Seeking to record a tenth straight home victory, the Reds - on their best run of form at Oakwell since 1914-15 - were firmly in proceedings against a promotion-chasing Ipswich side until uncharacteristically sloppy concessions on the strike of half-time gave the hosts a 2-0 interval advantage.

Nathan Broadhead headed in the opener after capitalising on slack marking from a Lief Davis and George Hirst outmuscled Mads Andersen to soon add another from another Davis assist.

Broadhead missed a penalty for the second-placed visitors on the restart after Andersen fouled Wes Burns with ex-Reds striker adding a late third for the Tractor Boys - on a night when Sheffield Wednesday were hoping for a favour from their near-neighbours.

It was also a night when the Reds' own slim hopes of finishing in the top two officially ended.

Duff, whose side lost for the first time on home soil since January 2, said: "We got beaten by a good team. It sounds a stupid comment, but I thought we were the better team in the first half and we go 2-0 down.

"In the big games, it's big moments. If you strip it right back, they missed a penalty which wasn't a penalty in my opinion and we conceded a goal from a set-play and conceded from two straight balls down the pitch.

"For all their good football, we shot ourselves in the foot. With the couple of chances they have had, they have taken them and with the moments we had, we didn't quite do it.

"If we are going to get beaten, I'd rather get beaten playing the way we play. We wanted to get in their faces and press them and we showed some good quality and good passages of play.

"But ultimately, we shoot ourselves in the foot with poor goals, which was unlike us. It's very rarely that someone whacks the ball down the pitch and we get caught like that. Credit to them, they are a good team with good players.

"But there are positives within it, once you take away the emotion of the game.

"We were beaten 3-0 at home earlier this season and the reaction of the supporters who were here and stayed until the end told you everything.

"We have talked all season about building relationships with the team and supporters and if we'd been beaten 3-0 earlier in the season, we'd have been booed off. They got clapped off today as we'd just broken a 100-year record.

"There's lots of positives. Most people would have taken fourth in the league. Yes, it's disappointing as we have been chasing the top three for a long, long time. We were brave and got beaten and move on.

"This game was based on moments and that's what the big games are (based on)."

Barnsley had to make do without influential midfielder Luca Connell, who missed the game through illness with Jon Russell handed his first start at Oakwell - and just the third of his Reds career so far.

Duff added: "He (Connell) reported sickness and was sick several times on Sunday night and Monday morning. But you need to be able to play without (key) players. Everyone gets injuries, sickness and suspensions.

"Jon has not had loads of football, but will be better for it. He started the game a little bit sloppy but grew into it. Luca has been one of our best players this season, so you are always going to miss him.

"But I don't think we are a one-man team and have showed that in this run. Everyone will be needed."

Barnsley FC's Michael Duff on Luca Connell, Jon Russell and praise for fans after Reds 'shoot themselves in the foot' against Ipswich