A late comeback wasn't to be as Barnsley fell to a fourth straight defeat on their travels.
The game kicked off in bright sunshine and with both sides showing attacking intent with a top-six position still up for grabs for either side.
But the hosts soon took control and on 13 minutes they went ahead when Sonny Carey rifled in through a crowd of bodies with his low strike from the edge of the box finding the bottom corner to Liam Roberts' left.
Blackpool thought they were 2-0 up when Jake Beesley finished in style with a first time volley but the officials deemed him offside.
A let-off for the Reds but they failed to muster any sort of response and right before half-time the task became twice as difficult as James Husband doubled the hosts' lead, when he headed home a well-worked Seasiders free-kick.
HALF-TIME: Blackpool 2-0 Barnsley
The chances of finding a route back into the contest grew slimmer when two minutes into the second 45' the home side made it 3-0 as CJ Hamilton's deep cross fell invitingly for Hayden Coulson 14 yards from goal and to the left, and the on-loan Middlesbrough man rocketed home an effort that gave his North East colleague Roberts no chance.
Head Coach, Neill Collins made a number of changes hoping for a different look from his side who had been well off-colour. And after one of those subs in Sam Cosgrove had held the ball up well just outside the box, John McAtee picked up possession and fired home a lovely goal from 20 yards out.
It was all Barnsley for the remainder of the game and somehow a second goal was denied twice by Blackpool 'keeper Dan Grimshaw when he first tipped away Cosgrove's header from an inch-perfect Aiden Marsh cross before somehow keeping out another sub in Fábio Jaló's follow-up which Reds players felt had crossed the line.
The second goal did arrive in stoppage time when Adam Phillips crashed home from inside the six yard box following another cross in from the left, and there were huge shouts for a late penalty when Jaló looked to be dragged to the ground.
The result now makes the final game of the season at Oakwell against Northampton Town a crucial one, with Collins and his side still in need of three points to secure a play-off place.
FULL-TIME: Blackpool 3-2 Barnsley
Roberts, Cotter (O'Keeffe), Williams, de Gevigney, Earl, Cadden (Jaló), Kane, Grant (Cosgrove), Phillips, McAtee, Cole (Marsh).
Unused: Killip, McCart, Chapman.
