Pools 3 - Bury 0

AS I SEEN IT

RUNNING MONKEY watches Pools go up to 5th top

A fine sunny afternoon for footy, so after the downpour around dinner time it saved the ground staff watering the pitch. With 5300 crowd in attendance it was sad to see a poor turn out from Bury, but I suppose six without a win would put a few off travelling the short distance. 

Both Richie Barker and Taffy Williams were the old boys returning to the Vic and Richie in particular was afforded a good reception by the faithful.

Liddle forced a corner in the first attack and Sweeney could not test the keeper with his shot. At the other end Ned saved comfortably from a free kick the man in the middle gave against us after an Aussie tackle. A free kick at the other end saw the ball skim the head of Boydie. Bury came straight back and Murray made a great block from a rasping Bury shot. Sam was having a great game winning every header and his distribution was superb.

Wright was knocked to the deck by a ball that hit him on the back of the head as he tried to block the cross, but he was soon up on his feet. Wright looks to have been a very good acquisition to the squad - very mobile both in defence and attack.

Pools were playing some good football but were finding Bury difficult to break down. Boydie came close heading a free kick from Aussie onto the top of the visitors net. Both teams were breaking well and the Bury forward Harrad tired any fair or foul means to pressure Ned, even using elbows, which the officials missed.

Paul Murray won a ball midfield and carried it forward and blasted a shot through the crowded box, which the Bury keeper was equal to. The same player, Harrad, turned Hartley and broke free in the box to strike at Flinders, who smothered the shot. The game was becoming bogged down as both teams gave little away until Solano slipped his marker, sidestepped a defender, and hit a lovely low shot back across the goal to take the lead. Solano, almost on the next attack, played a great ball to Nish, who turns well on the ball for a big man and he set up Sweeney at the far post to slot the ball home. I thought the flag went up before Sweeney scored, so possibly Nish was offside first.

The second half started at the same pace as the first but it was Colin Nish, who we all know desperately needed a goal in front of the home fans, got one, and this was some goal. A cross from Monky found Nish who made a superb turn and hit his shot under pressure into the roof of the net to rapturous applause. He may have his critics in some quarters of the ground but that was one of the best individual goals I have seen.

Nish again won a ball and set up Sweeney, who raced through on goal but was sandwiched between two defenders and his shot went just wide. Pools were playing some great football now and Wright was finding more space, and a great run to the dead ball line allowed him to hit a low cross that Poole mis-hit as he came from the other side of the goal. Nish sent a great header in and was unlucky to see it bounce off the bar with the keeper beaten.

Nish scored his third of the season by beating a defender in the box, nicking the ball from him, rounding the keeper, and coolly stroking the ball into the net with the Poolies going wild. Poole who came on, went close with a curling shot just past the far post and almost set up Nish for a hat trick. Nish made a desperate stretch at the back post but could not connect. Bury did have their moments but teams that are mis-firing always seem to try too hard, as we know from experience. Fortunately there were not enough Bury fans to give Barker much grief.

Pools 2 - Exeter 0

AS I SEEN IT

RUNNING MONKEY sees the first home win of the season

I was a bit late getting in to the Vic today, about ten minutes before kick off, and how good it is to see the place bouncing with 5000 plus crowds. It is a long haul from Exeter so I suppose 200 was a good following for the visitors. The Mail was telling us that there was a couple of doubtful players in the squad, but that is only to sell papers, is it not? 

I was looking for an unchanged side, possibly with the absence of Poole who was nursing a knee injury. On collecting my reserved team sheet all was revealed, and Steve Wright was in this afternoon. This new signing was in to replace the injured Sam. When you look at the bench of Poole, Monky, Luscombe and Haslam, how good is that? Today I knew that I would have no need to write any disparaging remarks about the ref, Mr Mathieson, who is a regular at the Vic, and in the past has always done a good job. 

A couple of notables in the Exeter side: Daniel Nardiello, and Rowan Vine - and a Troy Archiebold –Henville -  here is me thinking all public school boys played rugger or went to be MPs. Give him his due this, rather tall coloured centre back was good and could put it about when he needed to. 

Pools, going for the jugular, started with the rejuvenated Boydie and the much maligned (in some quarters) Nish up front. Nish is a good player who needs a couple of goals and does seem to be trying too hard to get them. Boydie was the first to have a dip at goal with an overhead kick that was not too far off. Nobby played a beautiful through ball to Sweeney who fired at the keeper, who blocked it and again. Sweeney’s header was blocked and Nish hit his shot that was blocked until the man in the mask ghosted in to slide the ball home. One nil to the Hartlepool. 

If there were any neutral fans in the ground, with the exception of the two stood behind me who chatted all game about Engerlund, they would have enjoyed this game immensely. End to end football with both teams making mistakes and both teams playing attractive football. Mr Mathieson did give a few dodgy free kicks on the edge of our box but I think he was conned so I wont hold that against him. A tip over by Ned and a shot at the other end by Sweeney followed by a superb ball from Aussie to Boydie on the spot saw Lenny Pidgeley smother the ball as Boydie pounced. 

Hartley headed a ball onto the net from a free kick. It is great to see us not wasting these free kicks as we have done so much in the past, and even if we are only testing the keeper it is an improvement. Boydie, who is not the fastest in the side, made some good ground on a clearance and laid the ball off to the supporting Solano who hit the far post, and Sweeney charging in could not connect with the ball before the keeper smothered it. There was some really good football played by both teams in the first half and one period in particular where Pools, playing one-touch training ground stuff. looked to have Exeter on the rack. Half time, one nil to Pools, and on balance they deserved their lead.

