The Reds spurned several good chances to take the lead in the first half of the game but were unable to score past visiting goalkeeper Brad Collins.
Hughton said: “We did have clear chances. I think in any game there are going to be a percentage of chances and you have to hope that they are clear ones. We got the ball into some good areas that I wish we could have capitalised on a bit more.
“I will give the boys credit because both clear chances were in the first half and heads could have dropped but they didn’t because you can’t afford to do that against a team as direct and as physical as Barnsley, but I was very frustrated that we were unable to put those chances away.”
At the other end, Forest defended sternly to ensure Barnsley were unable to find a way through themselves, as the game ended in a stalemate. Hughton acknowledged the difficulty of the test that Barnsley gave, and praised his defence’s resilience.
“It was a tough game against a very direct team, they have a lot of physicality in their team and first and foremost you have to match that. From a defensive aspect I thought we did well to limit them to minimal half chances.
They had the wind behind them in the second half so everything that went long from them went further and I think you’ve got to give us credit because we had to defend well because Barnsley have some quality that can strike from distance and you’ve got to be consistent enough in your defending to be able to cope with that.”
Filip Krovinovic made his first start for Forest since his arrival on loan from Benfica and put in a soild performance that Hughton hopes he can build on.
He continued: “I thought he [Krovinovic] did very well in what was a difficult game. The position that he played in always had a lot of bodies around him because Barnsley pressed really well, so it wasn’t the ideal type of game for him.
“But, he was still very much involved in the chances that we created and showed good vision to put Anthony [Knockaert] through. I was pleased with his contribution and I’m looking forward to getting more from him.”
Up next for Forest are two crucial fixtures against Coventry City and Wycombe Wanderers, which offers a chance to get back to winning ways and accumulate some points.