Barnsley were beaten 4-1 at Championship leaders Fulham with new head coach Poya Asbaghi watching from the stands.
The Reds, under caretaker Jo Laumann, were 2-0 down at the break then conceded two more either side of a consolation goal by substitute Victor Adeboyejo.
After an even first quarter, the hosts totally dominated the match and could have won by several more goals before going to the top of the Championship with this win.
The Reds remain second bottom and four points off safety, with Asbaghi due to take over from Monday.
Laumann made six changes from the side that lost at home to Hull City before the international break.
Coming in were Toby Sibbick, Mads Andersen, Romal Palmer, Callum Styles, Dominik Frieser and Carlton Morris, who started after three months out with injury.
Jasper Moon and Aaron Leya Iseka dropped to the bench while Claudio Gomes and Devante Cole dropped out of the squad along with injured Liam Kitching and the suspended Callum Brittain. Obbi Oulare was on the bench.
Laumann also went away from the 3-4-3 formation favoured last season by Valerien Ismael and all this season by Markus Schopp then Laumann. They played a 4-2-3-1 with Sibbick at right-back and Jordan Williams on the left while Palmer was just behind Cauley Woodrow up front.
Barnsley had the first shot of the match in the tenth minute when Palmer's high effort from just outside the box was pushed over the bar by Marek Rodak after a good move down the left involving Morris, Williams and Woodrow.
Brad Collins then easily caught Michael Hector's 15-yard header from a left-wing corner by Harry Wilson. Collins was helpless minutes later as a shot by the same player from the edge of the box cannoned against the base of his right post after Tom Cairney's cross was headed by Tim Ream then touched by Neeskens Kebano.
The hosts took the lead after 25 minutes when Kenny Tete crossed from the right and Aleksandar Mitrovic beat Michal Helik in the air to head into the bottom left corner from seven yards out.
Barnsley were in the game until the opening goal but then it appeared like a training exercise until half-time with Fulham attacking almost constantly, particularly down their left where Sibbick was overwhelmed by Kebano, Robinson and Carvalho with little help from Frieser.
Styles almost scored a freak own goal when his pass went wide of Collins who rushed back to his goal line to gather.
The second goal arrived on 34 minutes when Fabio Carvalho cut in from the left wing, passed to Mitrovic whose attempted pass back deflected off Styles kindly into the path of Carvalho who blasted in from 15 yards.
It should have been 3-0 on 40 minutes when Antonee Robinson's cross from the left wing was missed by Williams and fell for Wilson on the right of the box eight yards out but he ballooned a shot well over.
Wilson missed another chance five minutes later when Harrison Reed's lofted pass over the visiting defence put him clean through after clever movement but Collins made a fine block with his chest.
The hosts began the second half as they ended the first. After a fantastic pass by Wilson, Carvalho crossed low for Tom Cairney whose 12-yard effort was deflected onto the crossbar. From the resulting corner, Mitrovic's header was kept out by a spectacular one-handed save by Collins diving to his left.
Barnsley reverted to 3-4-3, with Styles moving to left wing-back and Williams on the right. That seemed to stem the flow of Fulham chances and Barnsley almost pulled one back on 62 minutes when Woodrow's volley from outside the box was turned behind by Rodak.
It was 3-0 on 72 minutes when Wilson's cross from the right was met by Kebano who had got away from Williams and volleyed into the right of the net while sliding eight yards out.
It was almost 4-0 seconds later when another right-wing cross was headed by Mitrovic and it hit Sibbick's shoulder before being tipped over by Collins.
Barnsley pulled one back on 78 minutes, the first time Fulham had conceded in six games. Helik ended up on the left wing and behind the home defence then crossed for Woodrow who looked certain to score with a diving header but hit the post then substitute Victor Adeboyejo netted the rebound.
It was 4-1 three minutes later when Jean-Michael Seri, Fulham's £27million substitute, played a fantastic pass over the visiting defence to Wilson who chested down and beat Collins from close range.
Carvalho should have made it 5-1 in the 90th minute when Mitrovic was put clean through on the halfway line and ran into the box before squaring past Collins to the young attacker but he shot wide of an open goal under pressure from Styles.
Barnsley (4-3-3): Collins; Sibbick, Helik, Andersen, J Williams; Palmer (Moon 75mins), Benson, Styles; Frieser (Leya Iseka 55), Woodrow, Morris (Adeboyejo 75).
Unused: Walton, Oduor, Vita, Oulare.
Goals: Adeboyejo 78.
Fulham (4-2-3-1): Rodak; Tete, Hector, Ream, Robinson (Bryan 85mins); Cairney, Reed (Seri 80); Kebano (Onomah 80), Wilson, Carvalho; Mitrovic.
Unused: Gazzaniga, De Cordova Reid, Onomah, Mawson.
Goals: Mitrovic 25, Carvalho 34, Kebano 72, Wilson 81.
AS IT HAPPENED
  • GAME UNDERWAY
  • 3:04pm
    It looks as though Barnsley are playing 4-3-3
  • 3:04pm
    Toby Sibbick is at right back and Jordan Williams left back
  • 3:06pm
    Quiet first four minutes. Fulham have had most of the ball but haven't really had an attack yet
  • 3:08pm
    5 Barnsley pressing their hosts well here. They win a corner on the left
  • 3:08pm
    6 Josh Benson's corner on the left is poor and easily cleared
  • 3:10pm
    Barnsley look really up for this, pressing frantically and working hard as a unit off the ball.
