Barnsley were made to rue the silly sending off of defender Dimitri Cavare as they fell to a 3-1 defeat to in-form Fulham at Oakwell.
A scrappy goal from Liam Lindsay gave Barnsley a first half lead before The Tykes defender Cavare was sent off. Ryan Sessegnon got Fulham back into it early in the second half before a scrappy goal from Kevin McDonald and further goal from Sessegnon earned the visitors the three points.
Barnsley started the match well and Stevie Mallan’s thunderous long range strike forced a save from visiting keeper Marcus Bettinelli.
Kieffer Moore had Bettinelli slightly worried with a looping header from a throw in before Barnsley took the lead just after the half hour mark when Fulham failed to clear a corner kick and Lindsay bundled the ball into the net from 10 yards. Fulham were unhappy that the goal had been allowed with Bettinelli claiming that he had been impeded on the goal-line.
The West Londoners offered little going forward and strikes into the side-netting from Oliver Norwood and Rui Fonte were the closest which Fulham came to levelling matters in the first half.
Slavisa Jokanovic’s men were handed a huge boost going into the half time interval when Barnsley defender Cavare was given his marching orders after pushing Stefan Johansen. Cavare needlessly got involved in the incident when having already been booked just six minutes earlier.
Fulham levelled matters just four minutes into the second half when Sessegnon fired the ball into the net from close range after Ryan Fredericks’ initial shot had cannoned back off the post.
Just after the hour, The Whites threatened to take the lead but substitute Neeskens Kebano curled a shot just over the bar after cutting in from the left before captain McDonald dragged a low effort wide.
Barnsley almost regained the lead against the run of play but Hedges’ powerful strike could only sting the palms of Bettinelli.
At the other end, Adam Davies pulled off an excellent save to divert an Aboubakar Kamara header around the post before Tomas Kalas could only head an effort straight at the Barnsley keeper.
The Whites midfielder Norwood then had two late efforts on goal which struggled to test Davies before Fulham finally took the lead in stoppage time with a goal which captain McDonald will try to claim but is one for the ‘Dubious Goals Panel’ to decide with several players having crowded on the line.
Slavisa Jokanovic’s men wrapped up the win deep in second half stoppage time when Sessegnon tapped the ball into the net following a cross from the right.
