Wolves 0 Barnsley 4 - Reds show their ruthless side to delight boss Paul Heckingbottom

Four goals in the final 17 minutes from captain Conor Hourihane, former Wolves winger Adam Hammill, Saidy Janko and Tom Bradshaw earned Barnsley an emphatic victory - their fifth in the last six games.

Hourihane deservedly gave Barnsley the lead when he latched on to the loose ball after Marley Watkins had seen two shots blocked in the 73rd minute.

Hammill then weaved into the area to finish from close range 10 minutes later before Janko collected a pass from Watkins in the 85th minute to score with a curling shot.

Janko turned provider in stoppage time to set up Bradshaw who made no mistake from six yards.

“I’m really pleased,” said manager Heckingbottom. “I said to them I was delighted at 0-0 and I was thinking this might be my favourite performance so far because of the discipline that we showed from the first whistle.

“Just after that we started to get the rewards because we should have been in front before that anyway but we started to get the rewards.

“But we showed a ruthless attitude and did not sit back at 1-0 and went for a second, third, fourth and in the end it was emphatic and it is down to their application and intensity.

“The goals reflected the way we want to play and that is the pleasing thing because that’s the effort, energy and work we put in on the training ground so the rewards are from that.

“We’ve got a group of players there we are delighted to have and everyone is performing really well and that’s what we really want and each one has got to push the other.

“The team is more important than me or any player and we are all pulling together for the same thing, to get wins.

“It’s about the next game now which is Reading and that’s it.

“If other people start expecting, it’s them that are disappointed if things don’t work out.

“We will prepare in the same way for the next game.”

By contrast, Wolves boss Walter Zenga launched a blistering attack on his players afterwards, accusing them of giving up.

“When we conceded the first goal in that moment something happened that I never want to see again in my life,” said Zenga. “The players gave up and we conceded another three goals. It is not acceptable.

“I don’t want to see my players give up because they concede one goal and make it a gift like they did in the last 15 minutes.” Wolverhampton: Ikeme, Iorfa (Ivan Cavaleiro 75), Batth, Stearman, Doherty, Price (Helder Costa 46), Coady, Oniangue, Wallace (Joao Teixeira 64), Bodvarsson, Mason. Subs Not Used: Gladon, Saville, Lonergan, Hause.

Barnsley: Davies, Yiadom, Roberts, MacDonald, White, Kent (Janko 82), Hourihane, Scowen, Hammill, Armstrong (Watkins 70), Winnall (Bradshaw 69). Subs Not Used: Townsend, Jackson, Kpekawa, Morsy. Booked: Scowen, Hammill, Watkins.

Goals: Hourihane 73, Hammill 83, Janko 85, Bradshaw 90.

Att: 18,668

Referee: Andrew Madley (West Yorkshire).