HARTLEPOOL UNITED F.C. SOUTH EAST POOLIES

Brentford V Pools Match Report

Pools returned to the scene of last season's "Great Escape" and battled for a hard-earned point that may prove to be just as valuable when we reach the end of the season.
 
Pools opened brightly with new keeper Jake Kean in goal for the injured Scott Flinders but he had nothing to do early on as the home team only got into our half once in the first five minutes. Soon afterwards a long throw from Sam Collins - shouldn't he be in the box ? - dropped for Paul Murray but his shot was blocked. Play switched to the other end where Brentford's number ten Charlie " The Cheat" Macdonald tried to con the officials by falling dramatically to the ground while waiting for a throw in. This was not the only time he tried this, in fact it was just about all he did during the entire game because he got no change at all from our defence.
 
Jake Kean then collected a cross comfortably although he did give the travelling fans a few heart-stopping moments during the half. Brentford won their first corner after 12 minutes but a header went wide, before Pools won a corner of their own which nearly led to a goal. The home team failed to clear and Gary Liddle's shot came back off the inside of the post with everybody beaten and then Neil Austin fired across the face of the goal but there was nobody around to get a touch.

Brentford started to come into the game a little more wuth the main threat coming from their lively right wing Nicky Adams who was testing Evan Horwood's defensive abilities to the full. Kean was now the busier keeper and from one of these crosses from the right which he came for but failed to claim, Gary Liddle rescued him and Pools by clearing from a yard off the line. Pools were now playing more long balls forward only for them to come straight back and after another corner which Kean missed he made amends by tipping the resulting header over - great save ! We played out the rest of the half with no further defensive alarms.
 
Half Time: Brentford 0 Hartlepool 0
 
The second half opened in depressingly familiar way as in our last two away games. The midfield five were playing about ten yards deeper, with the obvious result that Ritchie Humphreys was increasingly isolated up front and the home team were dominating possession. Apart from the occasional break forward by Fabian Yantorno, who was quite lively all afternoon, the home team pressed forward although they rarely threatened the goal. Macdonald was up his tricks again after 51 minutes with yet another dive but luckily for him the referee was being very lenient and took no action. In a rare attack in front of the Pools fans Colin Larkin shot over after a good turn from just outside the box with the keeper well beaten. After 65 minutes Brentford surprisingly substituted Adams - home fans confirmed their astonishment in The New Inn after the game - and the threat down that side was definitely reduced much to our relief.
 
Pools brought on Steven Haslam and Leon McSweeney for Yantorno and Larkin and after 73 minutes Humphreys had a shot saved, his last contribution before being replaced five minutes later by Denis Behan. Behan almost had an immediate impact being brought down in the area with the kind of tackle that only results in a penalty for the home team. Antony Sweeney missed a great chance to grab all three points with five minutes to go but shot weakly straight at the keeper when through one on one. Haslam managed to get himself booked with a completely unnecessary challenge with a couple of minutes to go before Brentford went VERY close with a free kick in added time.

Full Time: Brentford 0 Hartlepool 0

 Comment :
 
While I understand the need to play it very tight away from home at some stage we HAVE to attack more as we can't rely on our home form to get us the points we need. Andy Monkhouse is arguably our most gifted player but he is being asked to play a very restricted role which stifles his natural attacking instincts. He is of more use to us pushing forward where he can do some damage. We have a number of defensively minded midfield players who could do the job he is doing and as there are usually more opportunities in away games then we have to consider using him more constructively. The defence was quite solid today with Sam Collins - South East Poolies man of the match - outstanding, with good support from Gary Liddle in particular. Useful debut from Jake Kean who will be even better when somebody tells him that he doesn't try and have to come for every cross.
 
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