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WINTER'S WORLD: MATCHDAY THREE: CARLING CUP THIRD ROUND, HARTLEPOOL UNITED v SHEFFIELD UNITED
12th August 2010
A new feature for this season, where I give my views on games I attend. Comments welcomed.
Thanks to the Tall Ships, Pools' first round game was put back 24 hours and gave me the opportunity to take in my third game in five days at the start of the new season. I would welcome Pools and Boro playing home games on different nights midweek, the possibility however small, of increasing attendances at the respective grounds has to be helpful. There is no love lost between Poolies and the Boro, but even if only 50 people decided to take in both games it adds to the clubs revenue.
As is usual the early rounds of the Carling Cup don't exactly fill the grounds, so I was able to leave home at 7pm, travel, get parked and still get into the ground well in advance of kick off. In my hasty departure from home I had left my phone behind and missed a call from Pools Mark Simpson requesting me to stand in and do co-commentary for Pools player. I actually enjoy doing these spots, but I am sure I will get other opportunities during the course of the season.
Sheffield United's 630 travelling fans swelled the attendance to a respectable level, I think the Poolies were spent up after four days of enjoying the Tall ships.
Getting your press pass from the office means that you have to walk through the visitors end to the press box. Bizarre really but sometimes more problematic for me as I am still recognised by visiting fans. Usually good banter, but as usual comments that are sometimes wide of the mark. One Sheffield fan suggested I had cost them a game against Leeds at Bramall Lane. I had to remind him that I had not even done that game, but he warmed to me when I reminded him of a Carling Cup tie against Leeds when after 90 minutes they were losing 1-0 but scored twice in time added on to defeat their Yorkshire rivals. Hopefully no such repeats tonight!!
Twelve months ago Pools started the season off with a goal-less draw, then with a victory away to a Championship club. I recall that night at The Ricoh as it promised so much for the season as a new look Pools performed superbly and knocked out the Sky Blues. That led to another great performance against then Premier League Burnley and a much undeserved defeat.
After the Coventry game last year, I allowed myself to get carried away and thought that Pools would be able to attain a top half finish but as we all know the lack of consistency meant that a final day fight against relegation was how the season ended.
Can you make out "Kes" the enforcer at Victoria Park?
Ironically after what was to be another great Carling Cup victory, Pools face another north-west Premier League side in Wigan Athletic. Let's hope that's where the similarity ends. Déjà vu, hopefully not. For sure I am not getting carried away this season. Early days, but despite not many changes to personnel the major addition could be Mick Wadsworth as coach.
Sheffield United contributed to circa 25% of the crowd with 630 travelling fans in the 2,520 attendance. That would normally have helped the atmosphere but their team's abject performance meant that in the main they were subdued. They did add some humour to the evening though when after 85 minutes they broke into song; "We've had a shot on goal". That fact was as much due to Pools hard work as Sheffield's deficiencies. It certainly was a strong side and Pools matched them for work rate as well as ability.
None more so than as early as the sixth minute when Pools took an early lead. The impressive Joe Gamble burst through and forced a good parried save from Simonson but the keeper, despite a vain effort, could not stop James Brown's follow up. I was interested to see Mark Yeates, who had a short stay at the Riverside, and Leon Britton, the diminutive midfielder who chose the money to join SU instead of Boro. On the night I would have preferred Joe Gamble anyway and Yeates did little before being substituted. Indeed watching Sheffield Wednesday manager Alan Irvine may well have been interested in Pools players on this performance.
Pools players thank the fans after their shock victory over Championship Sheffield United.
In the first half Pools' problems at the back were in the main self inflicted. A sign of the errors that have dogged the side, especially away from home, over recent seasons. Hopefully this will be high on Wadworth's agenda to eradicate.
As usual at the Vic match officials are given a rough time over any decision awarded against the home side, however experienced ref Graham Salisbury had, in my humble but qualified opinion, a solid game. His award of a penalty would have caused ructions had it of been awarded against Pools. Soft it was but that does not detract from the fact that it was the correct decision.
It gave Boydy the chance to kill the game and secure victory for Pools. Indeed Joe Gamble could easily have added to that shortly afterwards with a rasping shot that went just wide. By this stage I was desperate for another goal, indeed any goal.
My pre match punt had been on three goals or more in the game, so whilst CT would have been delighted with a second clean sheet thanks to Monky's last minute saving header, personally I would have welcomed the consolation. Such was the elation of the victory the Town End even broke into a couple of late songs and surprisingly "Turner Out" was not one of them.
I am sure that it won't all be plain sailing this season, but fans in the Millhouse have another new signing to enjoy and a mean character he or she is too. The Gazette's Pools correspondent and I christened it "Kes" but the bird on a stick that flies non stop over the half way line behind the Cyril Knowles Stand certainly shows the energy and ferocity that Pools need on the pitch. Certainly no self respecting seagull would dare crap on the stand let alone cause damage.
There was a time in the second half though was when he was challenged by a circling flock of a hundred plus local birds. The writing appeared to be on the wall for Kes, but surely the hardest bird in town saw them off! Pools have a new star and hopefully he will witness a season that does not follow the example of last year. Time will tell
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