Pools impress but Saints take all three points (From The Northern Echo)

Pools impress but Saints take all three points

9:00am Wednesday 25th November 2009

• Print
• Email
• Share
• Comments(0)

Hartlepool United 1 Southampton 3

AFTER paying tribute to one of their finest sons, Hartlepool United gave a performance that would have made Tony Parry proud.

But they were unable to maintain their vim and vigour, characteristics shown by the cult hero who passed away on Monday.

And, just like against Huddersfield on Saturday, Pools lost despite being the better side for 45 minutes.

After Andy Monkhouse gave Pools the lead, they succumbed to two classy finishes by England Under-21 midfielder Adam Lallana and a tap in Rickie Lambert.

“In the first half we played as well as we have done this season,’’ said boss Chris Turner.

“There was a lot of positives from it. We could have scored more than one, got some good crosses in, got behind them and attacked Southampton – exactly what we are trying to do here.

“They couldn’t handle James Brown, Denis (Behan) was back to his best. I hate losing games, but the third goal killed it for us.’’ Turner opted to restore Behan to the side, and he was rewarded with a bright display from the striker.

His link-up play was as efficient as it was in the opening weeks of the season. The signs were that the rest had done him good.

Monkhouse started the move that he ended for the first goal. He sprayed a deft pass with the outside of his boot to the advancing Brown.

He lobbed his cross into the box and the left winger made up the ground to leap high and plant his header beyond Kelvin Davis.

Tails up, and Brown, who had the beating of his marker throughout the half, and then Neil Austin put delicious balls into the area that deserved goals. Adam Boyd put the first wide, everyone missed the second.

The Saints should have levelled when they created their first chance on 27 minutes.

Lallana’s header was saved low by Scott Flinders and Lambert horribly spooned the loose ball over.

They levelled two minutes later, however, when the pair again linked up.

Lambert’s pass into space found Lallana, who was being watched by Middlesbrough boss Gordon Strachan as a potential replacement for Adam Johnson, and this time he shot low past Flinders.

Next time they found each other, it was a second goal for Saints.

This time Lambert nodded a long ball into the path of the winger and he expertly curled the ball over and around Flinders from distance.

Behan, confident enough to try his luck from a free-kick 40 yards out, forced a smart low stop from Davis.

And the former Sunderland keeper excelled from the corner, producing a top-notch reaction save to deny Sam Collins.

He immediately hobbled off with injury and Behan followed him on a stretcher with suspected damaged ankle ligaments.

The defeat was confirmed with a rare slip-up by Flinders. He crashed a clearance against Lambert and, as he tried to grab the rebound, the striker tapped in.

Jones was sent-off in the closing stages, booked for the second time after a melee involving 18 players on the touchline.

Matchfacts

Goals: Monkhouse (16, 1-0: Lallana (29, 1-1; 53, 1-2); Lambert (82, 1-3)
Bookings: Schneiderlin (53, foul); Jones (67, foul); Wotton (85, unsporting behaviour); Trotman (85, unsporting behaviour)
Referee: Neil Swarbrick (Preston) 3
Attendance: 3,818
Entertainment: ✰✰✰✰

HARTLEPOOL UNITED (4-4-2): Flinders 6; Austin 7, Collins 7, Liddle 6, Hartley 6; Brown 7, Humphreys 6, Jones 7, Monkhouse 7; Behan 7 (Greulich 66), Boyd 6. Subs (not used): Cook (gk), Clark, McSweeney, Sweeney, Fredriksen, Bjornsson.

SOUTHAMPTON (4-4-2): Davis 7 (Bialkowski 61); Murty 7, Trotman 6, Jaidi 6, Harding 6; LALLANA 8, Hammond 6, Schneiderlin 6 (Wotton 69), James 6; Lambert 7, Connolly 6 (Antonio 81). Subs (not used): Waigo, Millis, Thomas, Perry.

MAN OF THE MATCH
ADAM Lallana – must have impressed the watching Gordon Strachan

• Print
• Email
• Share
• Comments(0)