Barnsley’s winless run stretched to five games with a 1-1 draw at Wigan Athletic on Saturday.

Davis Keillor-Dunn scored a phenomenal eighth-minute opener but the hosts levelled from a defensive mix-up late on.

The Reds are still 11th in the League One table while they have collected just 12 points from the last 14 games.

Conor Hourihane made four changes from the side that started against Cambridge a week ago. Luca Connell, Adam Phillips and Donovan Pines dropped to the bench, while Josh Benson is injured. In came teenagers Jonathan Bland and Fabio Jalo, who both made their first league starts, as well as Marc Roberts and Jon Russell. Jalo played up front with Max Watters while Keillor-Dunn was just behind them in a 3-4-1-2 formation.

Wigan started on top and were denied a certain goal in the sixth minute when Bland brilliantly cleared off Chris Sze’s toes a few yards out after Marc Roberts was far too easily beaten by Dale Taylor on the right of the box.

But it was the visitors who took the lead. The Reds wanted the referee to play advantage on the counter-attack but they took full advantage of the free-kick awarded 30- yards out as Keillor-Dunn brilliantly curled it into the top left corner.

Wigan missed a huge chance to level soon after when, after Taylor easily beat Roberts again, this time on the left touchline, he was clean through but denied by a fine one-on-one save from young goalkeeper Kieren Flavell when he could have squared for a team-mate to tap in.

Flavell saved Jonny Smith’s shot from a tight angle on the left of the box after Barnsley lost the ball again and Taylor played in his team-mate.

Barnsley survived a period of Wigan pressure but cut out the defensive errors and finished the first half the stronger.

Wigan’s Scott Smith and Barnsley’s Jalo both had shots from long-range easily saved before Conor McCarthy turned in a Corey O’Keeffe free-kick but the flag was up for offside.

Very little happened in the first half of the second half, before Flavell easily saved a looping header from a free-kick.

But Wigan levelled on 78 minutes through a defensive mix-up. Flavell came out to the edge of his box but neither he or Mael de Gevigney got to the ball and it ran clean for substitute Asamoah Junior to tap into an empty net.

Wigan were very lucky not to have Jason Kerr sent off when he clearly and cynically brought down substitute Stephen Humphrys but the referee only issued a yellow.

Home goalkeeper Sam Tickle saved well from Jon Russell – who met a free-kick by substitute Connell – then a powerful Humphrys shot on the left.

Flavell made a remarkable one-handed save in injury-time, springing to his left to deny Joe Hungbo after a free-kick was half-cleared.

Barnsley (3-4-1-2): Flavell; de Gevigney, Roberts, McCarthy; Bland (Barratt 90mins), Nwakali, Russell, O’Keeffe; Jalo (Connell 70), Watters (Humphrys 80), Keillor-Dunn.

Unused: Hayton, Pines, Lewis, Phillips.

Yellow cards: Jalo.

Goals: Keillor-Dunn 8.

Wigan (3-4-3): Tickle; Carragher, Kerr, Aimson; Dale (McManaman 62mins), S Smith, Norburn, J Smith (McHugh 85); Darcy (Hungbo 80), Taylor, Sze (Asamoah 62)

Unused: Watson, Mellish, Robinson.

Yellow cards: Dale, Tickle.

Goals: Asamoah 78.