Match Report: Hartlepool United 1 Scunthorpe United 2 (From The Northern Echo)

A new manager, a new year - same story for Pools

9:43am Tuesday 3rd January 2012 in Hartlepool United Match Reports By Nick Loughlin

THREE managers, nine games spanned over a new year, but it's the same outcome for Hartlepool United.

While Neale Cooper was rapturously welcomed back to Victoria Park for his second spell in charge of the club, this was hardly the outcome he hoped for – or expected.

Pools went down to yet another home defeat, as Scunthorpe United became the ninth successive team to head out of town and down the A689 with a win.

At least the performance – and Saturday's at Sheffield United – have given Cooper a check of what he is taking on.

It's a group of lacking in confidence and belief at home, perhaps character as well, one which is shipping simple goals and a team devoid of pace.

Take James Poole out of the equation – a hamstring injury kept him out again yesterday – and there's a real lack of legs.

Luke James is nifty, but should Pools be relying on a 17-year-old for their inspiration? Of late Jack Baldwin and now James have come from nowhere to be their best players in recent games.

“It's disappointing, it's a fickle game and it's nice to have such a welcome but it's all about results,'' admitted Cooper.

“Overall the performance was second best, missing out on second balls in the middle of the park and the players should enjoy playing here in front of a big crowd.

“We lacked pace throughout and we looked vulnerable at the back. It was too easy for them to get balls into their strikers and we didn't do it.

“I apologise to our supporters for it, I didn't enjoy watching it.''

Cooper made three changes to the side from the weekend, leaving out Paul Murray and Baldwin with Sam Collins injured.

Nathan Luscombe was a disappointment after being recalled, Cooper frustrated by the winger's willingness to pass backwards to the defence and goalkeeper and he was replaced in the second-half.

But plenty of passes went backwards and sidewards, an indication of the lack of confidence in the side, especially after going a goal down.

That came when Garry Thompson went past Peter Hartley on the edge of the area – he would do the same again later for the second goal – and Sam Togwell made up ground to knock in.

And, just like there was no instant reaction to Cooper's arrival at the start of the game, so there wasn't after the goal.

It was 52 minutes before a Pools chance came, Adam Boyd's low shot was goalbound and blocked.

Then James Brown, on as a substitute, headed firmly into the ground but the ball bounced up over the bar.

From what should have been a Pools chance, the Iron grabbed a second. A throw in by the opposition penalty area was cleared to Thompson. Gary Liddle's efforts to tackle were impeded by Nobby Solano and the attacker was away.

He went past Hartley, and finished neatly past Flinders.

The Iron were poor when Pools won at Glanford Park in November, this time the roles were reversed.

When Monkhouse scored it to get one back it was Pools' first goal in open play at home in 822 minutes of football. He fired in low from 18 yards, but there wasn't a second to follow, even though he had a chance to level, poking the ball at goal and allowing a goalline clearance as time ticked by.

“It's five bad goals we have conceded in two games – schoolboy errors, all preventable,'' reflected Cooper. “The lad has run 40 yards for the fist goal, second a counter attack and he should have been taken care of before he got near goal.

“It was very much second to everything, we nearly got there, nearly did something – not good enough and too slow.

“I've seen things to work on and we need pace. Add some of that to the team, great, but it's unfortunate James Poole is missing, Adam Boyd and James Brown are very similar.

“We have to be sharper, quicker in moving the ball. Why take four touches when you can take two?

“Whether there's a scariness about playing at home? I don't know, but that's not a good enough performance.

“We need something different, pace. We are at home Saturday, and we need a vast improvement to that. It's fine going on and talking and planning, but if you aren't up to it, it's difficult. They need this monkey of their back, it's nervousness. The ball is like a hot potato at times.

“You have to be big enough and we need a lot better from a lot of the boys and they know that themselves.''

Goals: Togwell (32, 0-1); Thompson (74, 0-2); Monkhouse (84, 1-2) Bookings: Brown (70, foul), Ryan (90, foul) Referee: Geoff Eltringham (Sunderland) 6 Attendance: 5,289 Entertainment: PP HARTLEPOOL UNITED (4-4-2) Flinders 6; Austin 5, Liddle 6, Hartley 5, Horwood 5; JAMES 7, Sweeney 6, Humphreys 6, Luscombe 4 (Brown 61, 6); Monkhouse 5, Boyd 5 (Solano 73). Subs (not used): Rafferty (gk), Haslam, Baldwin.

SCUNTHORPE UNITED (4-4-2): Slocombe 6; Togwell 7, Canavan 6, Duffy 6, Nolan 5; Ryan 7, O'Connor 7 (Wright 84), Norwood 6, Barcham 7 (Dagnall 90). Thompson 7, Robertson 7. Subs (not used): Reid, Palmer, Johnstone.

MAN OF THE MATCH LUKE James – the teenage winger put some of his elder statesman to shame with his outlook