Barnsley suffered their sixth successive League One defeat as they went down 2-0 at Scunthorpe United on Saturday.

A horrendous goalkeeping error from Nick Townsend gave the hosts the lead in the sixth minute. Gary McSheffrey doubled the lead on 41 minutes then Sam Winnall had a penalty saved just before the break.

The result meant the Reds are now on their worst ever run in the third division and they are now down a place to third bottom in the table.

Head coach Lee Johnson made three changes to the side that lost 1-0 at home to Fleetwood the previous week as he reverted to the 3-5-2 formation.

Ben Pearson returned after suspension while Michael Smith and Lewin Nyatanga also came into the side. Dropping out were Dan Crowley, who has returned to Arsenal, Paul Digby and the injured Kadeem Harris.

Barnsley had started well with Michael Smith's powerful low shot being kept out by home stopper Luke Daniels. But the Reds gifted their hosts the opening goal as Marc Roberts and Townsend both tried to claim a loose ball in the box and missed it, with Townsend letting it slip through his hands, so Tom Hopper could tap in.

Nyatanga missed a golden chance to level when he headed George Smith's corner wide of the right post from six yards out on 32 minutes. Reece Wabara also came close with a 25-yard shot that went just over.

Townsend stopped the hosts doubling their lead by clawing the ball out of top right after after McSheffrey's shot had deflected off Alfie Mawson.

But Townsend was eventually beaten by McSheffrey's low drive into the bottom right corner from 12 yards after good work by ex Reds right-back Scott Wiseman.

Murray Wallace then brought down Winnall in the box and was booked. Daniels sprang to his right to turned the penalty around the post and the Reds trailed 2-0 at the break.

The second half was much quieter. McSheffrey put a header wide from another Wiseman cross then shots from Winnall and Scowen brought saves out of Daniels.