West Ham United 2 Hull City 1: Barmby’s dismay is assuaged by Hull’s prospects for next season

The Tigers’ own play-off hopes ended a few weeks ago but manager Nicky Barmby feels they can go one better next season.

“There’s a bit of frustration,” admitted the former England international.

“I genuinely believed we could make the play-offs but we fell short.

“But the players are growing and getting better. I’m pleased with the lads overall and we’ll be better for it next season.

“Will West Ham go up? It’s hard to say, there are some good teams in the play-offs so it will be interesting.”

Sam Allardyce, meanwhile, insisted West Ham have banished the poor home form which cost them automatic promotion as they head into the play-offs.

The Hammers won a club record 13 matches on the road this season, but dropped 28 points at Upton Park, with six draws and a defeat from seven matches earlier this year seeing them slip out of the Championship’s top two.

Allardyce, who has experienced the agony and the ecstasy of the play-offs with Blackpool and Bolton, scoffed at the suggestion they would be better off playing both legs away.

“Not the way we are playing now,” said the Upton Park manager. “We’ve just battered Brighton 6-0 and in the first half we did what we had to do in terms of battering Hull, although we didn’t convert our chances, before the game drifted away.

“We also had a terrific comeback to draw 3-3 with Birmingham here, so now our home form is as good as it is away. We’ll go to Cardiff with the confidence that we have beaten them 2-0 at their place already, and we’ll go with the confidence that we are the third-best team in this league.”

Carlton Cole scored either side of half-time against Hull to take his tally for the season to 14.

But the win came at a cost with midfielder Gary O’Neil a major doubt for Thursday after suffering an ankle injury in a challenge with Hull goalscorer Corry Evans.

Evans took advantage of Guy Demel’s poor header to nod the ball past Rob Green.

Hull thought they had equalised when Richard Garcia powered in a late header only to be flagged offside.

West Ham: Green, Demel, Reid, Tomkins, Taylor, O’Neil, Noble, Nolan (McCartney 74), Lansbury, Cole (Baldock 52), Vaz Te (Maynard 60). Unused substitutes: Collison, Faubert.

Hull City: Mannone, Rosenior, Chester, Cooper, Dawson, Cairney (Brady 73), McKenna, Evans, Garcia, Fryatt, King (Stewart 46). Unused substitutes: Oxley, Bradley, Cullen.

Referee: Nigel Miller (Durham).