Barnsley ended their seven-match losing run with a 2-1 victory over bottom club Derby County in the first game following the sacking of Markus Schopp.
The visitors took the lead but Victor Adeboyejo netted his first goal in 38 games just before the break then Aaron Leya Iseka made it 2-1 to the hosts five minutes into the second half.
The win ended a 13-game run without victory since August and moved the Reds up a place to third-bottom.
Barnsley, under caretaker Joe Laumann, struggled at times in the first half but impressively turned the match around and deserved the win overall.
Laumann – who was in charge of the team after Schopp's sacking earlier in the week – made three changes from the side that lost at Bristol City on Saturday.
Callum Styles, who returned from injury, came into the side along with Josh Benson and Victor Adeboyejo. Devante Cole, Jordan Williams and Liam Kitching dropped to the bench. Obbi Oulare was back on the bench after illness. Jasper Moon moved into the back three after a stint in central midfield.
Derby started on top and Tom Lawrence forced Brad Collins into a decent save with a low shot from the left of the box after Benson lost the ball in a dangerous area.
But Barnsley then had a good spell and, from the third of three corners in quick succession, a scramble ended in Phil Jagielka turning the ball towards his own goal and goalkeeper Kelle Roos making a fine reaction save.
Roos then denied Aaron Leya Iseka from five yards out with a point blank save after he headed Callum Brittain's right-wing cross.
Collins then palmed Ravel Morrison's powerful 25-yard drive wide of his right post, but he was beaten seconds later.
A cross from the left by Craig Forsyth was headed out by Moon then headed back into the box by Morrison and the home defence allowed the ball to drop then Lawrence to pass to Sam Baldock who beat Collins from seven yards out.
Barnsley looked stunned by the goal but, out of nowhere, Adeboyejo levelled in the 40th minute when he cut in from the right wing and hit a 15-yard shot which appeared to take a deflection as it went past Roos and in at the near post. It was his first goal since December.
The Reds then took the lead five minutes after the interval as Brittain's clever free-kick over the top put Leya Iseka clean through on goal and he blasted into the top left corner from the right.
Curtis Davies then headed well wide from a right-wing corner before, at the other end, Barnsley thought they should have had a penalty for a trip on Styles by Nathan Byrne.
Derby substitute Louie Sibley saw a 20-yard shot pushed over by Collins then the resulting corner was headed wide by Knight.
Derby almost levelled in the 93rd minute when Buchanan's header from Morrison's cross hit the crossbar then the follow-up was cleared off the line by Mads Andersen.
Barnsley (3-4-3): Collins; Moon, Helik, Andersen; Brittain, Gomes (Palmer 78mins), Benson, Styles (J Williams 63); Adeboyejo (Cole 68), Woodrow, Iseka.
Unused: Walton, Oduor, Oulare, Kitching.
Yellow cards: Andersen.
Goals: Adeboyejo 40, Iseka 50.
Derby: Roos; Byrne, Jagielka, Davies, Forsyth (Buchanan HT); Morrison, Bird, Knight, Baldock (Sibley 78); Kazim-Richards (Ebosele 67mins), Lawrence.
Unused: Allsop, Buchanan, Stearman, Aghatise, Ebosele, Jozwiak, Sibley.
Yellow cards: Byrne.
Goals: Baldock 25.
