Birmingham City 0-2 Barnsley

Steve Cotterill's Birmingham City have now lost four games in a row

Birmingham dropped back into the bottom three of the Championship as Oli McBurnie's double gave Barnsley only their second win in 19 games.

The on-loan striker volleyed the visitors in front at St Andrew's, but then had a penalty saved by David Stockdale after a foul by Marc Roberts.

McBurnie nipped in to finally double the lead from close range after beating Stockdale to Kieffer Moore's header.

Blues had chances of their own but went scoreless for the fourth game in a row.

They slipped two places to 23rd in the table, while Barnsley's first victory under new head coach Jose Morais saw them climb to 21st.

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Morais made five changes after their potentially damaging home defeat by Burton in midweek and it paid off thanks to McBurnie after Nick Townsend made an important double save early on from Jeremie Boga and Che Adams.

It was a day to forget for former Barnsley skipper Roberts, who as well as conceding the penalty when he checked McBurnie as he ran into the box, also had a goal disallowed just before the break because a team-mate was adjudged offside.

Birmingham threw players forward as they dominated the second half, but the closest they came was when Sam Gallagher squared the ball to Adams, who saw his goalbound effort blocked superbly by Liam Lindsay.

Birmingham City boss Steve Cotterill told BBC WM:

"They're unrecognisable from the team they were a month ago and the difference is confidence.

"We looked nervous as anything in the first half and there wasn't enough players getting on the ball and you can't have that.

"I don't think we are strong enough as a squad and we didn't strengthen in the window and I think we could have done with doing that. We've had a few injuries and suspensions and it's thrown us out all over the place.

"It's not nice to take the stick I take but if it's someone else managing the team in a month's time then they're in the same situation because it'll be the same players going out on the pitch."

Barnsley boss Jose Morais told BBC Radio Sheffield:

"I woke up today and said 'the sun is shining, it's a fantastic day and it will continue like that' and luckily it did.

"I want to say thank you to the supporters and don't stop believing because we will have more days like that.

"Oli McBurnie is a talented player with quality and he is an extraordinary man. I'm surprised he didn't score the penalty but maybe he wanted to add a bit more suspense to the result.

"The players are assimilating things in a quick way and I hope they continue to do this."