Goals:
0-1: Taylor (33, headed in from close range at the third attempt after two efforts were blocked)
0-2: Bodin (65, ball sailed over Boyce and he was onto it in a flash to drill in)
0-3: Easter (78, Pools’ substitute Oyenuga played him in with a rotten pass)
Bookings: Harrison (foul, 23); McChrystal (foul, 45); Harrison (unsporting behaviour 81), Boyce (unsporting behaviour 81); Halliday (foul 88)
Referee: Darren Handley (Bolton): Didn’t do much wrong -Pools had more to worry about 7
Attendance: 3,788
Entertainment: 2/5
HARTLEPOOL UNITED (4-3-3):
4 Bartlett: Safe and assured on Saturday, but not the same last night, although exposed badly for goals two and three. Lucky to escape when he dropped a routine first-half cross;
5 Halliday: Never had the impact he has in his other games, but this wasn’t a defensive performance to get any joy from
6 Harrison: Showed some aggression in challenging, just about the pick of a leaky Pools back four
3 Boyce: Nervous and edgy from the off, never settled and what he was doing for the second goal only he knows
5 Carroll: Dug in first-half and got Pools out of some sticky situations with a couple of vital blocks;
6 Bates: Went through a lot of ground work, but didn’t have much help and support from his teammates in defence and midfield
4 Featherstone: Game passed him by for long periods, ran and chased, but was too quiet and ineffective
4 Walker: Some neat touches – albeit in the wrong areas – and floated around without getting a grip of the game. Replaced in the second-half;
5 Oates: Put the ball on a plate for Fenwick to head wide in a game-turning moment. Worked away, but little direct impact on goal as one of a front three
5 Paynter: Dropped deep for the ball, linked up when he could, but isolated up front on too many occasions
5 Fenwick: Planted a header wide from close range when Pools trailed by one. Worked hard, but his toil counted for nothing.
Subs:
Oyenuga (for Walker 63): The most horrendous, basic mistake gifted Rovers a third and that was all he did 2
Magnay (for Bates 72)
(not used): Hawkins, Jones, Nearney, Smith, Denton (gk)
BRISTOL ROVERS (4-4-2): Nicholls 5; J Clarke 6, Lockyer 6, McChrystal 7 (Parkes 82), Brown 6; Bodin 8 (Clarke 84), Mansell 7, SINCLAIR 8, Gosling 8; Taylor 6, Easter 7 (Harrison 78). Subs (not used): Mildenhall, Lines, Lucas, Montano.
MAN OF THE MATCH STUART Sinclair – ran the show in the first half and gave his team-mates the platform to run riot
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