BARNSLEY 1 (Ferenczi 90)
HULL CITY 3 (Marney 24 P; Ashbee 52; Windass 83)

BARNSLEY'S derby day disillusionment continued as Hull City battled and battered their way to a thoroughly deserved victory at a sodden and downbeat Oakwell.

It was more of the same as manager Simon Davey kept faith with the team that beat Watford and Preston North End as he looked for a hat trick of wins to move closer to Championship safety.

Hull went close to a dramatic opener with just a minute on the clock as Lewin Nyatanga managed to touch the ball back to goal from just inside the area. His header squirmed through Luke Steele but Dennis Souza got back quickly to hack it off the line and spare his team mate's blushes.

At the other end Jon Macken went close to a goal on six minutes as he bent one past Boaz Myhill but his effort flew agonisingly wide of the target.

Fraizer Campbell showed Oakwell a glimpse of his undoubted potential on 16 minutes as he held of Stephen Foster's challenge on the edge of the area before getting a shot away but his effort flew high over Steele's crossbar.

Hull City were given a controversial lifeline on 24 minutes as the game appeared to be slipping away from them when Souza appeared to cleanly take the ball from Campbell in the area. Souza definitely took the ball first and knocked it out of play only for referee Stuart Attwell to point to the spot. Dean Marney smashed the penalty past Steele.

Barnsley responded well with Macken bringing a smart save from Myhill two minutes later after letting fly from 30 yards before referee Attwell again gave Hull the benefit of the doubt on 28 minutes when Kayode Odejayi appeared to be pulled back by Wayne Brown in the area.

Hull got lucky on the half hour after Odejayi was again hauled to the ground on the edge of the area. Diego Leon floated in a free kick which Nyatanga managed to nod back across but Macken just could not force a finish in the scramble that followed.

Folan flashed one wide on 32 minutes as the home fans held their breath before yet another 'clumsy' challenge by Ian Ashbee gave the Reds a free kick seconds later. This time Leon went for goal but his effort flew high into the North Stand.

The Tigers were still creating half chances and Campbell really should have done better with a free header from 18 yards on 36 minutes but planted his effort into the advertising boards.

Odejayi used his pace and power to batter a hole in the Tigers defence on 39 minutes which gave Jamal Campbell-Ryce the chance to shoot but he smashed the ball well over and wide of the mark.

Marney made sure Hull continued their physical approach to the game on 46 minutes when he poleaxed Leon on half way with an outstretched arm. From the free kick Marciano Van Homoet lashed the ball high and wide.

Hull went closest to a goal on 51 minutes when Campbell was given far too much time to attack Craig Fagan's cross but his low drive was hacked away by Steele. City did grab a second just a minute later when the Barnsley defence went walkabout from Fagan's corner and Ashbee raced in to power a header past Steele and into the roof of the net.

It was almost three on 56 minutes when Campbell tricked his way towards goal and let fly from an acute angle only for Steele to brilliantly turn his shot away.

Barnsley finally found some bite in the second half on 58 minutes when a flowing move through midfield gave Bobby Hassell a shooting chance but his lashed a shot high over from 20 yards.

It was more of the same defensively on 60 minutes as Fagan raced through the left channel and shot but this time his effort flew across the face of goal and out of play.

It should have been even worse for the Reds a minute later when Folan burst through the heart of the Barnsley defence only to be strong-armed off the ball in the area by Foster. It could have easily been another penalty as the home side this time had the benefit of the referee's decision.

Barnsley struggled to deal with Fagan's corner kick delivery again on 69 minutes as this time Andy Dawson had a free header at the back stick but the full back put the ball into the ground and out of play.

The Reds finally managed a decent attempt on 76 minutes after Myhill had dropped a clanger from Hassell's looped header. The ball fell to Daniel Nardiello but the striker saw his goalbound shot deflect wide.

Hull were still by far the better team and could have been further in front had Marney not left his shooting boots in the dressing room at half time when he lashed one high over the bar from the edge of the box on 81 minutes.

Veteran Dean Windass was thrown into the action a minute later and wasted no time in putting his stamp on proceedings when he pounced onto Campbell's flick on 83 minutes and hammered a low drive through Steele and into the back of the net.

Istvan Ferenczi could have netted a small consolation on 90 minutes when he met Michael Coulson's cross but his headed flew high over the bar. The pair combined again deep in stoppage time but this time Ferenczi managed to plant his header past Myhill and into the back of the net.

BARNSLEY: Steele, Van Homoet, Foster, Souza, Nyatanga (Coulson 45), Kozluk, Campbell-Ryce (Ferenczi 77), Hassell, Leon, Macken, Odejayi (Nardiello 65).
Subs: Togwell, Letheren.

HULL CITY: Myhill, Dawson, Ashbee, Turner, Hughes, Brown, Folan (Windass 83), Ricketts, Marney, Fagan (France 77), Campbell (Walton 88).
Subs: Duke, Doyle.