Barnsley are winless in six and seven points off the play-offs after losing a lead in a 2-1 home defeat to Michael Duff’s Huddersfield Town on Saturday.

Jon Russell opened the scoring with a superb goal against his old club but the visitors netted twice in three minutes either side of the hour-mark.

The Reds were easily second best after an excellent first 20 minutes and have collected a point from their last six matches.

There was no Luca Connell, due to injury, or Adam Phillips, because his partner was due to give birth imminently, in Barnsley’s squad with Neil Farrugia and Stephen Humphrys coming into the 11. New signing Jonathan Lewis was on the bench. The Reds played 3-4-3 with Humphrys and Davis Keillor-Dunn either side of striker Clement Rodrigues who made his home debut.

Rodrigues was played into space in the box by Humphrys in the fourth minute after good work by Donovan Pines and Russell, but hesitated when he should have shot and tried to back heel a pass which was cut out.

Kelechi Nwakali then picked out Keillor-Dunn who cut in from the right wing and had a shot from just inside the box which was deflected and well-saved by the leg of goalkeeper Lee Nicholls.

Barnsley took the lead in the 14th minute when, after Huddersfield looked to break having caught Nwakali on the ball, Russell picked up possession in his half then drove to the edge of the Huddersfield box before finding the bottom right corner. It was a fantastic goal by the former Terriers man, and his sixth of the season.

Huddersfield were struggling at that point and losing the ball regularly near their goal, with Rodrigues winning it often. Keillor-Dunn got behind the defence but overhit a pass which could have put Russell through then, minutes later, Corey O’Keeffe shot over from just outside the box.

Huddersfield then were slightly on top for the rest of the half. Callum Marshall saw a shot blocked from a Dion Charles cross before Tawanda Chirewa shot over in the box after being put through by Marshall. Farrugia made a superb saving tackle when Ben Wiles looked set to fire in from a Chirewa cross after sloppy defending on the left of the box. Joe Gauci easily saved a Marshall from the edge of the box and Chirewa shot just wide from 25 yards.

Marshall’s good pass then put Charles clean through and he should have levelled but he overran it and Gauci gathered.

After the break, Gauci easily held Herbie Kane’s 30-yard effort then Marshall blasted across goal from a tight angle and Gauci eventually pounced on the ball after a scramble in the goalmouth.

Half-time substitute Josh Koroma looked certain to level on 58 minutes but his close-range header from Marshall’s left-wing cross bounced across goal and just wide.

Koroma did level seconds later as Huddersfield counter-attacked from a Barnsley attacking free-kick. O’Keeffe’s passed free-kick was straight to a Huddersfield man, amid calls for a foul on Humphrys, and Lasse Sorensen put Koroma behind the defence who he ran away from and finished well.

Two minutes later, Wiles’ free-kick from the left was allowed to creep all the away into the bottom right corner.

Very little happened for the next 20 minutes, with Lewis coming on for his debut and the Reds changing to 4-3-3. Josh Earl cut past a player in the box but his shot from a wide angle was easily saved.

Wiles was then gifted by the ball by Humphrys but shot over from the right of the box.

Young striker Josiah Dyer came on for his league debut on 88 minutes and headed a cross by fellow substitute Dexter Lembikisa but the goalkeeper caught easily.

Barnsley (3-4-3): Gauci; de Gevigney, Pines, Earl; O’Keeffe (Lembikisa 70mins), Russell, Nwakali, Farrugia (Lewis 70); Humphrys (Dyer 88), Rodrigues (Benson 63), Keillor-Dunn.

Unused: Smith, Benson, Gent, McCarthy.

Yellow cards: Farrugia, Keillor-Dunn.

Goals: Russell 14.

Huddersfield (4-3-3): Nicholls; Sorensen, Balker, Lees, Spencer; Wiles, Kane (Hogg 67mins), Kasumu (Hodge 79); Marshall (Ladapo 84), Charles (Koroma HT) Chirewa (Ruffels 67). Unused: Chapman, Turton.

Yellow cards: Chirewa, Spencer.

Goals: Koroma 59, Wiles 61.