Mael de Gevigney was sent off in the third minute at leaders Birmingham City and Barnsley eventually lost 6-2.

The Blues took the lead from the penalty spot but Davis Keillor-Dunn levelled within a few minutes.

The hosts scored twice early in the second half and, after Stephen Humphry replied, added another three.

It was a gutsy first half display by the Reds who played with ten men for nearly the whole game but they also conceded some poor goals as they fell apart after the break.

They are now winless in seven and have taken just 12 points from their last 16, leaving them 12th in the League One table.

Conor Hourihane made three changes from the side that lost at home to Exeter on Tuesday. In came Adam Phillips, Luca Connell and Max Watters in place of Jonathan Bland, Fabio Jalo and Kelechi Nwakali.

They started off in a 4-3-3 with Conor McCarthy at left-back but soon had to change.

The Reds got off to the worst possible start as de Gevigney was sent off for bringing down Keshi Anderson following a long ball. Barnsley disputed it as Marc Roberts was covering so de Gevigney did not appear to be the last man.

The ten men nearly took the lead soon after when a right-wing corner was turned onto the post by former Birmingham man Marc Roberts.

Barnsley brought on Jonathan Bland for striker Max Watters, and he went to right-back with Corey O’Keeffe moving to the left.

Birmingham almost took the lead when Anderson shot badly wide unmarked from close range after a good run and cross by Kieran Dowell then Ethan Laird easily beat O’Keeffe in the air but blasted over from the right of the box.

Phillips forced a save out of Ryan Allsop from the edge of the box after Stephen Humphrys led a counter-attack and played him in.

O’Keeffe gifted the ball to Jay Stansfield whose shot was blocked then, at the other end, Humphrys went clean through on halfway and tried to chip the goalkeeper but did not get enough height and it was beaten away.

The Blues won a penalty when Dowell dummied a pass into the box and Anderson went through to be tripped by goalkeeper Kieren Flavell. Stansfield put the penalty into the bottom left corner as Flavell dived the correct way but could not get there.

Barnsley responded almost instantly with Keillor-Dunn’s header at the back post from a right-wing long throw bouncing in off Tomoki Iwata.

Phillips headed over at the back post from O’Keeffe’s cross after a good move down the left on the stroke of half-time.

The hosts retook the lead 90 seconds into the second half when Dowell’s right-wing corner was headed down by Roberts for Ben Davies to volley in from close range.

It was 3-1 on 56 minutes when a left-wing cross was missed by McCarthy and Alfie May headed home.

Barnsley replied on the hour when, after being found by a nice Phillips pass, Humphrys’ shot from a tight angle on the right was fumbled in by Allsop.

It should have been 4-2 when McCarthy slipped and gave the ball to May who burst into the box on the right and tried to square to Stansfield but Connell made a brilliant interception.

The hosts did score a fourth when substitute Luke Harris was put through by May and finished well.

Humphrys beat a couple of men and saw a 30-yard shot well-saved then Stansfield hit the post at the other end with a 25-yard strike before May fired over from closer in.

The fifth goal saw May lead a counter-attack and play in Dowell who beat McCarthy and Bland before finding the bottom right corner from the edge of the box.

For the sixth, substitute Nwakali lost the ball in his own half to Dowell and home sub Lukas Jutkiewicz went clean through then, after Flavell saved his first attempt, he tapped into the empty net.

Barnsley (4-3-3): Flavell; O’Keeffe (Lembikisa 86mins), de Gevigney, Roberts, McCarthy; Phillips (Jalo 72mins), Connell (Nwakali 86) Russell; Keillor-Dunn, Watters (Bland 7), Humphrys (Lewis 86).

Unused: Hayton, Barratt.

Red card: de Gevigney.

Yellow cards: Bland.

Goals: Keillor-Dunn 32, Humphrys 60.

Birmingham (4-2-3-1): Allsop; Laird (Sampsted 66mins), Klarer, Davis, Cochrane; Paik, Tomoki; Dowell, Willumsson (May 37), Stansfield, Anderson (Harris 66).

Unused: Peacock-Farrell, Hanley, Leonard, Jutkiewicz.

Yellow cards: Klarer.