"If there were any neutral fans in the ground, with the exception of the two stood behind me who chatted all game about Engerlund, they would have enjoyed this game immensely."

The start of the second half Pools were under a bit of pressure. Exeter, playing some good football on the deck, made us look a little ragged. Poole was brought on for Nobby, and Pools started to get more of the ball, and Sweeney, who was skinning their full-back, set up Liddle, whose turn and shot was excellent. Boydie’s chip come shot was just wide of the far post, which at first I thought had gone in - one disadvantage of a full Town End: you cannot see along the line. Nish was taken off for Monky and it was good to see the faithful give him a good round of applause after he played so well. Monky, who had been publicly criticised last week for a bad back header, made a great run down the left and squared a perfect ball for Lidds who shot wide. 

Good to see Boydie last the ninety minutes, and as we know of old, you can never count him out. He was actually getting better as the game went on, and a link-up with Monky, who made a repeat of the earlier cross to Lidds, this time set up Luscombe, who wellied the ball home for a very deserved two nil lead and three very valuable points.

Exeter were always in with a chance when it was one nil, and last year we probably would have even lost this game against a good footballing side. Today we held our luck and deservedly took the spoils. One call on the tannoy during a break in play, for a fan to go straight to North Tees as his girlfriend had gone into labour, had even the players in stitches.

Rochdale 1 - Pools 3

AS I SEEN IT

BILLY'S CONTRACT takes a trip across the Pennines

Having messed up on the holiday front which meant that I missed the first three home games and a first-ever visit to Stevenage, I was determined to get to see 'Pools at the earliest opportunity possible. This meant the relatively short hop down the M62 over to Rochdale. 

I like this little Lancashire town, home of Gracie Fields and of the Rochdale Pioneers, who founded the Co-Operative Society. In many ways it reminds me of Hartlepool, but without a sea front or a Marina ...and a lot of other things.

Despite the fact I have been to this ground on seven or eight occasions, I had yet to see 'Pools win here, our best effort being a draw.

Normally when heading home after an away trip, as tradition dictates, we hit Wetherby for fish and chips. This however is given a miss whenever we play Rochdale, as we tend to have suet steak pie and chips from 'the chippy' across the road from Rochdale's ground. As ever the scran was excellent - Gordon Ramsey eat your heart out - and the lasses who served us were good craic. It was then over the road to The Church for some holy water. ...Just to clarify for those who have never been to the Dale, The Church is a pub not a religious building so perhaps I should have said we went in for some unholy water. A blessing in disguise!

After our libation we decided we would head for the ground, a mere 40 strides away from the pub. Without paying attention I entered the first turnstile I came to, handed a £20 note over to the turnstile operator, and tried to gain access to the ground by pushing the turnstile but it would not move. I was just about to ask the turnstile operator to let me in when she handed me £6 change back. As I gained access to the ground I was thinking that the entrance price, as last season, should be £20 to get in and not £14. It was then that it occurred to me that I used the O.A.P. entrance. The joy of saving six quid quickly subsided when I realised that the lady on the gate did not query my age, and must have thought I was a right old codger. I know I am 58 and what hair I have is quite grey but my ego was severely dented I can tell you. My mate was incredulous as he thought that I had pulled this stunt to save a few bob. ...Having said that, if it worked once it might be worth another try at our next away game!

Pools took to the field in their new 'must have' Maroon away strip, which absolutely looks the business ...currently 'not available' from the club shop.

I have previously mentioned that I am not a fan of the 4-5-1 formation. Like my women, I prefer 'two up front', particularly as 4-5-1 sends a message to the opposition that we are scared stiff of you and are more interested in not getting beat rather than winning.

I also do not believe that we have the players to use this system on a consistently successful basis as too many individuals in our defence are prone to make elementary mistakes that prove costly. In addition I am not convinced that either Boydie or Brownie are suited to being the lone target man. As it turned out on the day, this system actually worked. Pools put in a superb performance to come away with their first win of the season."I like this little Lancashire town... In many ways it reminds me of Hartlepool, but without a sea front or a Marina ...and a lot of other things."

Neil Austin had an excellent game at centre half filling in for the injured Sam Collins. Boydie had one of his best games since he returned to the club. He harried and chased and was deservedly rewarded with a neat headed goal. Poole is looking a far better player than when he was with us on loan last season and looks to be a possible star of the future. His pace is something we have previously lacked and should be utilised. As for Poole's so-called wonder strike what can I say ...well, nothing really as I missed it - I was still supping tea underneath the stand during what I thought was still the half time interval. I did not realise that the team had taken to the pitch, let alone scored a goal, until the massive roar went up that acknowledged Poole's stunner.

However the two stars of the day were the old campaigners Paul Murray and Ritchie Humphreys (if only they were both five years younger) who absolutely dominated and bossed the midfield for the full ninety minutes. Basically they used their football brains and not their lack of pace. Ritchie also had a hand in two of the goals.(He might have had an assist in Poole's first goal for all I know, but as I said earlier, at the time I was quaffing P.G Tips out of the sight of field of play!)

It has to be said that the three hundred or so fans who made the journey to Dale really made themselves heard and got behind the team, cheering every goal and tackle, which I am sure kept the lads going, particularly in the latter stages of the game.

As for Rochdale, they should have played Jake Kean. ...Perhaps not.

All this, followed by a leisurely drive home and a very acceptable curry at the new Indian restaurant next to Hornsey's on Seaton front. One sour note was that they do not do concessions for pensioners. Such is life.