Monkhouse goal gives Pool hat-trick of wins

ANDY Monkhouse is a lucky charm when it comes to Hartlepool United, and last night they reaped the rewards.

He scored on his professional debut for Rotherham in 1998 against Pools, and he was part of the Swindon Town side which escaped from Victoria Park on the opening day of this season with an unlikely victory.

Last night the left winger, on loan from Swindon, bagged the only goal as Pools made it three League Two wins in a row, keeping another clean sheet in the process.

Facing Notts County, the team who started the night in the last play-off spot, Pools showed what they are capable of as they secured a deserved victory.

After the disappointment of last weekend's FA Cup defeat at Macclesfield, who were then paired with Chelsea, Pools showed they are made of stern stuff.

Micky Nelson had an enthralling first-half battle with Jason Lee, the Pools defender winning on points. But Willie Boland was Pools' main performer, running the show in midfield, after Nelson and co did the spade work.

The last time Pools were in Nottingham, across the River Trent facing Forest last season, they hardly crossed the halfway line.

This was a different story, as they created chances and played some neat football.

Pools certainly didn't start like a team which had lost to the Football League's bottom club at the weekend, as they knocked the ball around with purpose.

Boland and Monkhouse both had shots before Pools went in front. Ali Gibb, who has a habit of starting away games well, won a corner, taken by Boland. His flag kick landed in the six-yard area and Monkhouse, as he fell over, pushed the ball through the bodies in the box and over the line.

There was a chance of a second soon afterwards, Ritchie Humphreys rolling a tantalising ball across the face of goal, but there was no yellow shirt lurking to convert.

In swirling wind and rain, the home side couldn't find any fluency, with Pools in the ascendency.

Home keeper Kevin Pilkington was having massive problems with his kicking, either finding touch or hacking along the floor.

Gibb could have been a spectacular beneficiary when he found a clearance at his feet 40 yards from an empty net, but instead of shooting, he passed to Darryl Duffy.

Notts had swung over some teasing crosses and, when right back Austin McCann put one into the corridor of uncertainty, between Dimi Konstantopoulos and Nelson, the big defender knocked the ball on to the post before his keeper scrambled it away.

The home side were winning their share of free-kicks in tricky areas for the Pools defence, but with Nelson and Konstantopoulos in commanding form - their brief misunderstanding apart - they were happily dealt with.

From one Ian Ross kick on the right, Pools cleared and half a dozen swift passes later, Eifion Williams was in on goal, only to snatch his shot wide from 20 yards.

Ten minutes into the second period, Micky Barron headed the ball straight into the ground in the penalty box, but recovered quickly to clear.

Williams was taken off on 59 minutes, replaced by David Foley, who played 90 minutes for the reserves the previous day.

Konstantopoulos, who earlier needed treatment after falling awkwardly, missed a cross from deep and the ball fell for Andy Parkinson the far post. He put his shot into the air and the alert Humphreys cleared.

Duffy was having a frustrating evening, with little service and little change from the Notts defence.

At the other end, the Pools defence was faultless.