Barnsley suffered their eighth successive League One defeat as they went down 2-1 at home to Port Vale on Saturday.

The Reds were the better side and missed a host of chances but the visitors netted with their only real chances of the match either side of the break. Substitute Sam Winnall pulled one back but the home side were beaten and slipped down a place to second bottom in the table.

Head coach Lee Johnson made two changes from the side that beat York four days earlier. The suspended Reece Wabara was replaced by James Bree while Marley Watkins came in for Simeon Jackson up front.

Barnsley started the brighter as Adam Hammill tested visiting goalkeeper Jak Alnwick with a long-range shot then set up Watkins who forced an even better save with a powerful drive from a tight angle. Alfie Mawson also had a header cleared off the line from a Hammill corner.

Alnwick saved easily from 30-yarders by George Smith and Ivan Toney then Watkins was inches away from turning in Lloyd Isgrove's low cross.

But it was the visitors who took the lead with their first attack of note. Ajay Leitch-Smith brilliantly headed a cross from the right into the top right corner five minutes before the break.

It was 2-0 two minutes into the second half when the unmarked Sam Foley fired into the top right corner from just inside the box after Byron Moore led a counter-attack.

Conor Hourihane sliced wide a great chance to pull one back after Alnwick dropped a Bree cross while Vale claimed he had been fouled.

Mawson and Winnall both headed Hammill crosses wide of the target when well-placed then substitute Michael Smith brought another good save out of Alnwick with a header from a superb Bree delivery.

Eventually the goal came from Winnall with a simple finish on 78 minutes after one Vale defender had headed the ball into another.

But, despite a loud shout for penalty for a foul on Hourihane, the Reds could not get the equaliser.