AS IT HAPPENED
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7:48pm
1 Derby attack down the left and Andersen concedes a corner
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7:49pm
2 Minor scramble after the corner then Benson is fouled
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7:50pm
3 Derby have started well. Benson loses the ball in the middle and Knight passes to Tom Lawrence whose shot from the left of the area is saved by Collins diving to his right. First chance
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7:54pm
8 Barnsley corner on the right. Benson takes. It's headed out to left, Styles crosses and it's headed behind for another corner
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7:55pm
9 Benson's corner on the right is headed out again
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7:55pm
9 Barnsley win a third corner in about two minutes after a low cross on the right is blocked behind
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7:57pm
Barnsley so close to the opener! Chaos after a third Benson corner in about two minutes. It looks like Jagielka almost scored an own goal but goalkeeper Roos kept it out. 0-0
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7:57pm
11 Another huge chance for the hosts. Brittain's excellent cross from the right picks out Iseka five yards out at the back post but his header is blocked by Roos
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8:01pm
So a very good spell for the hosts, who will think they should be ahead. A bright start overall
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8:02pm
Nathan Byrne booked after tripping up Styles who had been picked out by a fantastic Benson pass then drove to about 25 yards out before being felled
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8:03pm
16 Free-kick blocked by the wall but the Reds have a corner on the left
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8:03pm
17 Benson's corner us punched out by Roos then his next cross is headed away
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8:05pm
18 Helik concedes a corner on the right, from Derby's first attack for at least ten minutes
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8:05pm
19 The right-wing corner is cleared
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8:06pm
The match has settled down a little bit after a busy first ten minutes
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8:10pm
23 Collins makes his second save of the match. pushing Ravel Morrison's powerful 25-yard shot wide of the left post
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8:11pm
Sam Baldock opens the scoring
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8:15pm
Disappointing defending. A cross from the left is headed out by Moon then headed back into the box and the hosts are static as Lawrence (I think) passes deep in the area to Baldock who beats Collins one-on-one
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8:21pm
Not a great deal has happened since the goal but the Reds do seem knocked by it, with Derby having a lot of the ball
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8:22pm
The hosts will be very annoyed with the defending for that opener. It ruined a reasonable 25 minutes and has made the atmosphere flat
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8:24pm
38 Derby free-kick on the right. Max Bird takes it. Collins catches
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8:26pm
Victor Adeboyejo levels. It's his first goal in 38 games
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8:30pm
Out of absolutely nowhere, he cuts in from the right wing and fires a shot past the goalkeeper who possibly should have done better. A big moment as Barnsley had offered very little after a positive first ten minutes
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8:34pm
HALF-TIME: Barnsley 1, Derby 1. The visitors took the lead but Adeboyejo ended a long barren run with an equaliser just before the break
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8:49pm
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8:54pm
Aaron Leya Iseka puts the Reds in front. The Ponty End goes wild.
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8:56pm
The man of the moment makes it three goals in as many games. A quick free-kick from Callum Brittain over the Derby defence puts him clean through and he smashes in
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8:59pm
55 Helik concedes a corner on the right.
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8:59pm
56 Curtis Davies heads well wide from a right-wing corner
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9:00pm
57 Callum Styles goes down in the box but the referee does not give a penalty
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9:04pm
Barnsley are playing very well now. They are passing the ball around with confidence and causing one of the best defences in the division problems
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9:05pm
61 Great cross field pass from Brittain to Styles, whose cross is sliced behind for a corner
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9:07pm
Barnsley's first change. Jordan Williams comes on for Callum Styles
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9:11pm
Two thirds of the way through the game now. This is a massive opportunity for Barnsley to end their awful run. They have played well and deserve the lead. Can they see the game out? That's been a big problem this season.
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9:12pm
Derby bring Festy Ebosele on for Colin Kazim Richards
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9:15pm
70 Benson's right-wing corner is headed by Cole but half-cleared to Gomes whose shot from just inside the box is blocked
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9:17pm
73 Barnsley win another corner. Derby defending almost all the time
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9:17pm
73 Benson's left wing corner is caught by Roos
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9:20pm
Claudio Gomes down injured for a minute or so but now up
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9:21pm
Derby bring on Louie Sibley for scorer Sam Baldock
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9:22pm
The Rams have had a good last few minutes, with sub Ebosele causing problems on the left including a cross that was blocked
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9:22pm
Gomes – who has been much better today than Saturday – replaced by Romal Palmer
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9:23pm
79 Sibley's 20-yard effort is pushed over by Collins
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9:23pm
79 Knight heads the resulting corner wide
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9:25pm
Mads Andersen booked for tripping Ebosele 25 yards out on the left
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9:26pm
82 Max Bird's free-kick is headed out then Morrison's shot is blocked
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9:32pm
Heading towards injury time now. Derby still pressing but with no real end product
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9:34pm
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9:36pm
90+2 Curtis Davies shot is deflected behind for a corner
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9:37pm
90+2 Left wing corner flicked on then Williams does well to tackle and it goes behind for another corner
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9:39pm
90+3 Derby hit the crossbar through Buchanan then Helik clears off the line
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9:39pm
90+4 Free-kick to Derby on the left. Bird swings it in.It is cleared
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9:41pm
FULL-TIME: Barnsley 2, Derby 1, The Reds come from behind to end their seven-game losing run
