Barnsley 1 Hull City 3: Campbell's flair lends gilt edge to Hull's rising stock
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Your support makes all the difference.If a team is the sum of its parts, then the Manchester United loanee Fraizer Campbell is a large part of Hull City's sum. In last night's game at Oakwell, his craft and application picked him out as a jewel in a fairly cheap bazaar. But what are the chances of Hull, now second in the Championship, retaining his services should they make the leap to the Premier League?
"To be honest, I haven't talked about it with Sir Alex," said their manager, Phil Brown, "I'll have that conversation at the end of the season. All we have is a promise of him to the end of the season, including the play-offs if necessary."
Barnsley were without their captain, Brian Howard, while Hull lost Richard Garcia and Henrik Pedersen to injury, but Caleb Folan and Craig Fagan slipped neatly into the fold. Stephen Foster policed an ill-judged header to safety within 60 seconds of the start. At the other end, Hull gave Jon Macken too much time and space to issue a drive just past the post.
If Hull's reputation as the in-form team had preceded them, the cheeky, stray-anywhere Jamal Campbell-Ryce and the forceful Kayode Odejayi soon put the frighteners on them.
When Dennis Souza brought Campbell to earth in the 23rd minute, it seemed a harsh award in view of the way the game was going, but Dean Marney's no-nonsense spot-kick established City's lead.
Michael Coulson came on for Lewin Nyatanga at half-time as Barnsley switched to 4-4-2, a formation that was to prove their undoing.
As the hailstones turned to torrential rain, Folan, Campbell and Fagan seriously menaced the home goal. Luke Steele kicked a Campbell effort off the line, but Ian Ashbee soared to head home the resultant Marney corner.
The Tykes looked a spent force with Fagan going wide right and Folan spearheading so well with Campbell. Hull's aerial power was reaping dividends whereas the diminutive Campbell-Ryce and Leon were being starved of service.
A sublime back-heel from Campbell enabled Dean Windass to score within 30 seconds of his arrival as substitute, putting the game to bed, even though Danny Nardiello enjoyed an inspired run and laid on a volley which Ferenczi headed home for a consolation goal.
Brown added: "They've been under pressure because of their poor performance against QPR, but I knew we won six out of seven in March and I am confident of our game."
Barnsley (5-3-2): Steele; Van Homoet, Nyatanga (Coulson, h-t), Foster, Souza, Kozluk; Campbell-Ryce (Ferenczi, 77), Hassell, Leon; Odejayi (Nardiello, 65), Macken. Substitutes not used: Togwell, Letheren.
Hull City (4-4-2): Myhill; Ricketts, Brown, Turner, Dawson; Hughes, Ashbee, Marney, Folan (Windass, 82); Fagan (France, 77), Campbell (Walton, 88). Substitutes not used: Duke, Doyle.
Referee: S Atwell (Warwickshire).
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