The Reds cruised into a 2-0 lead after 14 minutes thanks to sensational strikes by Brad Potts and Mamadou Thiam. Charlton pulled one back in the 73rd minute but could not find an equaliser in a game in which Barnsley dominated and should have won by more. 

The Reds, who are unbeaten in 16 at Oakwell, leapfrogged Charlton into fourth and are now six points behind second-placed Luton Town with a game in hand ahead of their trip to the Hatters on Tuesday. 

Head coach Daniel Stendel made one change from the team that won 2-0 at home to Peterborough United on Boxing Day while top-scorer Kieffer Moore missed another match following illness. 

Holding midfielder Kenny Dougall was not deemed ready to start two games in three days so was replaced by Thiam. The Frenchman played on the left of an attacking three alongside Mike Bahre and Potts in a 4-2-3-1 with Cauley Woodrow up front while Alex Mowatt and Cameron McGeehan anchored the midfield. 

The Reds took the lead in the fourth minute with a magnificent team goal. Potts started the move deep in his own half then Woodrow brilliantly flicked the ball to McGeehan who found Bahre who spread it wide to the right wing where Woodrow made progress before crossing into the area. Thiam met the ball six yards out and touched it out to the edge of the box for Potts to brilliantly smash a volley into the bottom left corner. 

McGeehan then had a 20-yard shot which was straight at goalkeeper Jed Steer while Charlton’s Karlan Grant was off-target with a 30-yard free-kick, but it was not long until Barnsley went 2-0 up.

Adam Davies threw the ball out Potts who spread it to Thiam on the left wing and he cut inside and curled a brilliant strike into the top right corner from 25 yards for his first goal for 14 matches.  Thiam then tried again from a very similar position but the effort went narrowly over the bar while Mowatt fired wide from a tight angle in the box.

Bahre almost made it 3-0 when he met a low left-wing Thiam cross eight yards out at the near post but Steer got down well to keep it out of his bottom right corner. Woodrow then sent an overhead kick wide from inside the box and Barnsley went off having dominated the first half.

Bahre had another excellent chance soon after the break when Mowatt put him clean through on goal on the right of the box but goalkeeper Steer came off his line to make a good one-on-one save. 

Woodrow’s clever touch puts Potts through and he could have squared to Bahre but shot from outside the box and the effort was well off target. 

Charlton halved the deficit with their first shot on goal. Substitute Tariqe Fosu’s free-kick hit the wall then was volleyed in from 18 yards out by Ben Reeves who found the bottom right corner. 

The visitors had a succession of corners in the seven minutes of added time with Fosu’s shot which was deflected over being the closest they came to a leveller. 

Charlton left-back Chris Solly was sent off in the 95th minute for a wild tackle on Pinillos in the Reds box having already been booked. 

Barnsley: Davies; Cavare, Pinnock, Lindsay, Pinillos; Potts (Dougall 77mins), McGeehan, Mowatt, Bahre (Brown 70); Thiam (Hedges 88), Woodrow  Subs: Greatorex, Jackson, Moncur, Adeboyejo. Yellow card: Pinnock, Cavare.  Goals: Potts 4, Thiam 14. 

Charlton team: Steer; Dijksteel, Pearce (Stevenson 64mins), Bauer, Solly; Reeves, Bielik, Pratley (Fosu 60), Marshall (Hackett-Fairchild 82); Grant, Taylor. Subs: Phillips, Morgan, Ajose, Sarpong-Wiredu. Yellow cards: Pearce, Solly, Dijksteel. Goals: Reeves 73.