HARTLEPOOL
UNITED v NOTTS COUNTY
It’s cool but bright, drying out from
earlier showers that have left the surface at Victoria Park slick and green.
The ground, compact with plenty of cover for both seated and standing spectators,
is filling nicely with the home fans optimistic despite facing at team from the
league above.
The omens are interesting. After a sticky
start, Hartlepool’s recent results have earned the League 2 manager of the
month award for Colin Cooper, and young forward Luke James has bagged the
player of the month award. However these often presage a poor performance; and
although Notts County are at the bottom end of League 1, they have just changed
manager, which often gives a team a boost.
The teams come out and, it being the
Saturday before Remembrance Day, a minutes silence is observed, impeccably,
with only the continued clicking of the turnstiles to be heard as late comers
enter the eerily quiet stadium. Hartlepool are wearing a special kit of white
shirts with a vertical blue band with a red poppy motif. Notts County are in an
eye-catching away strip of deep purple shirts and socks clashing with bright
yellow shorts, (these do however match the officials’ shirts).
Hartlepool start the stronger creating two
or three dangerous situations in the first quarter hour, and winning several corners.
These are distinguished by worse than normal wrestling and wrangling, and the
home players’ complaints are finally heeded by the referee who issues a stern lecture.
When the next corner comes over centre back Baldwin is able to get an unimpeded
run and crashes a header into the net to give Hartlepool a deserved lead.
Notts County have shown little and from the
restart merely pump the ball long and diagonal, but full back Austin’s header
back to his keeper is misjudged and Flinders can’t prevent it going for a
corner. This is swung into the crowded box where it pinballs around before
coming to rest in the Hartlepool goal, with Leacock getting the final, if inadvertent,
touch.
The lead lasted a minute, and the County
goal has given them belief and confidence that starts to reflect in their play.
Conversely the home team are visibly deflated, and are on the back foot for the
next quarter of an hour with Flinders regularly in action, and one County
effort grazing the post.
Slowly Hartlepool restore parity in
possession and territory and it becomes a good cup tie with ebb and flow and
even a bit off edge. Two minutes from half time Hartlepool’s Duckworth pushes
forward from midfield and unleashes a firm shot, hard and low, that County
keeper Bialkowski can only parry. Golden boy James, unremarkable to this point,
anticipates this eventuality before anyone else, is quickest to the ball, and
passes it calmly into the goal for 2-1.
Mindful of how long their initial lead
lasted, the home team defend nervously as County come back strong, winning
corners and threatening the goal. Into added time a free kick is curled into
the Hartlepool box where pushing and shoving continues long after Flinders has
flopped on to the ball, just about on the goal line. Repeated whistling by Mr
Boyeson brings things to order and the outcome is a home free kick rather than
a visitor penalty, but there’s a man booked on either side.
Notts County open the second half with more
pressure but no impact, and after 15 minutes resort to a route one game plan by
bringing on big centre forward Showunmi at the expense of the ball playing
Grealish, who has caught the eye with his easy style and exposed shins. Hartlepool
are penned back for long spells but do manage to win a corner and then a free
kick in shooting distance.
Dolan curls the kick over the wall and into
the post; the rebound to the edge of the box is fired back by Franks; and when
that is blocked, James is on the spot again to fire home and give Hartlepool
some breathing space at 3-1.
There are still 15 minutes to go and County
have not given up, firing crosses from either wing into Showunmi, but Pool’s
centre halves Collins and Baldwin cope well until, with five minutes remaining,
a loose ball falls to County substitute Murray who hooks the ball into the roof
of the net from close range.
More scares ensue but Hartlepool hold out for
a 3-2 win in a tie that could have gone either way. The new County manager has
not had instant success, Colin Cooper has defied the manager of the month curse,
and Luke James has continued into November the goal-poaching instincts that
earned him his award for October.
Hartlepool will hope he is still going
strong in December when the next round comes around.
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