Barnsley’s poor away form continued as they lost a lead in a 2-1 defeat at fellow Yorkshire club Huddersfield Town on Saturday.
David McGoldrick put the visitors in front with a fantastic goal just before half-time but their defensive weakness was exposed again as the hosts struck twice in the second half.
They fell down two places to 15th in League One, 11 points off sixth and seven clear of the relegation zone. They have not won away from home in eight league matches.
Barnsley kept an unchanged team from the home win over Peterborough in midweek.
The hosts started on top but the Reds thought they had scored from pretty much their first attack when McGoldrick chested in Scott Banks’ cross but the flag was up for offside. The Reds then appealed for a penalty when O’Keeffe went down under a Bali Mumba challenge.
Jack Shepherd missed a decent chance when he headed a Luca Connell corner just over midway through the first half.
Patrick Kelly appeared to be tripped in the box but again no penalty was given.
Huddersfield’s Marcus Harness saw a header easily saved by Owen Goodman when he could have set up Alfie May for a tap-in, with home fans ironically cheering a shot on goal.
The visitors scored soon after when McGoldrick brilliantly curled into the top right corner from the left side of the box 20 yards out.
McGoldrick almost added another after wriggling past two tackles on the left of the box and shooting from a tight angle but Lee Nicholls saved.
Huddersfield were booed off at the break, then began the second half on the back foot. Goalkeeper Nicholls, having seen a team-mate head over his head, fumbled the ball and McGoldrick could not keep it in for what would have been a tap-in. McGoldrick then volleyed a tough chance wide.
But the hosts levelled just before the hour when Bali Mumba’s cross from the left was headed home a few yards out by Ledson whose run from midfield had not been tracked.
There was a lengthy stoppage after a nasty fall by goalkeeper Goodman but he was able to continue.
Goodman then missed a corner before spilling a shot towards his goal but Kelly cleared off the line.
It was 2-1 to the hosts soon after when Cameron Ashia's low cross from the right was turned in from close range by fellow substitute Ryan Hardie.
Adam Phillips saw a long-range shot easily saved then, at the other end, Hardie was played through after loose play by the Reds but blazed over eight yards out.
Mumba easily span around substitute Jono Bland in the box then saw a 12-yard shot well-saved by Goodman.
O’Keeffe came off during 11 minutes of injury-time. Barnsley could not create a chance to level.
Barnsley (4-5-1): Goodman; O’Keeffe (Yoganathan 90+8mins), O’Connell, Shepherd, Gent (Watson 67); Banks (Bland 80), Phillips, Connell, Kelly, Cleary; McGoldrick (Bradshaw 67).
Unused: Flavell, Roberts, de Gevigney.
Yellow cards: Gent, Kelly,
Goals: McGoldrick 42.
Huddersfield (4-2-3-1): Nicholls; Balker, Roughen, Wallace; Sorensen, Ledson, Humphreys (Kasumu 81), Mumba; Harness; May (Ashia 73), Alves (Hardie 57).
Unused: Alnwick, Charles, Feeney, Evans.
Goals: Ledson 57, Hardie 74.
