FOR a number of weeks it’s been well-documented just what Hartlepool United were missing; it wasn’t hard to pinpoint their recent failings.

But no-one could have expected, and hoped, that the return to the side of Matthew Bates would have such a prominent impact.

From being in a position of some promise at the start of October following the win at Grimsby, Pools faltered.

Defeats to Barnet, Orient and Carlisle could all have been so easily avoided. All that was needed was a bit of organisation and stability in defence.

No coincidence then that with the return of Bates to the side after easing his way back into action during two cup ties in the last week that Pools kept a clean sheet, were rarely flustered at the back and eased to a comfortable win.

And, for all his back four stability, Bates even managed to cap his return with a goal.

“Batesy brings a calmness, him being there helps,’’ mused boss Craig Hignett. “He knows when to close down, when to drop off, and he gets others to do it. When no-one talks you get rash decisions and you saw less of them out there.

“That’s because he is there to help us. Rob Jones is the same, but louder. Batesy is calmer in a lot of ways – talking, organising, closing down, pressing, and it’s because he’s been there and done it.

“He is confident in his own ability and others feed off it.’’

Of his goal, a well directed header to meet a Lewis Alessandra free-kick, Hignett said: “He knew they were man to man marking so he ran across their defensive line knowing his marker couldn’t follow him as he would run into people.

“A great ball in and it’s game over. I ask for players to think about the game, not just play it how they want, but to think what they are doing and why.’’

There was no greater sign of Bates’ thinking in the second half. As striker Daniel Wright found space on the right side of the penalty area, Bates made his move.

But instead of lunging into a tackle which could have ended up as a penalty as much as it could with a well-timed tackle, he stood up, pushed the striker to the byline and blocked the cross.

Football intelligence and thought goes a long way in League Two.

Bates, however, played down the impact of his return: "It is not as easy as saying me coming back has made a difference.

"As much as that is a compliment on my behalf that is being unfair on the lads.

"It is not just the defenders who take credit for a clean sheet it is an attitude right through the team.

"The best teams in the world press from the front. The strikers want to clean sheets just as much as the defenders.

"When it comes to talking - you are either born with or you are not. You can't teach it.

"The younger footballer now does not speak as much as the likes of me at 29, or Rob (Jones) who is even older.

"As you know I am doing the Under-16s here - they don't even speak in the changing rooms never mind on the pitch.

"Maybe that's the way the game is going.’’

Victory was as comfortable as it was welcome, as Pools controlled the game for spells.

Cheltenham, a team unbeaten in nine before this, were decidedly average. Pools were always on top and, with Alessandra roaming freely in a front three and Nicky Deverdics offering balance on the left side, this was a safe display from back to front.

Alessandra’s goal was a peach, cutting back into space to beat his man and picking out the far corner from an angle, albeit via a deflection.

He’s got the most assists in the division already and, with Nathan Thomas sidelined, he will have a lot more to come in the weeks ahead.

Hignett said Pools will play with a different dimension in the absence of Thomas and they did, and it could be clearer at the weekend when they go to Doncaster with the counter-attacking nature of their game not as sharp.

He said: “I don’t want to shell it and start knocking the ball long and direct there’s nothing in that. We want to play with principles and we are going to stick with it.

“We have changed a bit without Nathan and it lends itself to being a bit more fluid and we keep the ball a bit better without being as dynamic. We are a different sort of team without Nath and his pace and drive – we have to be.

“We are a different side and it lets the full-backs go on too, we asked them to as we felt they could get in behind them. We got a lot of crosses in, not as many as we wanted, but we did what was asked.’’