Goals:

1-0: Deverdics (66, 25-yard free-kick curled over the wall and into the net)

2-0: Duffy og (83, Richards’ shot was going wide, before he hacked it into his own net)

3-0: Paytner (85, deep and high Deverdics cross headed back across goal)

Bookings: Hill (foul 55); Challinor (foul 76)

Referee: Anthony Backhouse (Brampton): Didn’t have a lot to do and did little wrong 7

Entertainment: 2/5

Attendance: 2,461

HARTLEPOOL UNITED (4-3-3):

6 Carson: Little to do but always safe and assured in what he had to do before he’s off with Northern Ireland this week;

6 Richards: Might want to claim the goal, but it was an own goal…. Got forward at every opportunity as Pools stretched the opposition

7 Nsiala: Too big, too strong and too good for the strikers as he snuffed them out with ease from start to finish

7 Bates: Eased through the game, an ideal one to come back to after a spell out injured for too long

5 Carroll: Never tested defensively and tried to get forward and support the attacks;

6 Laurent: Busy on the front foot as he tried to get into the opposition area and could have scored if it wasn’t for some hesitation

5 Featherstone: Routine and simple game as he had possession at will without coming under any real pressure

7 Woods: Busy and a key part of Pools game in moving the ball around and trying to find and create openings in and around the area;

7 DEVERDICS: His goal opened up the game, and he grew into the match and his position as it went on

6 Amond: Kept working away, with little reward and would have scored if it wasn’t for a couple of wrong offside flags

6 Alessandra: Busy, and his quick feet ensured he kept possession when roaming around looking for possession.

Subs:

Hawkins (for Woods 80)

Paynter (for Alessandra 81)

Orrell (for Featherstone 86)

(not used): Bartlett (gk), Walker, Harrison, Martin.

STAMFORD (4-4-2): Donkin 7; Beeson 6, Salt 7, Gordon 6, Challinor 6; Smith 5, Duffy 6, Hill 5, Luto 5 (King 71); Miller 6 (Robbins 63), Brown 45 (Sandy 59). Subs (not used): Batchelor, Hartley, Brown-Hill, McMillan.

MAN OF THE MATCH Nicky Deverdics – in the long-term absence of Nathan Thomas, he could be the answer on the left side of a front three.