BARNSLEY ended their three-game losing run but could not start 2026 with a win as they drew 1-1 at Wigan Athletic on Thursday afternoon.
The Reds were second best in the first half, having conceded early, but a spirited display after the interval was capped by an Adam Phillips leveller. Captain Luca Connell was then sent off late on.
The Reds are now winless in four and 16th in League One, nine points off the play-off places and two clear of the relegation zone.
The point is something to build on for Barnsley who now visit last-placed Port Vale on Sunday.
They have won just one of ten away league games since taking six points from their first two matches on the road in August. They have kept the fewest clean sheets in the EFL, with 55 goals conceded in all competitions.
Conor Hourihane made four changes to the side which lost at home to Lincoln less than 72 hours previously.
Star winger Reyes Cleary was dropped to the bench for a league game for the first time since October when he began a superb run of performances – with Hourihane looking to rest players in this busy period. Right-winger Fabio Jalo came in for his first league start in almost nine months since a serious knee injury.
David McGoldrick made his first start since the win at Doncaster Rovers on November 8, with Vimal Yoganathan dropping out. He played up front with top-scorer Davis Keillor-Dunn starting out on the left.
Mael de Gevigney replaced the injured Marc Roberts at centre-back.
Phillips replaced Jono Bland in central midfield, partnering Connell who made his 150th appearance for the Reds.
Six of Barnsley’s seven substitutes were 22 or younger with four coming through the academy.
Wigan were one of the six teams who overtook Barnsley after their loss to Lincoln on Monday evening, starting the game a point and three places above the Reds in 12th.
They had only conceded seven goals in their ten home league games this season.
They faced a Barnsley team who had just lost to Mansfield and Lincoln at Oakwell, leaving them on 28 points from 20 games which was the fewest at that point since dropping into the third tier in 2022 - two less than last season.
The hosts took the lead in the sixth minute when Fraser Murray found space through a flat-footed Reds defence to play in Callum Wright on the left and his cross was impressively volleyed into the top left corner by Dara Costelloe. Patrick Kelly had lost the ball.
Barnsley responded quite positively but struggled to create chances in the first half an hour while, at the other end, Costelloe headed well wide from a Murray corner.
On 31 minutes, McGoldrick should have ended his long goal-drought in the league since August when put clean through by Keillor-Dunn, after good work by Patrick Kelly, but Sam Tickle made a one-on-one save.
Wigan should have made it 2-0 when Tennai Watson lost the ball deep in his half to Wright who swapped passes with Costelloe then Wright’s shot was blocked from close-range by Murphy Cooper who also denied Costelloe on the rebound. It was brilliant goalkeeping by the QPR loanee.
The Latics’ Harrison Bettoni then saw a shot blocked wide off his own player following a scramble in the box.
On the stroke of half-time, Wright got the better of both Watson and Phillips near the left corner flag and found Murray who burst into the box and forced a full-length save from Cooper diving to his left.
The Reds had 62 per cent possession in the first half but only one of the nine shots. They struggled to break down a well-organised back five with Josh Earl playing very a attacking role as left-back but not providing end product – with the visitors clearly missing the influential Cleary.
He was brought on at the break along with Bland as Kelly and Jalo came off. Cleary played on the left with Phillips on the right and McGoldrick behind Keillor-Dunn who was back up front.
The Reds started the second half well and Phillips saw a shot from the right of the box easily saved after a scuffed Connell shot turned into a cross which Watson headed down.
Keillor-Dunn shot wide from distance after cutting in from the left wing.
The leveller arrived midway through the second half as Connell won a fine tackle just inside the home half then McGoldrick played in Phillips to smash home from the right of the box. Hourihane had called for his older and more established players to contribute more and they did exactly that with the goal.
It was a first goal in 16 games for Phillips who had been left out for the same fixture in April by Hourihane after missing a team meeting.
Bland then shot just over from 20 yards after a good lay-off by Keillor-Dunn.
But Wigan fought their way back into the game and nearly retook the lead on 82 minutes when, after a free-kick dropped in the box, Christian Saydee’s deflected shot was brilliantly pushed over by Cooper.
Connell was sent off on 84 minutes for kicking out at Will Aimson after they both jostled with each other. It was a needless dismissal for the captain who will now miss three matches.
From the resulting free-kick, Morgan Fox headed wide a few yards out.
Bland then shot just wide of the bottom left corner from 20 yards after good work by Keillor-Dunn.
Wigan substitute Maleace Asamoah headed a good chance over in injury-time from a Murray corner on the right.
Barnsley (4-2-3-1): Cooper; Watson, de Gevigney, Shepherd, Earl; Phillips, Connell; Jalo (Kelly HT), Kelly (Bland HT), McGoldrick (Yoganathan 86); Keillor-Dunn.
Unused: Flavell, Vickers, Farrugia, Farrell.
Goals: Phillips 68.
Red cards: Connell.
Wigan (3–5-2): Tickle; Carragher, Aimson, Fox; Rodrigues (Hungbo 67), Francois, Weir, Wright, Murray; Bettoni (Saydee 67), Costelloe (Asamoah 81).
Unused: Savin, Sessegnon, McManaman, Brenan.
Yellow cards: Aimson.
Goals: Costelloe 6.
