Barnsley 2 Hull 1: Tigers pay the penalty as Reds hold on for win

The reason for the unease could be found on the inside back page, namely a statistical analysis of the Championship, and in particular a table revealing the grounds where the most goals had been scored this season.

Peterborough United’s London Road was top with an impressive average of 4.29 goals per game.

Elland Road led the way in Yorkshire, while the homes of both Barnsley and Hull City could be found languishing near the foot of the table.

Any fears, however, that this was destined to be a dour affair were blown away in a breathless contest that left the result in doubt right up until the final whistle.

That Barnsley were the side who emerged triumphant from a game where the visitors created more goalscoring opportunities was down to cool strikes from Craig Davies and Andy Gray.

Hull, though, deserve tremendous credit for the positive manner in which they took the game to their hosts.

In fact, but for some wasteful finishing – and in particular a first-half penalty miss by Matty Fryatt – plus downright bad luck when Aaron Mclean’s spectacular overhead kick crashed against the crossbar during the second half, Hull could have returned to the East Riding with all three points.

All the goals came in the second half, Barnsley taking the lead within 148 seconds of the restart courtesy of a flowing move that ripped open the visitors’ defence.

It ended with Gray looking up and picking out Davies, who fired an unstoppable shot past Adriano Basso and into the net.

If Basso could do little about that strike, the same cannot be said for Barnsley’s second goal just before the hour when he spilled Daniel Drinkwater’s shot at the feet of Gray and he converted with ease.

Considering the number of gilt-edged opportunities Hull had created before Barnsley’s double strike, Nigel Pearson’s side could have buckled once two down.

Credit, therefore, is due to Hull for the manner in which they refused to concede defeat until referee Philip Gibbs blew the final whistle to bring one of the games of the season to a close.

By then, Hull had already pulled a goal back thanks to a precise finish from 15 yards out by Fryatt.

It was no more than Hull had deserved for a terrific attacking display that had seen former Peterborough United striker Mclean hit the crossbar with a spectacular overhead kick in between Barnsley’s two goals.

Luke Steele had also turned away a stinging effort from Paul McKenna and somehow clawed to safety a deflected shot by Fryatt that seemed destined for the net.

Once the arrears had been reduced, Hull really stepped up a gear but could not find the equaliser their play deserved as Dele Adebola and Mclean both wasted good opportunities.

Instead, Barnsley held on and almost grabbed a third when only a goalline clearance by Joe Dudgeon prevented Davies from putting the game beyond doubt near the end.

The end-to-end drama of the second half had been completely in keeping with the opening 45 minutes as the 9,869 crowd were kept enthralled as both teams created and missed a host of chances.

The tone was set inside 10 minutes when Gray somehow headed wide after Basso had flapped at a cross from Jay McEveley.

Gray’s spurning of such an inviting opportunity was followed by misses at the opposite end by Jack Hobbs and Robert Koren, the latter coming after Luke Steele had beaten away a stinging shot from Dudgeon.

There then followed a quite amazing eight-minute period in which both sides squandered glaring opportunities.

The worst of those came on 25 minutes when Fryatt saw his penalty beaten on to a post by Steele, Barnsley believing justice had been done after Jimmy McNulty had been adjudged to have tripped Robbie Brady.

Regardless of whether referee Gibbs got the decision right or not, it was a let-off for the home side and one they should have capitalised on just after the half-hour mark.

A neat one-two between Davies and Jacob Butterfield had proved too much for the Tigers’ back-line, who could only watch in horror as the former Chesterfield striker raced through on goal.

With only Basso to beat, Davies had to be considered favourite to score but instead he dragged his shot wide of a post.

It was a bad miss, though one that Davies made amends for by netting just 148 seconds into the second half to set Keith Hill’s men on their way to a thrilling victory.

Barnsley: Steele; Wiseman, Foster, McNulty, McEveley ; O’Brien, Perkins, Butterfield (Done 88), Drinkwater (Doyle 70); Davies (Vaz Te 90), Gray. Unused substitutes: Preece, Edwards.

Hull City: Basso (Gulacsi 66); Rosenior, Chester, Hobbs, Dudgeon; Brady (Adebola 58), McKenna, Evans (Cairney 77), Koren; Mclean, Fryatt. Unused substitutes: Gulacsi, McShane, Harper.

Referee: P Gibbs (West Midlands).