Goals:
0-1: Naismith (18, swept home a volley on the turn from 12 yards)
0-2: Roberts (60, Pools gave away possession, Naismith picked out the substitute to score from close range:
Bookings: Alessandra (4, foul), Rose (87, foul)
Referee: Mark Brown (Hull): Set the tone for his game when he needlessly booked Alessandra early on – didn’t get much right after that either 4
Attendance: 4,500
Entertainment: 3/5
HARTLEPOOL UNITED (4-3-3):
6 Fryer: Always a presence in his penalty area, but couldn’t do much with the two goals he conceded;
4 Donnelly: Never looked settled and while he started slowly and got better the week before, it didn’t improve this time
6 Harrison: Did all he could against a vibrant attacking side, and showed his frustration at times as things went against Pools
5 Walker: After a great run in a new position, this was his most difficult afternoon as a defender so far and guilty of a few slack passes
5 Deverdics: Given a tough time of it against a direct and lively opponent, but remember defending isn’t really his forte;
5 Oates: Gave his all out wide and was moved up front as Pools looked for a way back into the game, but his workrate often came to nothing
7 ALESSANDRA: Pools’ busiest performer on the ball, looked to drive forward from a busy midfield when he could, although some hesitation in the area proved costly
6 Featherstone: Forced to drop very deep – deeper than normal – to pick the ball from his defenders as he was pressed quickly
5 Woods: Had a good spell on the ball in the first-half as he got heavily involved, but ultimately like his team-mates he fell short when it mattered
6 Thomas: Unlucky not to score when he curled a shot against the frame of the goal and he tried to drive forward from wide, while also coming inside;
6 Amond: Service? Fed on scraps and pieces rather than anything of substance and was up against two dominant centre-halves.
Subs:
Rodney (for Oates 75)
Magnay (for Donnelly 90)
(not used): Dudskinki (gk), Bates, Magnay, Rooney, Hawkins, Richardson.
PORTSMOUTH (4-2-3-1): Forde 6; Evans 6, Burgess 7, Clarke 7, Stevens 7; Doyle 8, Rose 7; Lowe 7 (Chaplin 80), Bennett 6, Naismith 8 (Kamamba 90) Hunt 5 (Roberts 45, 6). Subs (not used): O’Brien, Whatmough, Linganzi, Talbot.
MAN OF THE MATCH Kal Naismith: Showed his talent when on loan at Pools last season, but looked a class act on his return.
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