Source: Team_Talk
Hull v Cardiff reaction
igel Pearson praised Hull's Nick Barmby after the veteran striker scored to send his team above Cardiff and into the Championship top six.[LNB] The 37-year-old player-coach netted the winner after 17-year-old substitute Joe Ralls had cancelled out Matty Fryatt's opener with his first senior goal.[LNB]Ralls was an early replacement for Kenny Miller, who hobbled off with a groin problem that could see him ruled out of Scotland's Euro 2012 qualifier with Liechtenstein next Saturday.[LNB]To compound a tough day for Cardiff, referee Colin Webster reversed a decision to award a penalty to the visitors just moments before Barmby's winner.[LNB]"Nick has always had a very positive impact for us," Pearson said. "He is a player who brings quality to the team.[LNB]"We're not just a squad of young players but our young players have great potential, and Nick is a role model for them.[LNB]"During the week he's more of a player than a coach, but this is his club and it means a lot to him.[LNB]"The most important thing for me is that I know he can still perform. He's not just a cosmetic extra."[LNB]Hull, who ended Cardiff's six-match unbeaten run, have now avoided defeat in their last six matches themselves.[LNB]"There are lots of teams that will think they have a chance, but we've made some great progress," Pearson said.[LNB]"The players can be very pleased with their performance and there is an air of confidence about them."[LNB]Cardiff felt aggrieved after referee Webster performed a U-turn on a decision to award a penalty to the visitors after Jack Hobbs' trip on Filip Kiss.[LNB]The referee, after consulting his assistant, signalled for offside, and Barmby notched the winner moments later.[LNB]"He was clearly offside so it wasn't a fractional thing," Pearson added. [LNB]"Common-sense prevailed and it would have been unjust to have conceded at that point."[LNB]However, Malky Mackay was dismayed by what he called a "game-changing decision".[LNB]The Cardiff boss said: "The linesman has apologised for not putting his flag up, but that makes no difference to me. The play went on into a second phase and if it was offside it was marginal."[LNB]The penalty controversy marked a bad day for Cardiff, who had to reshuffle following Miller's early injury.[LNB]"He suffered a groin problem in the first minute and we had to restructure and put square pegs in round holes," Mackay added.[LNB]"But I thought we were good enough value to get something out of the game."[LNB]David Marshall tipped over Robbie Brady's curling effort from 25 yards - the first of several fine saves by the Cardiff goalkeeper - as Hull carved out the better openings in the first half.[LNB]Six minutes before the break, Martin Pusic found Fryatt, who scored with a low right-footed shot from eight yards.[LNB]Martyn Waghorn and Robert Koren both went close from distance and Marshall smothered Fryatt's effort as Hull dominated.[LNB]The visitors stunned the hosts though with an equaliser against the run of play after 62 minutes. Ralls, who had signed his first professional contract earlier in the day, produced a brilliant lob with the outside of his left foot to beat Adriano Basso from 25 yards.[LNB]However, with Cardiff still smarting from the penalty controversy, Barmby latched on to Brady's low cross from the right to score the winner with 19 minutes remaining.
