Cadamarteri has Pools on the run

PRIOR to last night's game some may have believed a Hartlepool victory depended on how successful the club's centre half pairing of Micky Nelson and Ben Clark could be in keeping quiet former Premiership strikers Danny Cadamarteri and Andy Booth.

The pair hardly set the top flight on fire during their respective spells at Everton and Sheffield Wednesday in the 1990s, but they had enough spark to put out the Pools fire at the Galpharm Stadium.

Cadamarteri, 28, netted a fine glancing header after only 12 minutes before providing the assist two minutes from time for substitute Luke Beckett to score.

The ex-Toffees front man more or less ran the show and tormented Pools throughout with his fine array of tricks, flicks and ability to pick out a decisive pass.

Booth wasn't as effective but he proved he was dangerous when he was allowed opportunities to threaten.

Pools never really got going other than short spells at the beginning and end of the first half.

Danny Wilson named an unchanged side after the victory at Millwall on Saturday, which meant there was no place for Jamie McCunnie, available again following a one-match suspension. The Pools boss obviously felt the side which had taken three points at the New Den could cope without the services of his summer signing. And it's doubtful whether the Scot would have improved a mediocre performance on the night.

The Victoria Park outfit have been unable to find any consistency since the defeat at Leeds United in early September. The pattern of results since has usually been: win one and lose one, or draw one and lose one.

Wilson's side have yet to win back-to-back League One games this term. And if they harbour any ambitions of securing a play-off place it is something which needs to be rectified.

The visitors started more confidently than their tentative hosts, knocking the ball around with authority in the opening six minutes and nearly taking an early lead.

Only a superb last-ditch tackle by Terriers defender David Mirfin prevented a Richard Barker goal.

Joel Porter threaded a delightful slide rule pass to his strike partner, only to see the home centre half snuff out the chance.

But the home side hit back and took the lead very much against the run of play in the 12th minute, when Cadamarteri stole across his marker and glanced a header past goalkeeper Jan Budtz from eight yards following Frank Sinclair's sweeping cross from the right.

The goal had instilled some belief in Andy Ritchie's side and five minutes later Huddersfield threatened to repeat the feat, but Andy Booth's looping header just cleared the crossbar.

Huddersfield were in the ascendancy at this stage but couldn't manage to turn their possession into goals.

The visitors did improve after going missing for 20 minutes, but despite good work down the flanks from James Brown, Andy Monkhouse and Richie Humphreys, the final ball did not match their approach work and the best they could muster from the closing period of the first half was a speculative volley from Antony Sweeney, which went wide.

Booth should have doubled Terriers' lead five minutes after the break when Cadamarteri played him in on goal, but his effort drew a fine save from Budtz.

Huddersfield were starting to exploit more gaps as Hartlepool chased an equaliser and more good work from Cadamarteri saw him play in a rampaging Andy Holdsworth.

Only he will know why he wanted to pass instead of pulling the trigger when 12 yards out.

Pools endeavoured to get back in the game but they lacked any creativity and struggled to make any inroads against a solid home back four.

The home side had further chances to put the game to bed, and none better than when Holdsworth wasted another fine opportunity when provided with the chance by the game's best player, Cadamarteri, seven minutes from time.

Budtz once again showed his worth with a fine save.

The Dane wasn't as lucky three minutes from time, however, when tormentor-in chief Cadamarteri found Luke Beckett from a breakaway and he obliged with a finish