A young Town U21 side recorded a remarkable 6-3 victory over Barnsley at Playford Road on Tuesday afternoon. Mark Kennedy's side were 5-1 up at the break but the visitors had the better of the second period with keeper Michael Crowe saving a penalty.
Darren McQueen opened the scoring on six minutes when he turned and hit a cracking left-foot effort into the top corner from 25 yards out.
The visitors created their first chance soon after but George Morris's deft lob over Crowe landed just wide of the target.
However, Morris did net a deserved equaliser on 16. His initial freekick was fired into the Town wall, but the rebound fell kindly to the frontman, who struck it across Crowe and into the bottom corner from the edge of the box.
Shane McLoughlin then forced Tykes keeper Christian Dibble to palm the ball over from a close-range header, before Town left-back Ben Wyatt turned a dangerous cross from the left on to his own crossbar from inside the six-yard box.
From then on, Town took full control and scored four goals in an incredible 20-minute burst which left the visitors shell-shocked.
McQueen pulled the ball back for Kundai Benyu to stroke home from 12 yards on 25, and 10 minutes later Monty Patterson's curling freekick wasn't dealt with and Matt Clarke tucked the ball away at the back post.
Viktor Guldbrandsen added to the lead on 38 with a speculative left-footed effort which evaded everyone in the crowded penalty area and crept into the far corner of the net for his first competitive goal in a Town shirt.
A minute before the half time whistle, Patterson cut in from the right and curled a sublime effort into the top corner to complete the scoring In the opening period.
Barnsley had a great chance to pull a goal back a few minutes after the restart when Wyatt tripped Morris in the area. Morris took the spotkick himself but Crowe guessed correctly and pushed the ball to safety.
Clarke handed the visitors a lifeline on 53 when he inadvertently turned a cross from the left past his own keeper, and then Morris flashed an effort inches wide and then another on to the bar as the Yorkshire side dominated.
Morris will claim Barnsley's third on 82 after he cut back and his weak effort deflected off the unfortunate Clarke and past a stranded Crowe.
Town failed to create many chances during the second half but McQueen should have made the points safe soon after but his left-footed effort across goal went just wide of the far post.
However, sub Sam Ford did wrap the game up with four minutes remaining when he side-footed Josh Emmanuel's right-wing cross past Dibble.
The Blues dominated much of the opening period but rather lost their way after the interval.
Cory Galvin impressed with a number of dangerous breaks and Benyu ran the show from midfield in the first half in front of the watching Mick McCarthy and Terry Connor.
Meanwhile, Town's U18 side surrendered a 2-1 half-time lead in a friendly at Arsenal on Saturday and lost 3-2. James Blanchfield and Josh Emmanuel netted for Gerard Nash's youngsters.
U21s: Crowe, Emmanuel, Wyatt, Guldbrandsen, Robinson, Clarke, Galvin, Benyu, McQueen, McLoughlin (Ramadan 73), Patterson (Ford 58). Unused: McDermid, Kenlock, Blanchfield.