Miller's strike calms Pool's play-off nerves

A single-goal triumph over Scunthorpe on Saturday was just what the manager and fans ordered as Pool all but mathematically secured their place in the end-of-season shake-up after a worrying run of defeats.

Losses have been a rarity at Pool this season - 11 defeats is the fifth best record in the division- but after going more than four months without defeat, when three come along at once the worries and nerves come to the fore.

There again, it doesn't take much at Victoria Park for the moans and groans to rise to the surface.

A record run of 21 games without defeat had spoilt the fans.

Three reverses on the bounce had the doubters fearing the worst - namely that all their hard work of getting into the top seven would in the end count for nothing.

But after other results went in Pool's favour on Saturday, there's now a seven-point cushion between themselves and Cheltenham, the team looking on the outside.

Blackpool, Rochdale and Southend can catch Pool, if they make the most of their games in hand - but it would take an extraordinary run of results to deny Pool now.

Cheltenham have two games and can only make 70 points to Pool's current tally of 71, Blackpool (three games to go) can beat Pool's tally by one, Rochdale and Southend both have five games left and could reach 76 and 72 points respectively.

Blackpool meet Rochdale on Thursday so at least one of the contenders should knock the other out and make Pool's life more comfortable. Chris Turner's side are at Kidderminster on Saturday and hopefully the final League game of the season against Cardiff on May 5 can be a happy and stress-free affair.

Tommy Miller's tidily-taken 20th of the season was enough for the points and when Scunthorpe twice hit the bar in the second half it should have been academic. Pool had more than enough chances to win the game easily in the first half as they found the form that had deserted them in recent weeks.

Pool know how they stand now. Chesterfield, even with their nine points to be deducted this week, can't be caught because should Pool win their last two games, the team that has been allowed to bend the rules this season has a better goal difference.

After losing to Hull seven days earlier, Turner lamented how his side had not showed the drive and determination to take the game to their opponents from the off.

This time they heeded his words and had the visitors in knots in the opening 20 minutes.

"I thought it was an excellent team performance,'' he admitted. "The only disappointment was that we didn't score the goals we deserved.

"The boys were back to their best; they worked very hard. Scunthorpe are a good team and we could have scored four or five. We got them going in the dressing room before the game and there was a real disappointment that we had lost our last three games.

"It's the first time for me in any coaching position that I have lost three games in a row like that and the players responded magnificently.''

Turner recalled Ian Clark on the left in place of Sam Shilton, with Darren Knowles coming in for injured Paul Arnison on the opposite flank, and the Pool boss saluted the performances of his wing-backs.

"They came in and were outstanding,'' he said. "With Darren you know what you are going to get. He was upset at being left out but he came in and took his opportunity well.

"I couldn't ask for any more from everyone and the win should put us in the play-offs - but we will go to Kidderminster next week to make sure.

"I said two weeks ago that it was important we went into the play-offs and the end of the season on a good run of form and now hopefully we can do it. On this display there is no team in the League that can match us.

"We had to take the game to them and they had to change their formation to cope. Talking to Brian Laws (Scunthorpe boss) he said that in the first half all he was telling his players was to stay in the game - he thought they would get a good hiding.''

That good hiding should have arrived by half-time as Pool squandered too many opportunities. Mark Tinkler hit the bar from close range from Clark's teasing cross and twice Kevin Henderson failed to celebrate signing a new, long-term contract with a goal.

Both times he got in behind the defence and homed in on goal with only the keeper to beat. First he pulled his effort across goal after Clark had raced forward in support before going straight for goal second time around and seeing Tom Evans smother his effort on the edge of the penalty area.

Miller showed how it's done on eight minutes. Paul Stephenson won the ball on the edge of the Pool area and found Henderson on the break to set up a sweet move.

The 18-goal front runner found strike partner Anth Lormor and his weighted pass found the on-rushing Miller who clipped the ball over and around Evans.

Miller created another opening that went begging as he rolled the ball across the six-yard area with no-one on hand to turn it in.

But this was Pool back to the form they have displayed so well for so long this season.

Scunthorpe had hit the bar more times than any other side this season and they managed to take their tally to 22 when Andy Dawson and then Matthew Sparrow crashed shots on target.

Turner put Craig Midgley on for Lormor and his willingness to hold the ball up in the corners again proved a Godsend. At Blackpool, Midgley put his party piece into operation and a repeat on Saturday was again enough.