Deflected goal adds to Pools’ troubles (From The Northern Echo)

Deflected goal adds to Pools’ troubles

8:40am Monday 1st March 2010 in

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Millwall 1 Hartlepool United 0

AT the start of the season, Hartlepool United appeared to have consigned the travel sickness of recent seasons to the bin.

Three wins and a draw without a goal conceded away from Victoria Park meant the new-look team were enjoying the journeys back up the M1 every other Saturday night.

After the trip to Brighton at the end of October, Pools had 12 points from nine away games and a Carling Cup win at Coventry.

Since then, however, it’s been a disaster and Saturday’s loss at Millwall was their eighth away defeat in a row, matching the run Neale Cooper’s side achieved from August to September 2004.

If Pools lose at Yeovil in a couple of weeks, they will match a nine-game streak last chalked up in 1985.

This reverse at the New Den had all the characteristics of recent losses, when Pools were on top for spells as they took a grip of possession, with the home side hanging on at the end.

But, while Millwall scored with a deflected free-kick, Pools couldn’t find a way through and another miserable trudge home was on the cards.

They aren’t a million miles away from avoiding defeat. Of those eight games only at Southend and possibly Carlisle have they not deserved something.

But now, with Southend at Victoria Park on Saturday, there’s no time for sob stories.

Pools have only Swindon and Colchester of the top few to play. The rest are the sort who need to be dispatched.

“The next three games are winnable, against the sort of teams we should be beating,’’ said Scott Flinders, who was beaten by a big deflection from Joe Gamble for the game’s decisive goal.

“We need points, not so much performances. We don’t need to play the pretty football, but we just need the wins.

“It’s the stage of the season when teams are drifting off to the play-off zone and we are drifting off at the other end of the table towards the relegation zone. We need to climb the table.

“There’s not much talk among the lads about it (relegation).

We all look at the table, but our focus is on the game each Saturday.’’ He added: “At the start of the season we knew we had a tough period at this stage.

Now it’s over we know we have an easier run in against teams in and around us.

“Tuesday’s win over Carlisle was important, now the Southend game on Saturday is just as important. They lost on Friday night to Charlton, which was a bit of a favour for us.

“I think the gap is three points, Saturday is a must win. We’ve always been outside the bottom four and now it’s important we stay out of it with a win over Southend.

“We know we are a better team than a bottom four one.

We have played well against teams above us, but lost. We know we are a good side, now it’s about winning and proving it.’’ Harris has caused his share of problems for Pools in recent games.

His nine-minute hat-trick at Victoria Park last season summed up Pools’ fragile nature; this goal said it all about how things are going this time around.

Sam Collins was harshly judged to have bundled Harris over.

The free-kick was clipped at the wall, and diverted off Joe Gamble to the side of the goal Flinders couldn’t cover.

But Pools should have levelled minutes later.

Colin Larkin’s quick turn and touch laid the ball into Antony Sweeney’s path.

From an almost identical spot at the New Den three years ago he drilled in the winning goal.

This time he opted for placement rather than power and hit it straight at keeper David Forde.

Flinders saved well from a Chris Hackett free-kick and Harris wasted the chance to add another from the corner when he lobbed over.

Pools were off the pace on the beach of a pitch in the first-half, but in the secondhalf they pressed more.

Ritchie Jones met Roy O’- Donovan’s cross to the far post and his looping header was tipped from under the bar by Forde.

“We could have got something, second-half especially.

We put balls into the box without that last bit of luck we need,” said Flinders.

“First-half was disappointing and we could have played like they did by getting the ball down the sides.

“For the goal, it came off Joe’s head. He said if he got out of the way I would have saved it quite comfortably. It sums up the sort of luck we are having right now.

“The defenders in front of me got some great blocks in to help me a lot. I made saves when I had to but we need to keep clean sheets like we were at the start of the season – the last one was the Millwall game earlier in the season.

“Early on we were defending well and throwing bodies in the way and I’m sure we will get there again – back to how we were.’’

Match facts

Goal:

1-0: Harris (9, won a soft free-kick and hit it at the wall – deflected in off Joe Gamble)

Booking: Liddle (foul, 37)

Referee: Mick Russell (Herts): Not a great deal of incidents to consider 7

Attendance: 10,818

Entertainment: ✰✰✰

MILLWALL (4-4-2):

Forde 7; Dunne 6, Robinson 7, D Ward 7, Craig 5; Hackett 6, Trotter 6, Abdou 5, Schofield 5 (Batt 61, 6); Morison 6, HARRIS 7 (Barron 88). Subs (not used): Sullivan (gk), Frampton, Smith, Fuseini, Obika.

HARTLEPOOL UNITED (4-4-2):

7 Flinders: No chance with the deflection for the goal, but always alert and able when called upon;

6Austin: Kept Schofield in check as he stood firm all afternoon

7 Collins: Uneasy start against Harris, but put in some key blocks

7 Liddle: Not affected by booking and read the game with, like Collins, made some vital interceptions and tackles

6 Hartley: Stuck to his task manfully all afternoon

7 Jones: Got better and more involved as the game went on, bright when moved into the middle later

5 Sweeney: Played with freedom to advance, but should have put Pools level

7 Gamble: Displayed all of his usual characteristics in keeping possession and winning it back

5 Larkin: Was never overly involved on the left side so expect a swift return for Andy Monkhouse on Saturday;

5 Boyd: Gave the ball away too much early on, but improved by the time he was taken off

6 O’Donovan: As on his debut, his hard work and willingness to chase lost causes proved useful

Subs:

Humphreys (for Larkin 46): Did his share in keeping possession with short passes into feet 6

Behan (for Boyd 46): Proved more of a link between midfield and attack as he got involved in the second period 6

Brown (for Sweeney 77)

(not used): Cook (gk), Fredriksen, Bjornsson, McSweeney.

MAN OF THE MATCH

NEIL Harris – goal was a fluke, but he is a constant menace the way he plays the game.