  • 3:13pm
    10 Barnsley the first team to come close. Palmer's 22-yard shot is tipped over by Rodak after a good move down left involving Williams, Morris and Woodrow
  • 3:13pm
    11 Benson's corner is cleared
  • 3:16pm
    Palmer is playing a really attacking role here. It's almost a 4-2-3-1 at times with him behind Woodrow and Morris and Frieser going wide
  • 3:18pm
    15 Neeskens Kebano providing a real challenge for Sibbick who is beaten not for the first time but comes back to win a tackle in the box. Corner to Fulham
  • 3:18pm
    16 Harry Wilson's left wing is met about 15 yards out by Michael Hector whose header is easily saved by Collins
  • 3:22pm
    Fulham so close. A free-kick is taken short to Cairney whose cross is touched by Ream then Kebano before Michael Hector's shot from the edge of the box crashes against the base of the left post.
  • 3:26pm
    GOAL!
    Aleksandar Mitrovic opens the scoring
  • 3:28pm
    Throw in on the right then Kenny Tete crosses for the Serbian international to head in about seven yards out after beating Helik in the air
  • 3:31pm
    That goal had been coming after a good spell for the hosts. But the Reds will be disappointed with how basic it was
  • 3:31pm
    29 Benson's free-kick from the left goes all the way through to the goalkeeper
  • 3:34pm
    31 Almost a classic own goal by Callum Styles, he gets a pass from Collins about 40 yards from goal and fires it back to the goalkeeper but wide of him and Collins has to scamper back to collect it. It wasn't really that close to a goal in the end up a heart in mouth moment for a second Jasper Moon
  • 3:36pm
    GOAL!
    Fabio Carvalho breaks into the box and fires in
  • 3:38pm
    The young attacker cuts in from the left wing, passes to Mitrovic whose pass back deflects off Styles perfectly into Carvalho's path and he blasts in from 15 yards out
  • 3:38pm
    Now this could get ugly for the Reds
  • 3:39pm
    Romal Palmer is down injured. Drinks break
  • 3:40pm
    Palmer is back on
  • 3:42pm
    Overall Barnsley have played some nice football at times but Fulham are dominating the ball and they have so much quality that chances / goals will come. Sibbick has been doubled and tripled up on throughout the game by Kebano, Robinson, Carvalho
  • 3:43pm
    40 Big chance for 3-0. Antonee Robinson's cross from the left is missed by Williams and falls to Harry Wilson who balloons a shot over from eight yards out on the right of the box
  • 3:47pm
    45 Good work Brad Collins. Harrison Reed's lofted ball over Barnsley's defence puts Harry Wilson clean through but the goalkeeper blocks his initial effort with his chest then gets another hand on the loose ball before it is cleared
  • 3:49pm
    HALF-TIME: Fulham 2, Barnsley 0. Mitrovic and Carvalho scored within nine minutes of each other with the hosts missing several other good chances
  • 4:06pm
    SECOND HALF UNDERWAY
  • 4:09pm
    48 Tom Cairney close. His shot from 12 yards out deflected up and hits the cross bar after fine passes by Wilson and Carvalho
  • 4:09pm
    49 A corner from the left is header by Mitrovic and Collins makes a fine save diving to his left
  • 4:13pm
    Fulham again are totally dominating this match. They win another corner
  • 4:13pm
    54 Collins easily catches the corner
  • 4:14pm
    Barnsley make their first change. Frieser off for Leya Iseka
  • 4:21pm
    Back to 3-4-3 now. Styles left wing-back and Williams on the right. Iseka replaced Frieser a few minutes ago
  • 4:21pm
    The game has calmed down since that change in formation, with the home pressure being thwarted slightly. But Fulham are still well on top
  • 4:22pm
    62 Chance for the Reds. Woodrow volleys from just outside the box and goalkeeper Rodak turns it behind
  • 4:23pm
    63 Benson's corner is cleared
  • 4:27pm
    Two thirds through this match, most of which has been like an exhibition game for the hosts who could easily by 6-0 up
  • 4:29pm
    70 Barnsley free-kick 25 yards out. Woodrow takes it and hits the wall
  • 4:32pm
    GOAL!
    Neeskens Kebano sweeps in from a right wing Harry Wilson cross
  • 4:34pm
    The man who kept Barnsley in the Championship last season by scoring for Fulham v Wigan has tormented the Reds all game and puts this result, surely, beyond all doubt
  • 4:34pm
    75 Cross from the right is headed by Mitrovic against Sibbick and Collins tips over
  • 4:35pm
    Adeboyejo and Moon replaced Morris and Palmer
  • 4:38pm
    GOAL!
    Victor Adeboyejo pulls one back!
  • 4:40pm
    Somehow, Michal Helik is on the left wing and gets behind the home defence then crosses for Woodrow who looks certain to score but heads against the left post with Adeboyejo netting the rebound. That's two goals in three games for him
  • 4:41pm
    GOAL!
    Harry Wilson restores the three-goal lead
  • 4:42pm
    A pass you would expect from a £27million midfielder sees substitute Jean-Michael Seri loft the ball over the Reds defence for Wilson to chest down and fire in
  • 4:50pm
    Wow. Carvalho misses an open goal after Mitrovic is played clean through o nthe halfway line, runs to the edge of the box then squares to his team mate who shoots wide under pressure from Styles
  • 4:52pm
    Three added minutes
  • 4:54pm
    FULL-TIME: Fulham 4, Barnsley 1. The Reds are well-beaten by their high-flying hosts who could have won by a lot more

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