A six goal Halloween thriller at the Pirelli Stadium resulted in Barnsley returning home to South Yorkshire with the points after a 4-2 victory over the Brewers.
Matty Lund with his first Championship goal and Lloyd Dyer both drew Albion level in the first half after Lloyd Isgrove and Brad Potts had put the visitors ahead but a stunning striker from on loan Everton midfielder Joe Williams handed the visitors the iniative inside the final twenty minutes and a late strike from another loanee, Leicester's Harvey Barnes compounded Albion's misery.
Albion showed two changes from the side defeated late on by Ipswich on Saturday. Sean Scannell was fit to start again and he came in for Marvin Sordell with Lucas Akins restored to the attack to facilitate Scannell's return on the right. Jamie Allen, who picked up an ankle knock against Ipswich was deemed only fit enough for the bench meaning a recall for Hope Akpan as Nigel Clough looked for physicality in his midfield against the Tykes.
The early stages were high on energy but lacking in any realy quality from either side. Albion probably had the first real chance to bear down on Adam Davies goal when Matty Lund won the ball on half way and exchanged passes with Luke Murphy to send Lloyd Dyer scampering forward, his low cross just failing to find Scannell powering in on the opposite side to try and meet it.
Albion were handed a chance to test Davies with a free kick just outside the box when Brad Potts upended Akins but Lund, on free kick duty could only fire his effort into the defensive wall as Barnsley regrouped and cleared their lines.
ISGROVE provided the first moment of real quality with his goal on 21 minutes. Picking up a short pass from Harvey Barnes he used his pace and trickery to burst into the box before firing into the top corner of Ripley's net.
Barnsley were soon hunting a second and as Albion scrambled inside their own box to clear their lines when Ugbo surged into the danger area from out on the right, the ball came out to Potts on the edge of the box, the midfielder firing just too high.
Having looked rattled immediately after the goal the Brewers regained their composure and set about their task of trying to come from behind. Akins, as ever, was proving to be a handful in attack and an angled rising drive on 30 minutes carried on rising over the bar from a tight angle on the right.
Lund was denied on 33 minutes by a block from Andy Yiadom amidst possible shouts for handball. Jake Buxton sent over the deep cross and it was at a night height for the Albion midfielder to launch himself at it with a meaty volley.
The summer signing from Rochdale did not have much longer to wait for his first Championship goal in Albion colours as Buxton was again the provider on the right with a drilled cross that LUND steamed in to head home at the back post.
Parity was only restored for three minutes as Barnsley quickly responded again. Kyle McFadzean and Ben Turner collided going for a ball on halfway and that left Ugbo free to run forwards and although his shot was saved by Ripley the ball broke loose for the supporting POTTS to slam home. There was then a worrying few minutes as McFadzean received treatment after being laid flat out in the challenge with Turner. Fortunately th big defender was ok to continue albeit requiring a change of shirt.
Albion chose the perfect moment, on the stroke of half time to find another equaliser. There looked to be lots to do when Scannell had possession wide out on the right touch line but a neat pass inside invited DYER to drive into the box and find a neat finish inside Davies' near post and square it all up once more.
Half time: Burton Albion 2 - 2 Barnsley
Murphy had a shooting opportunity in the opening moments of the second period but after taking a touch found himself clsoed down and his shot from just outside of the box was blocked. A first time ewffort might have yielded more joy.
Albion were close again on 53 minutes, this time Lund was the provider with a corner to the near post where McFadzean leaded it goalwards, Davies tipping the ball over his crossbar.
Barnsley briefly threatened from a corner but Albion had another chance when Akins darted away down the right and crossed into the middle. Dyer's leap to get a head onto the ball seemed to take the ball out of the path of Lund who was getting up to support.
Burton's first change came on 63 minutes with the guile and creativity of Allen introduced for Akpan.
Lund had another spectacular chance to volley home on 62 minutes but this time he got it all wrong trying to smash home another cross from Buxton.
Barnsley made a double change to try and win the game with the introduction of Tom Bradshaw and George Moncur. McGeehan and Ugbo were the men to make way for Paul Heckingbottom's side.
When it came on 73 minutes though, it was one of Heckingbottom's starting men that broke the deadlock once more. There looked little danger when the ball was played in towards WILLAMS but the youngster launched a booming, dipping shot that flew over Ripley into the back of the net.
Any hope Albion had of salvaging a point disappeared on 87 minutes when Leicester loanee BARNES drove home as the Albion defence stood off and gave him chance to shoot and comprehensively beat Ripley.
What had seemed like a promising first half, by the end turned into a Halloween nightmare.