Reds suffer first Championship defeat at Oakwell since November against Wolves.
Ten-man Barnsley slipped to their first Championship defeat at Oakwell since November after being beaten 3-1 by Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Kortney Hause slid in to give Wolves the lead from a corner five minutes in, but Marley Watkins came close to levelling the scores with a glancing header midway through the half.
David Edwards doubled the visitors’ advantage when he headed home Connor Ronan's free kick, but Barnsley were reduced to ten-men just before half time when Alex Mowatt was dismissed.
Edwards added his second 14 minutes from time after slotting home a rebound but Marc Roberts pulled a goal back for the Reds ten minutes from time from close range.
Adam Hammill saw a free kick ripple the side netting in stoppage time but the Reds were unable to force a comeback.
A speculative long drive from Adam Hammill against his former club drifted wide of the post inside three minutes but it was the visitors who took the lead two minutes later.
Connor Ronan’s corner from the right was flicked across the face of goal and into the path of Kortney Hause, who slid in and turned the ball home.
Angus MacDonald hit the target with a low effort from just outside the area on 20 minutes, while David Edwards almost found the roof of the net from a corner, only for his effort to deflect behind.
Conor Coady was the first name in the book following a poor challenge on Ryan Kent and Marley Watkins headed a Kent corner just over the top shortly afterwards.
The striker also came close again moments later, racing onto Ryan Williams’ through ball but flashing his shot just across the face of goal.
Debutant Alex Mowatt was the first player to bring a real save out of Harry Burgoyne latching onto Watkins’s delicate through ball but blasting at the stopper as he raced towards him.
After withstanding a sustained spell of Reds pressure, the visitors came close to extending their tally when Ronan took aim from the edge of the area and struck the outside of the post.
Shortly after, Wolves doubled their lead when Edwards stooped to meet a Ronan free kick and his header deflected past Reds stopper Adam Davies.
Things got worse for the Reds three minutes before half time when Alex Mowatt was dismissed on his Reds debut for a late challenge on Jack Price.
Wolves thought they had been awarded a penalty at the end of the first half as Adam Hammill was judged to have upended Bright Enobakhare.
However, after consulting with the linesman, the referee reversed the decision and instead gave the Reds a free kick.
HALF TIME: Barnsley 0-2 Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Matty James was introduced at the break for his Oakwell debut in place of Ryan Kent but it was the visitors who fashioned the first chance of the second half.
Jon Dadi Bodvarsson hooked toward goal after the Reds had lost possession out wide but failed to test Adam Davies as the ball drifted over the top.
Williams came close for the Reds after nodding Adam Hammill’s cross just wide of the mark before Reds Head Coach Paul Heckingbottom was sent to the stands just past the hour.
Josh Scowen went to retrieve the ball from the Wolves dugout and a scuffle broke out in the Wolves technical area, resulting in the Reds Head Coach being dismissed.
Edwards was the next name in the book following a challenge on Scowen out wide as the Reds midfielder broke forward, but nothing came of the resulting free kick.
Wolves added their third goal 14 minutes from time when Bodvarsson’s drilled effort was saved low down by Davies, but the rebound fell to Edwards who fired home from inside the area.
Four minutes later, the Reds pulled a goal back when Hammill’s drilled free kick was parried by Burgoyne straight into the path of Reds captain Marc Roberts.
The defender showed good awareness to nudge the ball past the stopper and slot into the unguarded goal.
Substitute Tom Bradshaw’s deflected effort found its way into the path of Hammill, who spun smartly but could not find a way past Burgoyne.
Andreas Weimann was booked in stoppage time for failing to move back from a Reds free kick and Hammill was centimetres away from making it 3-2 with a dangerous dipping free kick late on.
Attendance: 11,880 (808 Away)
Reds: Davies (GK), Jones, MacDonald, Roberts (c), Evans, Kent (James, 46’ ), Scowen, Mowatt, Hammill, Williams (Armstrong, 76’ ), Watkins (Bradshaw, 76’ ).
Subs: Townsend (GK), Wardle, Jackson, Moncur.
Wolves: Burgoyne (GK), Coady (Saville, 84’ ), Batth (c), Hause, Doherty, Edwards, Price, Mason, Enobakhare Evans, 90’ ), Ronan (Weimann, 71’ ), Bodvarsson.
Subs: Lonergan (GK), Stearman, Dicko, Costa.
