Hull moved to within two points of Coca-Cola Championship safety after a 2-0 home win against erratic Burnley.

Dean Marney's early breakthrough and Craig Fagan's penalty gave the home team the platform for this important victory, which will have given Phil Brown plenty of clout in his efforts to become the new permanent boss at the KC Stadium.

Brown will also be delighted with the spirit and endeavour of his players, who blitzed their Lancashire opponents with a well-worked opener and a deserved spot-kick in the first half.

While Hull fans can dare to look to the future with cautious optimism, the Clarets must be bemused by their side's recent slump. Burnley have taken three points from a possible 18 and are now some way adrift of the play-off places.

Although they went toe to toe with Hull after the restart, their first-half display alone suggests things may get worse before they get better for the Turf Moor outfit, who found themselves 1-0 down after just six minutes.

Fagan, curiously unmarked on the left flank, skipped past right-back Stephen Foster and then cut the ball across the face of goal with his left foot.

Former Tottenham midfielder Marney timed his run perfectly and thumped the ball past Brian Jensen from 10 yards to give Hull the edge.

Brown's men continued to impress and doubled their lead from the penalty spot after 23 minutes.

Jon Parkin's neat flick inside the visitors' 18-yard box fell to Nick Barmby, who was crudely brought down by Jon Harley in front of referee Graham Laws.

Fagan, set to be the subject of much transfer speculation when the January transfer window reopens, made no mistake with a decisive low finish.

Steve Cotterill had seen enough and replaced Foster and James O'Connor with Kyle Lafferty and John McGreal on the half-hour mark.

Burnley improved after the double substitution but came across a Hull defence who showed the necessary steel to repel an intense wave of aerial attacks just before the break.

The away side also started the second half brightly and would have halved their two-goal handicap four minutes after the restart had it not been for Bo Myhill's firm parry off Gifton Noel-Williams' blast.

Wade Elliott should then have done better with a scraped shot across goal, while Burnley captain Wayne Thomas saw his effort dip just over the crossbar.

But for all the visitors' probing, it was Hull who nearly went 3-0 up when Parkin's point-blank strike off a fine Barmby delivery was excellently saved by Jensen.

With Cotterill's men out of ideas, the excellent Marney then broke down the right and crossed to Fagan, who struck the bottom of the crossbar from six yards.

Myhill's outstanding tip-over from a deflected effort late on ensured Burnley left the KC Stadium well beaten - and Hull holding realistic claims for Championship survival.

Teams:

Hull Myhill, France, Turner, Delaney, Dawson, Marney, Ashbee,Livermore, Barmby (Forster 75), Parkin (Elliott 79),Fagan (Featherstone 89).

Subs Not Used: Duke, Ricketts.

Booked: Delaney, Barmby, Marney.

Goals: Marney 6, Fagan 23 pen.

Burnley Jensen, Thomas, Duff, Foster (McGreal 30), Harley,Elliott, James O'Connor (Lafferty 30), McCann (Mahon 46),Jones, Hyde, Noel-Williams.

Subs Not Used: Garreth O'Connor, Branch.

Booked: Duff, Elliott, Thomas.

Att: 17,731

Ref: G Laws (Tyne & Wear).