Goals: Stansfield 33 (pen), Davies 47, May 56, Harris 73, Dowell 82, Jutkiewicz 89.

AS IT HAPPENED
  • GAME UNDERWAY
  • 3:01pm
    Birmingham immediately win a throw then a free-kick on the left
  • 3:02pm
    2 Left wing free-kick is headed out by Connell then, after it is crossed again from the right, he blocks a shot on the edge of the box
  • 3:03pm
    RED CARD
    De Gevigney sent off three minutes in
  • 3:05pm
    He took down a Birmingham attacker from a long ball
  • 3:05pm
    What a terrible week he's had
  • 3:06pm
    Birmingham sent the free-kick just wide
  • 3:07pm
    Barnsley corner on the right. So close to Barnsley leading1 Roberts turns the corner onto the post from close range
  • 3:07pm
    Barnsley bring Jonathan Bland on for Max Watters
  • 3:09pm
    Now Birmingham miss a big chance,. Kieran Dowell drives into the box from the right and dinks a cross to the back post when Keshi Anderson should score but unmarked he drags it wide
  • 3:09pm
    So Barnsley now playing Bland at right-back and O'Keeffe left-back,
  • 3:11pm
    Another Blues chance. Ethan Laird totally outmuscles O'Keeffe in the air to win the ball in the box then volleys over about ten yards out on the right
  • 3:12pm
    Roberts has to concede a corner on the left
  • 3:12pm
    Flavell punches out the corner and Keillor Dunn blasts clear
  • 3:12pm
    Now Anderson goes through and shoots over but the flag was up
  • 3:16pm
    Decent chance for the Reds. Humphrys leads a break and slips in Phillips whose shot from 20 yards is saved by the goalkeeper diving down to his left
  • 3:16pm
    The corner is cleared
  • 3:17pm
    Connell has to concede a corner on the left after a good run by Anderson
  • 3:18pm
    Flavell down apparently injured
  • 3:18pm
    Flavell getting treatment and Adam Hayton warming up
  • 3:19pm
    He's up now and ready for this corner on the left
  • 3:19pm
    Flavell punches the corner out and Keillor Dunn clears
  • 3:21pm
    Birmingham think they have won a corner for a cross blocked by Connell but a goal kick is given
  • 3:22pm
    Barnsley free-kick cleverly played down the left and crossed but headed behind for a corner on right
  • 3:23pm
    23 Connell corner headed out by Dowell
  • 3:23pm
    Humphrys cuts in from the left and has a shot blocked
  • 3:25pm
    25 minutes in and Barnsley are doing well in the circumstances. An even game overall
  • 3:27pm
    Birmingham attack and have a couple of crosses cleared by Roberts who eventually blocks a shot behind fort a corner on the right
  • 3:28pm
    28 Dowell corner on the right headed out by DKD
  • 3:29pm
    No chances for a while now. Birmingham don't look like the runaway leaders or the team with more players at the moment, Barnsley hanging on well
  • 3:31pm
    Big chance for the hosts. A poor O'Keeffe backpass puts Stansfield in but his shot is blocked
  • 3:31pm
    Then at the other end Humphrys suddenly goes clean through on the break and shoots from about 30 yards but it's easily beaten away
  • 3:32pm
    Penalty to Birmingham
  • 3:32pm
    Flavell on Anderson
  • 3:33pm
    GOAL!
    Jay Stansfield scores from the penalty spot after Kieren Flavell is judged to have brought down Keshi Anderson
  • 3:35pm
    GOAL!
    Davis Keillor-Dunn levels almost instantly
  • 3:37pm
    Cross from the right headed on by a defender then nodded at the back post by Keillor-Dunn. It hits Iwata and goes in. Deserved
  • 3:37pm
    Fantastic response by the Reds
  • 3:40pm
    O'Keeffe wins the ball and beats a man but makes a total mess of an attempted cross field pass and it goes out for a goal kick
  • 3:42pm
    Connell free-kick 35 yards out. Headed on by McCarthy then cleared
  • 3:45pm
    I should have said earlier that, just after Barnsley's goal, Birmingham brought on Alfie May for Willum Willumsson to go two up front
