Middlesbrough crashed to a fifth straight Championship loss as Barnsley helped themselves to a 3-2 victory at the Riverside.
The visitors went in front through Jim O’Brien on six minutes but Mustapha Carayol and substitute Curtis Main appeared to put Boro back in charge following the break.
That was until Scott Golbourne equalised and recent signing Jason Scotland netted as a substitute for the third successive game.
Despite this latest setback Boro still remain six points short of an automatic promotion place but now only a couple of points clear of seventh position.
Barnsley certainly enjoyed an early break when O’Brien’s shot looped high off George Friend and over helpless goalkeeper Jason Steele to give them an immediate lead.
But the hosts struggled to make much of an impression in their attempts to recover and their opponents continued to appear decidedly comfortable.
And they could have been celebrating another goal ahead of the break when Marlon Harewood’s volley forced Jason Steele into swift action.
Namesake Luke Steele then gathered a speculative long-range effort from Andre Bikey as the home side left the pitch to boos from their supporters at the interval.
Manager Tony Mowbray made a double-change for the start of the second-half and was soon rewarded when Carayol took advantage of new signing Rory Delap’s misplaced backpass and tucked an equaliser beyond the keeper.
Then twelve minutes later substitute Main headed in Seb Hines’ low cross from a couple of yards out to seemingly turn the contest back in their favour.
However, Emmanuel Ledesma soon conceded possession and Delap’s subsequent trademark long throw was slotted in at close-range by Golbourne to level.
Six minutes following that and Boro were trailing again when Scotland’s deflected shot found the net after a free-kick was awarded inside the area when keeper Jason Steele handled Hines’ backpass.
His opposite number Luke Steele then parried a 25-yard effort from Grant Leadbitter while Bikey headed over in the final minute as the Teessiders’ dismal run continued.
Middlesbrough: J. Steele, R. Williams, Bikey, Hines, Friend, Leadbitter, Bailey, Dyer (Zemmama 79), Ledesma (Halliday 79), Jutkiewicz (Main 46), Carayol
subs (unused): Leutwiler, Parnaby, McEachran, Smallwood
Goals: Carayol (50), Main (62)
Barnsley: L. Steele, Golbourne, Foster, Cranie, Kennedy, Delap, O’Brien (Scotland 63), Perkins, Dagnall (Hassell 79), Harewood (O’Grady 63), Etuhu
subs (unused): Alnwick, Wiseman, Cywka, Mellis
Goals: O’Brien (6), Golbourne (70), Scotland (76)
Ref: J. Simpson
Att: 15,034
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