired for the top corner, but saw his effort gathered by the visiting ‘keeper.
That was followed almost immediately by Swinburn striking the post after a surging run and Clare firing just wide from range.
HALF TIME: BARNSLEY U18s 1-1 NOTTINGHAM FOREST U18s.
Forest came out fired up after half time and regained the lead inside 90 seconds when a cross from Jake Taylor was headed home at the far post.
No sooner had the Reds regrouped than had Forest scored their third of the game. Will Smith was caught in possession and the winger, who had opened the scoring, helped himself to his second of the game.
The Reds became the more aggressive after that, but still had to call on Greatorex to keep them in the contest on the hour, getting down well to gather a low shot.
Swinburn almost pulled a goal back for the Reds when his free kick from the flank was misjudged by the goalkeeper, who flapped the ball backwards.
Adam Lund was lurking dangerously, only for the Forest centre back to clear the ball off the line and preserve their two goal buffer.
Substitute Wilberforce Ocran latched onto Romal Palmer’s clever chip but could not hit the target before Taylor found the net moments before full time, only for his effort to be ruled out for offside.
Reds: Greatorex (GK), Wardle, Lund, Smith, Bertie, Swinburn, Tingle, Palmer, Saeed (Simpson, 70’ ), McGowan (Ocran, 63’ ), Clare (Rowe, 63’ ).
Subs: Murphy (GK), Wolfe.
