BARNSLEY manager Danny Wilson still believes his side can avoid relegation from the Sky Bet Championship, despite suffering a 1-0 home defeat to Leeds United.
Ross McCormack struck a 16th-minute winner for the visitors with a neat finish from Matt Smith's knock-down for his 29th goal of the season.
Barnsley, who won 2-1 at fellow strugglers Charlton earlier in the week, never threatened to stage a comeback.
Defeat leaves the Tykes three points from safety with three games left to play.
They take on Derby County at the iPro Stadium on Monday (3pm).
"It wasn't a good result, obviously, and it doesn't make it any easier, but who said it was going to be easy anyway?" Wilson said.
"We thought it was going to go right to the wire and I think I'm right. We didn't offer enough quality and I thought the game was poor. I thought it was a typical derby game without the goalmouth action.
"There were not a lot of chances and there was one bit of quality. Of all the people to fall to, it was McCormack and you didn't want it falling to him with the form that he's in at the moment. That was the difference.
"We huffed and puffed and they huffed and puffed a bit. We had good situations developing that we didn't take advantage of. It was a frustrating afternoon.
"We're ready for the challenge - we have to be. There are three big games to go and we're very confident that we can go to Derby and Middlesbrough and get results.
"If we don't believe we can do it, we might as well go home now."
