It doesn't look like the misery for Peterborough United will end anytime soon after Barnsley cruised to victory at London Road

And it’s tough to see it ending any time soon. This is a team bereft of confidence, which is a huge concern given it’s bottom club Burton Albion – who came close to a monster upset win at Huddersfield today – next up in what is now a vital contest. The gap to the relegation zone is narrowing by the game.

Posh boss Darren Ferguson shook his side up again and made a rare change to his formation, but until the basics are mastered this is a squad with seemingly little hope. Passes regularly went astray while the defending remains haphazard at best.

Posh did reach half-time on level terms, but Barnsley scored twice with free shots in the opening 10 minutes of the second period. Posh were gifted a lifeline when the visitors gave away a penalty from the first corner they had conceded all game 16 minutes from time, but the latest lamentable referee to pitch up at the Weston Homes Stadium sent off Harley Mills soon afterwards so a third Barnsley goal seemed inevitable and it duly arrived.

In truth it was the least the Tykes deserved. They dominated territory against a Posh team who are getting caught between two styles of play. The press is rarely beaten by incisive passing so long balls are tried with predictable results. It’s a mess, especially as the defence remains horribly unreliable, and the January transfer window is now of vital importance to stop Posh sinking any further.

Ferguson predictably rang the changes after the Boxing Day debacle. In came senior defenders Emmanuel Fernandez, Oscar Wallin and Jack Sparkes, as well as forward Chris Conn-Clarke and captain Hector Kyprianou. Out went teenage full-backs James Dornelly and Mills, club enigma Joel Randall and wide man Cian Hayes, while George Nevett was suspended. Dornelly and Randall didn’t even make the squad, but Sam Curtis returned from the wilderness as did Bradley Ihionvien.

Posh deployed a midfield diamond with Archie Collins at the base and Conn-Clarke at the tip. Ryan De Havilland in particular looked all at sea on the left of it.

Barnsley made just one change to the side that won impressively at Bolton Wanderers last time out with Barry Cotter replacing George Gent at the back. The Tykes came into the game with an impressive seven wins from 11 away games.

And the visitors looked the more confident side in the opening stages. Fernandez sliced a cross over his own cross bar in the first minute and Davis Keillor-Dunn head over from close range in the fifth minute as Posh struggled to settle. They needed goalkeeper Nicholas Bilokapic to ride the rescue in the 19th minute after Max Watters had escaped behind the home defence. Four minutes later Jon Russell fired wide from the edge of the penalty area.

But Posh did eventually start getting on the ball and in the 28th minute the front three combined with Conn-Clarke freeing Jones. His cross was deflected slightly behind Malik Mothersille and his left-foot stab was saved by the foot of Barnsley goalkeeper Ben Killop.

Posh had other promising moments without testing Killop again as the game meandered to half-time at 0-0, but hopes of that first League One clean sheet of the season were soon dashed. Three minutes after the re-start the defence fumbled about when an innocuous ball came into the area with Donovan Pines drilling the ball home. It was 2-0 from a corner seven minutes later that was passed into the path of Keillor-Dunn who also finished emphatically

Posh made three substitutions and reverted to their more familiar formation, but they barely improved. Passes were either intercepted or mis-directed off the pitch, until a silly visiting defender decided to drag Fernandez down, apparently at least, from a corner that was sailing harmlessly out of play. Malik Mothersille maintained his 100 per cent record from the penalty spot with ease, but the promise of a comeback disappeared four minutes when Mills was sent off for a hefty challenge on Corey O’Keefe. Referee Alex Chilowicz rushed across to show an instant red card, a decision that could well be appealed.

And that was that. Russell strolled unchallenged down the centre of the pitch before scoring from 20 yards to give the final scoreline a more realistic look and to send Posh fearfully into 2025.

Posh: Nicholas Bilokapic, Jack Sparkes (sub Harley Mills, 58 mins), Emmanuel Fernandez, Oscar Wallin, Jadel Katongo (sub Sam Curtis 58 mins), Archie Collins, Hector Kyprianou, Malik Mothersille, Ryan De Havilland (sub Cian Hayes, 58 mins), Chris Conn-Clarke (sub Abraham Odoh, 83 mins), Ricky-Jade Jones.

Unused subs: Will Blackmore, Donay O’Brien-Brady, Bradley Ihionvien

Barnsley: Ben Killip, Barry Cotter (sub Georgie Gent, 75 mins), Jonathan Russell, Donovan Pines, Mael de Gevigney, Corey O’Keeffe, Adam Phillips (sub Kelechi Nwakali. 75 mins), Conor McCarthy, Max Watters (sub Sam Cosgrove, 62 mins), Davis Keillor-Dunn (sub Aiden Marsh, 90 mins), Luca Connell

Unused subs: Jackson Smith, Kyran Lofthouse, Vimal Yoganathan,

GOALS: Posh – Mothersille (pen, 74 mins).

Barnsley – Pines (48 mins), Keillor-Dunn (55 mins), Russell (86 mins).

SENDING-OFF: Posh – Mills (serious foul play).

CAUTIONS: Posh – Ferguson (manager, dissent).

Barnsley – Pines (deliberate handball), O’Keeffe (dissent)

REFEREE: Alex Chilowicz 5.

Attendance: 9,404 (1,381 Barnsley)