  • 3:45pm
    Seven added minutes this half
  • 3:47pm
    Barnsley will definitely take 1-1 at the break. Birmingham on top at the moment without creating a big chance for 2-1
  • 3:48pm
    Klarer shoots well over from 25 yards for the hosts
  • 3:51pm
    Decent move by the hosts but McCarthy tackles May in the box and it's a corner on the left
  • 3:51pm
    Left wing corner for the Blues. Headed out by Roberts then Iwata shoots well over from about 22 yards
  • 3:52pm
    Phillips heads over from an O'Keeffe cross
  • 3:53pm
    HALF-TIME: Birmingham 1, Barnsley 1
  • 4:09pm
    SECOND HALF BEGINS
  • 4:10pm
    McCarthy has to concede a corner on the right after slicing his first attempt at a clearance. Followed a decent move down the right
  • 4:12pm
    GOAL!
    Ben Davies puts the hosts back in front
  • 4:14pm
    Barnsley will be disappointed to concede from a set piece. A right-wing corner is headed down at the back post then volleyed in by Davies
  • 4:14pm
    Now Alfie May cuts in from the left and shoots over
  • 4:15pm
    So another really poor start to a half today for the Reds
  • 4:17pm
    Phillips plays in Russell on the right to cross but he's given offside
  • 4:19pm
    GOAL!
    Alfie May heads in
  • 4:20pm
    McCarthy misses a left wing cross and May heads home.
  • 4:22pm
    Too really sloppy goals and the game looks gone for Barnsley
  • 4:23pm
    GOAL!
    Stephen Humphrys pulls one back
  • 4:25pm
    Nice pass by Phillips to Humphrys at a very tight angle on the right of the box. It's a decent shot which is fumbled into the net by the goalkeeper
  • 4:25pm
    Game on, again
  • 4:28pm
    Two in two for Humphrys after none in 23
  • 4:29pm
    Birmingham set for a double change
  • 4:29pm
    Stansfield wins a corner on the left
  • 4:30pm
    Corner half cleared and Iwata shot blocked behind for corner which is cleared again
  • 4:30pm
    Flavell down again
  • 4:31pm
    Blues bring on Alfons Sampsted for Ethan Laird and Luke Harris for Keshi Anderson
  • 4:32pm
    McCarthy gets away with one. He slips and gifts the ball to Harris who should set up Stansfield to score but Connell brilliantly cuts the pass out
  • 4:35pm
    Birmingham having a good spell. Phillips has to concede a corner on the left
  • 4:35pm
    Left wing Blues corner headed out by Keillor Dunn then Connell
  • 4:35pm
    Jalo on for Phillips
  • 4:36pm
    A decent effort from Phillips today after being brought back in. Assist
  • 4:36pm
    GOAL!
    Luke Harris nets
  • 4:38pm
    He's put clean through on goal by, I think, Alfie May and finishes well
  • 4:38pm
    Humphrys goes on a good run and shoots from about 30 yards but it's pushed out of the bottom left corner
  • 4:40pm
    Birmingham free-kick on the left. Free-kick hits a Birmingham man then Jalo wins a free-kick just outside the box
  • 4:43pm
    Roberts long throw on the right is cleared as is his follow-up cross
  • 4:44pm
    Stansfield hits the post from 25 yards
  • 4:45pm
    May shoots over from close range after Blues pass their way into the box. This score could be anything in the end
  • 4:46pm
    GOAL!
    Kieran Dowell adds another
  • 4:48pm
    May leads a counter attack and finds Dowell who beats a couple of defenders and finds the bottom right corner from the edge of the box
  • 4:50pm
    Barnsley bring on Dexter Lembikisa for O'Keeffe, Jon Lewis for Humphrys and Kelechi Nwakali for Connell
  • 4:52pm
    Russell is tackled, he thinks it's a foul but none given and he's conceded a corner on the left
  • 4:54pm
    GOAL!
    Lukas Jutkiewicz makes it six
  • 4:55pm
    Nwakali, who has only just come on, tackled by Dowell deep in his half, and Jutkiewicz goes clean through. Flavell saves his first effort but the next is tapped into the open net
  • 4:59pm
    FULL-TIME: Birmingham 6, Barnsley 2.