Hartlepool United 0 Grimsby Town 2

CHRIS TURNER lamented the lack of a killer instinct as Pools were dumped out of the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy by former boss Mike Newell.

The man in charge when Pools were promoted in 2003, steered organised Grimsby to a 2-0 win at Victoria Park.

Despite plenty of possession and territorial advantage, Pools didn’t create many clear-cut openings against a team content to sit deep in numbers to protect their early advantage.

“Two chances, two goals.

One a free-kick when the wall should have been better,’’ said Turner. “We had numerous chances, the most possession we’ve had at home for a long time, but we tried to overplay and get the perfect goal.

“It was a bit like at Exeter when we had plenty of chances. Some players have been given a chance tonight, you have to use your squad, but the ball wouldn’t run kindly at times and others we didn’t shoot and opted to pass instead.

“We put balls in the area and plenty of crosses without getting on the end of them.’’ Just six minutes had passed when Pools were behind.

From a free-kick some 35 yards from goal, Peter Sweeney stepped up to whip the ball around the wall and beyond Scott Flinders.

But there was no instant reaction and it took 12 minutes before there were any signs of Pools life in a game played with all the intensity of a preseason kick about.

It was, at times, like watching paint dry.

Leon McSweeney, one of four changes to the starting XI, sent a crossfield ball for Andy Monkhouse and his shot was as ambitious as it was wide.

Jonny Rowell, who tried to prompt Pools from midfield, took a touch to bring down Armann Bjornsson’s chip and shot at Nick Colgan.

Next up and Colin Larkin’s touch created a shooting chance, but again it went straight to the keeper.

Those missed half-chances proved even more costly when Adam Proudlock hit a second for Grimsby.

Latching onto a searching through ball from the back, he got beyond Gary Liddle and dinked his finish past the advancing Flinders.

“To be two goals up at halftime wasn’t what we expected,’’ admitted Newell. “As the game went on I didn’t really feel uncomfortable, I always felt we would win the game.’’ And for all their possession, Pools didn’t really create clear openings.

Rowell’s crossfield dash created an opening for Mc- Sweeney and his high crossshot at the near post was palmed away.

Turner opted to change his strikers to find a change in fortune as Denis Behan and Adam Boyd were introduced.

It nearly happened as Boyd’s shot from 25 yards was pushed onto the bar by Colgan – Pools’ best chance of the game – then Behan steered a volley wide after being found in space.

Pools were up against ten men for the last nine minutes, after Danny Boshell was booked for the second time, this time for a lunge on Behan.

But they couldn’t find a way through and Pools have now lost five times at Victoria Park already this season.

Goals: Sweeney (6, 0-1); Proudlock (34, 0-2)
Bookings
: Boshell (5, unsporting behaviour); Sweeney (32, foul)
Sending-off
: Boshell (81, foul - second bookable offence)
Referee
: Nigel Miller (Consett) 6
Attendance
: 1,675
Entertainment
: ✰

HARTLEPOOL UNITED (4-4-2): Flinders 5; Haslam 5, COLLINS 6, Liddle 5, Austin 6; McSweeney 5 (Boyd 63, 6), Rowell 6, Humphreys 6, Monkhouse 5; Bjornsson 5 (Behan 63, 6), Larkin 5. Subs (not used): Cook (gk), Jones, Fredriksen.

GRIMSBY TOWN (4-4-2): Colgan 7; Wood 5, Bennett 6, Atkinson 6, Widdowson 6; Fuller 5 (Akpa Akpro 30, 6), Boshell 5, Sweeney 6, Forbes 6; Jarman 6 (Clarke 77), PROUDLOCK 7 (Leary 83). Subs (not used): Overton (gk), North.

MAN OF THE MATCH
ADAM Proudlock – a cheeky second goal and led the line well