Wanderers surrendered a half-time lead as top-six rivals Barnsley plundered the Boxing Day bounty to leave the Whites again needing to rediscover some momentum in their promotion push, writes Pete Oliver.
Klaidi Lolos’ opening goal looked set to keep Ian Evatt’s men on the verge of the play-off places on the back of the point at high-flying Wycombe which kicked off their Christmas campaign.
But a second-half stutter ended those hopes as the Tykes cashed in with two goals in the last 10 minutes to extend their impressive away record and give the Whites just three days to re-group and try and engineer a festive lift-off back at home against Lincoln City on Sunday.
Ricardo Almeida Santos' return from suspension saw the defender chalk up his 200th appearance for Wanderers as one of three changes from the side that had seemingly bounced back from defeat to Wigan in their last game by holding the leaders last Friday night.
Scott Arfield came in to make just a third league start and John McAtee was also back in the XI against the side he helped reach the play-offs alongside Wanderers last term.
Evatt’s men had the better of that one when the teams met in the semi-finals and were also on top in the opening exchanges as the rivalry resumed with an 11th meeting inside three-and-a-half years.
With the crowd fully behind them the Whites took the initiative with some expansive football and should have gone in front after a quarter of an hour.
An energetic start from Szabi Schön was epitomised by the wing-back winning back the ball and forcing it square to Aaron Collins, who somehow failed to make contact in front of goal.
As the openings kept coming Arfield tested Barnsley keeper Ben Killip and Collins whistled a volley just wide from a more far difficult chance. And with 25 minutes gone Wanderers’ pressure and persistence paid as they took the lead.
Santos kept the ball alive as Barnsley tried to clear and when the ball reached Lolos, he played a one-two with McAtee before striding into the box and keeping his cool to pick the right moment to drive the ball back across Killip and into the net.
Wanderers deserved their advantage but history has told them that Barnsley never go away and the Tykes – with six away wins behind them already this season – had chances to level.
Nathan Baxter had made one early save from Jon Russell and then stepped up again to keep out dangerman Adam Phillips and a deflected shot from Corey O’Keefe as the Whites ended an entertaining first 45 minutes in front.
That lead came under threat again within two minutes of the re-start as ex-Wanderers’ youngster Luca Connell fired a long-range effort against the foot of a post before Russell produced a miss to match Collins’ as he blasted over as Wanderers were slow to get out of the blocks.
Having come through that rocky patch, Wanderers got a foothold back in the contest but it was still wide-open stuff as both sides strove for the crucial next goal with Dion Charles and Jordi Osei-Tutu sent on for the final 20 minutes to try and exploit tiring legs and get the Whites over the line.
Carlos Mendes Gomes then came off the bench to make a welcome return after 10 months out of action but it was Barnsley who created the next big chance to find an equaliser with 10 minutes to go.
Phillips was the provider with a lofted pass to Davis Keillor-Dunn, who cut back onto his right foot to steer a shot low into the bottom corner to swing the momentum more the visitors’ way.
And with Barnsley not settling for just a point they then grabbed a late winner, this time Phillips getting on the end of a pull-back from O’Keefe to sweep the ball home and leap-frog Wanderers in the table and Evatt's men slipped to 10th place, three points adrift of the top-six places.
Wanderers: Baxter; Forrester, Almeida Santos, Jones; Thomason; Williams, Arfield (Dacres-Cogley 65), Lolos (Mendes Gomes 78), Schön (Osei-Tutu 71): Collins, McAtee (Charles 71). Substitutes: Southwood, Johnston, Sharples-Ahmed.
Booked: Lolos, Thomason, Charles
Barnsley: Killip; De Gevigney, Pines, McCarthy; O’Keefe, Connell (Nwakali 58), Gent (Cotter 74); Phillips (Yoganathan 92), Russell; Watters (Humphreys 58), Keillor-Dunn. Substitutes: Smith, Cosgrove, Lofthouse.
Booked: McCarthy, Cotter, Nwakali, Yoganathan
Referee: Thomas Kirk
Attendance: 22,215 (1,240)