IN the latest issue of FourFourTwo, the football magazine that sponsors Swindon Town, Mick Wadsworth offers tactical advice on how to cope when your team is three goals down.
The Hartlepool United boss has had plenty of experience in that field of late - it's happened six times since the turn of the year.
Thankfully on the day the publication came out, he did not need to put his tactics into action at Swindon.
Recently it was Paul Hart's turn to appear and offer professional advice.
The Swindon boss told of how to set up a side when playing against ten men. On Saturday he was given plenty of time to prove his words.
Gary Liddle's 55th minute sending-off, at a time when Pools were one-up and, against a team devoid of confidence that had not won for 17 games, looked set for a welcome three point return, but it changed the game.
It gave the home side some impetus and they took Hart's published advice to the lEtter as his full-backs pushed on and swung over their share of crosses.
They were rewarded when right-back Paul Caddis, who was felled by Liddle's red-card tackle, crossed to the penalty spot from the touchline and Matt Ritchie got ahead of Steve Haslam to squirm his header into the net.
From then on Pools showed the sort of defensive mettle they displayed so often in the first-half of the season away from home as they stood up to the mounting pressure.
"They put the ball forward and didn't play too much football, hit a lot of diagonal balls and crosses and we dealt with it very well. It was roll your sleeves up time and players did very well, important they did,'' reflected Wadsworth, whose side now has 51 points for the season.
"The back four stood strong, we could have defended the cross from which they scored better. We could have been a bit cannier and stopped the header, body positions and so forth, but other than that there's no complaints.
"It was a good test for our resolve and resilience and I'm pleased with that as it hasn't been there for a while of late.
"That was a real step forward for us.''
With six games left, three home and three away, Pools will hope to hit 60 points for the season.
They most likely would have been two points nearer that tally if they had kept 11 men on the pitch.
Liddle has flung himself into endless blocks and tackles this season and timed to perfection. This one however, was the wrong side of the law and he caught Caddis.
In front of the home dug out and the main stand, referee Pat Miller showed instant red. If it had happened in front of the Mill House terrace on a Pools player, the crowd would have bayed for blood.
"Gary is beside himself, he feels he has let the team down,'' said Wadsworth. "That's a responsible standpoint, but it's not like that - he genuinely went for the ball like he does and he wins probably more tackles for us than anyone else.
"Him and Paul Murray are very good tacklers. This one he got wrong, simple as that. No complaints and if it was the other way around... it's one of those things and we miss him three games now.
"The sending-off was the turning point, we defended well and were solid. We weren't bothered about playing good football, we wanted three points.
"I thought from the sending-off onwards, many things went against us. Why he booked Ritchie (Humphreys) I don't know. He wasn't taking the throw, he was waiting for the full-back who takes our throws to come and take it.
"In the end it's a creditable point, we stood firm and scrapped and got something and we may have sneaked it with one chance at the end.''
That chance came when substitute Armann Bjornsson was in on goal. With an advantage over keeper Paul Smith that was more than 60-40, the big Icelander was more concerned with the goalkeeper's position than the ball and he disappointingly allowed the keeper to win a challenge when he should have been clattered into the net with the ball.
"Given the rub of the green we may have won it,'' said Wadsworth. "Armann had a chance, I think it was a great chance. He knows now it was a great chance. And the boys have let him known it was a great chance. I let him know it was a great chance. So now I think he understands it was a great chance.''
Pools took the lead, after an insipid opening in strange fashion. Home keeper Paul Smith collected Leon McSweeney's corner and tried to set his side off on the counter attack.
His throw was beyond Caddis and Evan Horwood latched onto the loose ball to roll a low shot past the errant keeper.
MATCHFACTS
Goals:
0-1: Horwood (37mins, instinctive first-time finish from 30 yards after keeper Smith rolled the ball in his direction)
1-1: Ritchie (65, far post header as he met a deep cross from the right by Caddis)
Bookings: Monkhouse (65, foul), McSweeney (78, foul), Humphreys (unsporting behaviour 84)
Sending-off: Liddle (55, foul)
Referee: Pat Miller (Luton): Correct to send Liddle off, but spent the next 30 minutes giving everything against Pools 4
Entertainment: PPPPP
SWINDON TOWN (4-4-2): Smith 4; Caddis 7, Frampton 7, Jean-Francois 6, Sheehan 5; McGovern 5 (N'Diaye 71), Douglas 7, Prutton 5, Ritchie 7; Benyon 5 (Grella 78), Andrew 6. Subs (not used): Jesionkowski (gk), Cuthbert, Rose, Ferry, Timlin.
HARTLEPOOL UNITED (4-5-1):
7 Flinders: Good positioning meant he was in the right place every time and looked to distribute the ball quickly;
6 Haslam: Timely interceptions and blocks, but disappointed his man got a header away to score the leveller
7 COLLINS: Firm and solid and back to the defender he has been away from home
this season
7 Hartley: Switched on for 90 minutes, defended well as Swindon bombed forward
6 Horwood: His third goal of the season was his strangest by far;
6 McSweeney: Poor opening, but got better as the game went on and had an influence
7 Murray: Shielded and protected the back four and gave a rare 90 minute display
5 Gamble: Some slack passes cost possession in areas which may have proved costly for Pools
6 Liddle: Missed when he was red-carded for the sort of tackle that has become his trademark - this one was a
fraction too late
5 Larkin: Started right, moved up front, but after scoring twice a fortnight ago he has had no chances since;
5 Monkhouse: Hobbled off late on, but didn't make much impact at one of his former clubs
Subs:
Humphreys (for Larkin 73)
Bjornsson (for Monkhouse 76)
(not used): Rafferty (gk), Behan, Boyd, Yantorno, Mackay
MAN OF THE MATCH
SAM Collins - stood up to the task when Swindon piled forward
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