The Reds bounced back in style with victory over Yorkshire rivals Huddersfield Town in the Sky Bet Championship on Saturday afternoon.
A goal in each half from Alex Mowatt and Conor Chaplin ensured Barnsley took all three points at Oakwell to close the gap on the teams around them.
Huddersfield started the day just above the relegation zone in 20th with the Reds behind them in 23rd, but victory for Barnsley saw them move within four points of the Terriers.
Head Coach Gerhard Struber handed a debut to new signing Marcel Ritzmaier, as the Reds were looking to return to winning ways in the league following defeat to Derby County last time out.
They faced tough opposition in Huddersfield, who were gunning for their third win in their last five Sky Bet Championship matches.
Barnsley’s last victory over the Terriers came way back in 2013, but they were looking to put an end to that record at Oakwell on Saturday.
The Reds started in the best possible way, opening the scoring with their first attack of the game. Jacob Brown’s pace and power was too hot to handle for the Huddersfield defence as he raced to the by-line before he pulled the ball back across the face of goal for Alex Mowatt to tap home.
Luke Thomas then looked to further Barnsley’s lead. The midfielder picked up possession in the centre of the park, before he ran towards the edge of the area and unleashed a curling effort which just missed the target.
With half-an-hour on the clock, Clarke Oduor’s corner was met by Bambo Diaby, but despite the defender rising highest in the area, he couldn’t quite direct his glancing header on target.
Ritzmaier almost made it a debut to remember when he tried his luck from distance, but his well-struck shot was deflected just wide.
The fourth official indicated just one minute of added time at the end of the first half, as Barnsley held onto their lead going into the break.
Half-time: Barnsley 1-0 Huddersfield
The first chance of the second half fell to Barnsley and Chaplin after Brown’s low cross picked him out in the six-yard-box. With the form the striker is in at the moment, he made no mistake with the finish from close-range to score his tenth league goal of the season.
However, just seconds after the restart, Huddersfield attacked the Barnsley goal and scored what could only be described as a rocket, when Lewis O’Brien struck from 20-yards out to rifle a half-volley into the top corner of the net.
After pulling one back, the Terriers had their tails up and forced Sami Radlinger into making a fine save at his near post. Substitute Steve Mounié plucked the ball out of the air, before firing towards goal, but the Austrian was able to get down low to steer the effort around the post.
Juninho Bacuna then whipped in a free-kick from the left. Frazier Campbell met it at the back post, but his volley went high over the crossbar from six-yards-out.
The Reds defended resolutely for the remaining 15 minutes to see the game out in what was a determined performance from Struber’s side.
Full-time: Barnsley 2-1 Huddersfield
REDS XI: Radlinger, J. Williams, Diaby, Andersen, Brown, Chaplin (Simoes, 90), Thomas (Schmidt, 87), Ritzmaier, Oduor, Halme, Mowatt (C).
SUBSTITUTES NOT USED: Collins, B. Williams, Dougall, Bähre, Thiam.
HUDDERSFIELD XI: Grabara, Bacuna, Chalobah, Kachunga, Grant (Mounié, 45), Simpson (Koroma, 64), Campbell, Schindler (C), Stanković, Brown (Hadergjonaj, 45), O’Brien.
SUBSTITUTES NOT USED: Coleman, Edmonds-Green, Duhaney, Daly.
