Dean Marney made one and scored one to help haul Hull into the automatic promotion places in the Championship and halt Barnsley's recent renaissance.

Marney held his nerve to convert a crucial first-half penalty after Dennis Souza felled Fraizer Campbell and then set up Ian Ashbee for his side's second.

Substitute Dean Windass added a third with his first touch to take his tally for the season to 13 and wrap up three precious points for Phil Brown's men.

The Tigers, who have now lost just once in the last nine games, controlled proceedings from virtually start to finish at Oakwell, with Campbell producing yet another eye-catching display.

The 20-year-old striker, on-loan from Manchester United, terrorised the Tykes, who remain perched above the relegation zone and pulled a goal back late on through Istvan Ferenczi.

There was plenty of added spice to this Yorkshire derby, if it was needed, with both teams needing the points for very different reasons at the opposite ends of the table.

Barely 30 seconds had gone when Hull were almost gifted what would have been a bizarre opener.

Lewin Nyatanga cushioned a seemingly routine header back to Luke Steele from the edge of the penalty area, but the advancing goalkeeper stumbled and watched on in disbelief as the ball trickled past him towards the empty net.

Fortunately for Steele and the Tykes, however, a covering defender was back in time to hack clear off the goal-line in a breathless opening.

Jon Macken curled a low 25-yard effort wide five minutes later and Campbell, in front of the watching England Under-21 manager Stuart Pearce, also volleyed just off-target.

Campbell's trademark pace and trickery proved crucial after 24 minutes as he surged towards the byline before being up-ended by Souza and referee Stuart Attwell had no hesitation in awarding a penalty.

Marney - who was also on target in Hull's 3-0 win over the Tykes at the KC Stadium earlier in the season - stepped up and drilled the resulting spot-kick into Steele's left-hand corner.

The hosts responded well to going behind as Macken fired a well-struck 20-yard drive at goalkeeper Boaz Myhill and Rob Kozluk rippled the side-netting shortly before half-time from an acute angle after linking up well with Diego Leon.

But it proved a false dawn for Barnsley as Hull doubled their lead seven minutes into the second period.

After Steele had turned behind Campbell's close-range strike, Marney produced an inch-perfect delivery from the resulting corner and the unmarked Ashbee headed powerfully home from six yards.

Campbell continued to torment a now shell-shocked home defence as he jinked past several challenges before being denied acrobatically by Steele.

Hull then had claims for a second penalty waved away after Caleb Folan and Stephen Foster tangled as the Tigers threatened to run riot.

Fifteen minutes from time, substitute Daniel Nardiello headed Leon's corner over before Brown sent on Windass at the expense of Folan.

The evergreen frontman wasted little time in getting into the thick of the action as he immediately latched on to Campbell's neat back-heel on the edge of the penalty area and unleashed a low drive which squirmed under Steele's body.

There was still time for Ferenczi to bundle home Michael Coulson's right-wing cross from close range in added time, but it was mere consolation for Simon Davey's side.

Teams

Barnsley Steele, Van Homoet, Nyatanga (Coulson 46), Foster,Kozluk, Campbell-Ryce (Ferenczi 77), Hassell, Leon, Souza,Macken, Odejayi (Nardiello 65).

Subs Not Used: Letheren, Togwell.

Goals: Ferenczi 90.

Hull Myhill, Ricketts, Brown, Turner, Dawson, Hughes, Ashbee,Marney, Fagan (France 77), Folan (Windass 82),Campbell (Walton 88).

Subs Not Used: Duke, Doyle.

Goals: Marney 24 pen, Ashbee 52, Windass 83.

Att: 13,061

Ref: Stuart Attwell (Warwickshire).