Barnsley's chances of survival now look extremely remote after a second successive defeat left them seven points adrift of safety.
It is the fifth separate time this season the Reds have lost back to back games, the most in a season since 2017-2018 (6)
Barnsley have now failed to win any of their last 54 Championship matches in which they have conceded the first goal, (D11 L43) since defeating Leeds 3-2 three years ago (21st January 2017)
Barnsley fell 2-0 behind in a game for the 13th time this season (all comps)
Barnsley conceded the two goals within a minute of each other (65, 66) the first time this has occurred since November 2018 when Sunderland scored on 19 and then 20.
This was the 12th Barnsley league match to be goal-less at half time this season, and the Reds have won only one - v Middlesbrough (W1 D4 L7)
Barnsley have gone back to back league games without scoring for the first time since January and only the third time this season.
This was the fifth home game in 2019-2020 that the Reds have failed to net (all comps)
Barnsley have now won only one of their past 12 matches against Cardiff, losing eight including each of the last four.
Indeed since August 2006 Barnsley have lost 14 of the 21 clashes in all competitions.
The Bluebirds have won six of their last eights visits to Oakwell including each of the last two and five of the last six.
They have also kept clean sheets in each of their last three visits and in four of the last five.
Barnsley failed to have a single shot on target, the first time they have failed to test a goalkeeper since the FA Cup tie at Burnley in January 2019, and the first time in a league match since December 2015 when they lost 2-0 at home to Wigan in League One (they would go on to win their next seven league matches following this)
Cardiff had seven shots on target, only Swansea (8) and Stoke (9) have seen more from an opponent at Oakwell this season.
Cardiff won eight corners, only Leeds (9) have won more as the away side at Oakwell this season.
There were no bookings in a Barnsley league game for the first time in 11 matches - last occurring at Derby on the 2nd January.
It is only the second time in a league game at Oakwell this season that the referee has kept his cards in his pocket - also against Brentford in September.
This was only the third game this season (from 24) that James Linington has not produced a card but the second game in a row.
Indeed the last time he did issue a card was in a Barnsley game - the 3-0 win at Fulham.
Since recording back to back Championship clean sheets in January 2018 v Sunderland and Wolves, Barnsley have kept only eight in 56 Championship games.
Barnsley have lost 17 of the 21 Championship games in which they have conceded the first goal in 2019-2020, only managing to recover draws against Swansea, Bristol City, West Brom and Sheffield Wednesday.
Barnsley Team:
40. Brad Collins
3. Ben Williams
7. Jacob Brown
9. Cauley Woodrow
11.Conor Chaplin
14. Kilian Ludewig
16. Luke Thomas
17. Marcel Ritzmaier
18. Michael Sollbauer
24. Aapo Halme
27. Alex Mowatt (C)
Substitutes:
28. Elliot Simoes (for Brown 72)
19. Patrick Schmidt (for Chaplin 83)
Unused Substitutes:
2. Jordan Williams, 4. Kenny Dougall, 13. Jack Walton, 6. Mads Andersen, 10. Mike Bahre.
Cardiff Team:
12. Alex Smithies
2. Dion Sanderson
4. Sean Morrison (c)
16. Curtis Nelson
3. Joe Bennett
7. Leandro Bacuna
6. Will Vaulks
8. Joe Ralls
14. Albert Adomah
13. Callum Paterson
33. Junior Hoilett
Substitutions:
15. Marlon Pack (for Ralls 82)
11. Josh Murphy (for Hoilett 85)
9. Robert Glatzel (for Paterson 88)
Unused Substitutes:
1. Neil Etheridge, 5. Aden Flint, 20. Gavin Whyte, 24. Brad Smith.
Cardiff manager Neil Harris said:
"The pitch was awkward to play on and the conditions made it really difficult, but we were too literal in not playing risky football.
"At half time we talked about composure and being a bit braver and we saw some real moments in the second half.
"We had to deliver and we did in the second half, the two quick goals gave them a mountain to climb.
"The last ten games is all that matters now, it is all to play for."
Match Reports:
Sky Bet Championship results
FRIDAY 6TH MARCH 2020
Nottingham Forest (5th) 0-3 Millwall (8th)
Smith 20
Smith 26
Smith 33
SATURDAY 7TH MARCH 2020
Bristol City (7th) 1-1 Fulham (3rd)
Wells 70
Cairney 84
BARNSLEY (24th) 0-2 Cardiff City (9th)
Vaulks 65
Paterson 66
Birmingham City (16th) 1-3 Reading (14th)
Hogan 6
Miazga 51
Meite 56
Gomes 87
Brentford (4th) 5-0 Sheffield Wednesday (15th)
Dasilva 10
Marcondes 18
Mbeumo 40
Dasilva 73
Fosu-Henry 82
Charlton Athletic (22nd) 0-1 Middlesbrough (19th)
McNair 17
Leeds United (1st) 2-0 Huddersfield Town (18th)
Ayling 3
Bamford 51
Preston North End (6th) 1-3 Queens Park Rangers (13th)
Johnson pen 19
Hall 61
Manning 78
Eze 84
Stoke City (17th) 5-1 Hull City (21st)
Powell 11
Campbell pen 16
Clucas 18
Clucas 50
Da Silva Lopes 73
Powell 86
Swansea City (11th) 0-0 West Bromwich Albion (2nd)
Wigan Athletic (20th) 0-0 Luton Town (23rd)
SUNDAY 8TH MARCH 2020
Derby County (12th) 3-0 Blackburn Rovers (10th)
Sibley 26
Martin 41
Martin pen 85
Barnsley lie in 24th place in the Sky Bet Championship with 34 points from 37 games. We are 22 points outside the Play-Offs, 36 points outside the Automatic Promotion Places, 37 points outside First Place and 7 points inside the Relegation Zone.
Up to 8/3/20
Next Up:
On The Road:
Sky Bet Championship Matchday Thirty Eight: Queens Park Rangers v Barnsley, Saturday 14th March 2020. Kick-Off: 3pm
At Oakwell:
Sky Bet Championship Matchday Thirty Nine: Barnsley v Millwall, Tuesday 17th March 2020. Kick-Off: 7:45pm