A first victory at Queens Park Rangers in 70 years kicks off a spectacular start to the return to play for Gerhard Struber's men.
Head Coach, Struber had made a bold and surprising team selection for this first game in 105 days, but his decisions proved a masterstroke, with a huge three points breathing life back into Barnsley's survival challenge.
The game couldn't have started in a better manner for the Reds, with Elliot Simoes finishing off a terrific move inside seven minutes to give Barnsley the early lead.
A Ben Williams ball infield was wonderfully dummied by Cauley Woodrow, allowing Simoes to jink between defenders and finish superbly, low and beyond the advancing keeper from 10 yards out for 1-0.
It could have been doubled on 10 minutes when a picture perfect Mads Andersen diagonal ball was crossed into the box first time by Kilian Ludewig from the right, and Jacob Brown tried to score with his left from the edge of the box, but his effort landed a foot wide of the post.
The Reds were dominant in the opening half hour, but towards the break, our hosts finally began to settle down and the mercurial Ebe Eze went close with a long-range free-kick which landed on the roof of Jack Walton's net.
Mads Andersen saw a certain-goal blocked on the line and out for a corner as Struber's side tried to reassert their dominance.
And with the final chance of the first 45, Alex Mowatt's inswinging free-kick was headed towards his own goal by Conor Masterson and crashed off the bar, with Woodrow's attempted overhead flashing a yard wide on the rebound.
HALF TIME: QPR 0-1 Barnsley
The Reds made a change during the interval with the lively goalscorer Simoes replaced by Conor Chaplin.
Early chances for the Reds fell for Marcel Ritzmaier whose first strike was blocked and his second comfortably held by Liam Kelly in the R's goal.
A critical last-gasp tackle from Michael Sollbauer in the box prevented a Hoops chance, before Kenny Dougall came into the game, replacing the tiring debutant, Romal Palmer.
There were half-chances for Hugill, before Eze bent another effort a foot clear of the crossbar, but the Reds were determined to hold on for a vital clean sheet.
Late appearances for Callum Styles and Luke Thomas helped Barnsley see out the final moments, with the former in particular, key to the side retaining possession.
But the Reds have Walton to thank for a very late, terrific one-on-one save to deny Hugill, as Struber's men kicked off the restart in the perfect fashion!
FULL TIME: QPR 0-1 Barnsley
Walton (GK), Ludewig (Styles), Andersen, Sollbauer, B.Williams, Ritzmaier, Mowatt, Palmer (Dougall), Simoes (Chaplin), Brown, Woodrow (Thomas).
Unused: Radlinger (GK), J.Williams, Oduor, Schmidt, Halme.
