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.