FOR Hartlepool United, the new year carried on in the same vein as the last few: with a familiar desperately inept home National League defeat.

For 2020 read 2019, 2018 and 2017.

Pools have played Harrogate three times in as many weeks and lost them all. Once Jon Stead poked in from close range with half an hour to play, it was game over.

Confidence drained from the goal, there was no way back from a Pools side who retreated into their collective shells.

They had a bit of a go right at the end, could have had a penalty, should have done better with two chances in front of goal. But they again fell short.

“It was a poor game if I’m honest,’’ mused manager Dave Challinor. “Two teams looked a bit tired in a busy part of the year. If you are in a poor game you should now be on the back of a 0-0. A drab, rubbish 0-0 and that is it.

“That’s the difference between a team in the play-offs and a team aspiring to be in the play-offs. There’s always moments, we should score from a corner, a minute later the ball ends up in our net.

“There’s an emphasis on players to push themselves and push each other. Get in the right areas when it’s flashing across goal; Where are our players stood when it happens?

“When the game comes, make sure you are bang at it. There will be a chance along the way somewhere. They took theirs when it came. We didn’t.

“Make sure those things go in your favour. We want it to be exciting, but there are drab games when something special is needed to win a game. And you have to shut up shop. We’ve not done both and ended up losing.’’

Challinor made two changes, dumping goalkeeper Ben Killip and defender Fraser Kerr. No coincidence the pair were cuplable of costly mistakes in the draw with Barrow on Saturday.

The first half was of little consequence. Gime Toure, replaced at half-time, fired wide after being played in. Neither he nor Nicke Kabamba made much impression on a firm visiting defensive unit, who defended their area like they meant it.

Peter Kioso had a cross deflected onto the top of the net, while at the other end, Gary Liddle blocked a goalbound shot.

With the supporters’ movement in the Neale Cooper Stand forcibly subdued, there was little noise, little action. It was ideal for anyone suffering a New Year’s Eve hangover.

Pools did start the second half sharply, but chances were at a premium. Peter Kioso thundered into a tackle on halfway, taking out the effervescent Jack Emmett with a steam train of a challenge.

Stead was played in and fired over when he should have done better, but when the ball rolled across the box, the well-travelled front man stuck out a leg to divert it home.

Pools’ confidence collectively drained. They struggled to find their passes from then on in. The visitors went down with injury at every made-up opportunity, the keeper took his time with goal kicks. The referee allowed it. No-one should be surprised, it’s happened plenty of times before.

Luke Molyneux came on for the last 15 minutes, his first action of the season. Still there’s no sign of Luke Williams.

Within a minute, Molyneux curled a shot over. He would finish that sort of shot if he had another few weeks of action in the bag.

In injury time, Nicke Kabamba opted to shoot when a pass to Ryan Donaldson was the better option. And with it the home crowd trudged away, fed up, heads bowed, chuntering, feeling downbeat.

A Happy New Year from Victoria Park.

 

MATCHFACTS

Goal: Stead (57, 0-1)

Booking: Toure (36, dissent)

Referee: Andrew Kitchen (Consett) 4

Attendance: 3,481

Entertainment: 1/5

HARTLEPOOL UNITED (3-5-2): Beeney 6; Kioso 7, Liddle 7, Raynes 5 (Hamilton 75); Richardson 4, Featherstone 6, Shelton 5 (Molyneux 75), Holohan 5, Donaldson 3; Kabamba 3, Toure 3 (Kitching 46, 5). Subs (not used): Kerr, Mafuta.

HARROGATE TOWN (4-4-2): Belshaw 6; Bradley 7, Smith 7, Hall 7, Burrell 6; Kerry 6, Falkingham 7, Emmett 7 (Kiernan 81), Diamond 6; Stead 6 (Beck 76), Muldoon 6. Subs (not used): Cracknell (gk), Smith, Thomson.