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BBCSports |
Fulham (1) 2-0 (0) Barnsley
Unsettled loan striker Chris Martin scored one goal and set up another on his Fulham return to help overcome fellow play-off hopefuls Barnsley.
Adam Hammill went closest for Barnsley, hitting the post after a fine solo run.
On-loan Derby man Martin, featuring for the first time in 2017 after a dispute about his future, then put Fulham ahead from the penalty spot, following Angus MacDonald's foul on Kevin McDonald.
After the break, Scott Malone met a Martin cross to volley home powerfully.
Victory lifts the west London side above Barnsley in the Championship table, moving them to eighth where they remain six points adrift of the play-off spots. The Tykes' first defeat in six games sees them slip two places to 10th.
Martin, who scored his seventh goal in 17 games for Fulham in his last appearance on Boxing Day, went close to making an immediate impact on his recall, testing Adam Davies just a minute after the goalkeeper was called into action by Tom Cairney.
Hammill then twice threatened for the Tykes - his run from the half-way line before crashing a shot off the post was the pick of the visitors' first-half efforts.
Barnsley, who sold top scorer Sam Winnall to Sheffield Wednesday during the week, continued to press, but Fulham were the ones to go ahead from the spot, thanks to Martin's cool finish.
Martin then helped created Malone's goal at the start of another eventful half, in which both sides went close a number of times.
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