Point keeps Pools ticking over (From The Northern Echo)

Hartlepool United 0 Bournemouth 0

6:29pm Saturday 11th February 2012 in Hartlepool United News

HARTLEPOOL UNITED made it five without loss as they played out a goalless draw with Bournemouth at Victoria Park.

The point puts Pools tenth in League One, some eight points shy of the play-off zone.

In freezing conditions, and one of only three League One games to go ahead, neither side looked like breaking the deadlock.

Pools had two early openings.

First, in a frantic goalmouth scramble, the ball wouldn't fall for either Sam Collins or Andy Monkhouse to get a strike on goal.

Then Gary Liddle swept over an early cross from the right and Luke James, with two goals in his last outing and watched today by a number of scouts from higher division clubs, flicked a header at goal that was plucked out of the air by keeper Darryl Flahaven.

But as the half went on, the Cherries picked the chances.

Striker Wes Thomas should have scored on 38 minutes, but he blazed high over from ten yards after a clever Marc Pugh cut back.

Then Pools had Evan Horwood to thank for a stretched goalline clearance on 44 minutes after a header looked like creeping in.

Scott Flinders saved well from Thomas and Antony Sweeney prodded over from ten yards, but second-half chances were scarce.

HARTLEPOOL UNITED: Flinders; Austin, Collins, Hartley, Horwood; Liddle, Murray, Sweeney; Brown, James (Nish 70), Monkhouse. Subs: Rafferty (gk), Humphreys, Haslam, Baldwin.

BOURNEMOUTH: Flahavan; Francis, Zubar, Cook, Daniels; Malone McDermott 62), Gregory, MacDonald (Arter 62), Pugh; Tubbs, W Thomas (Fletcher 83). Subs: Thomas, Purches.

Referee: Craig Pawson (Sheffield) Attendance: 4,548