Pools 3 - Notts County 0

AS I SEEN IT

RUNNING MONKEY sees another fine home win

Someone told me today that the meetings between Neale Cooper and Mad dog Martin Allen were 4-1 in favour of Allen and one cup draw. So today we had to put that right especially after the robbery at Deepdale. As I was collecting my team sheet from reception I was told by someone in the know that today’s referee Mr. Langford had pierced nipples. Only another ref would know that, wouldn’t he! 

A windy but dry day looked like it might be a slog up field kind of game, but as it turned out the cross wind blew most of the long balls out of sight. Once again we had all of the elite clubs sending their scouts to the Vic hoping to glimpse young Luke James; the scout count for today was twenty-one, and they were not disappointed.

Luke was off like a rat up a drain at the kick off chasing everything down and through his harrying won the first corner of the game. Horwood’s cross rebounded to Murray who shot wide of the mark. Liddle made a good block in the Pools box at the other end. Monky won a good header that set up James who shot wide. Aussie was next up giving Brownie a chance but he headed his effort over the bar.


Evan Horwood is often magnificent and at the same time tends to over-hit his crosses, but today he was right on blob as he sent in a pearler that Sweeney, almost having a free header, sent like a thunder bolt into the back of the net for Pools to go one up. Allen had obviously done his homework and James was man-marked all over the pitch and battered to the ground every time the opportunity arose. Obviously the nipple-pierced ref has no idea on motherhood and even less on child abuse as the kid was given the treatment by a lumbering centre half. Brownie also came in for special treatment but we expect that from Martin Allen sides. 


Pools have always been a soft touch and tried to rely on their skill rather than their lack of brawn to win games. Sadly at times today it looked more like a wrestling match than a footy game. After the break they came at us as expected but Murray, for me this weeks MOM despite Sweeney getting it for his goals,  once again stood his ground stepped in and robbed them of the ball and every time made good use of it.


 It helps when you have two pacy forwards. The pace of Luke James won another corner for Pools and these days we have been winning some of the dead ball situations and Sam won the header but it was weak, straight at the keeper. Pools were playing even better football the second half as Notts were looking ragged under the pressure, and the second goal came after some sustained pressure from Pools. I was being a bit critical of Monky who looked short of pace and was giving the ball away quite a bit but one he sent through for Aussie to run onto was a clever ball, and the full back, who is playing well and loves to get forward, set up Sweeney for his brace with Brownie lurking just behind him waiting to pounce. A far cry from a few weeks ago when the same players looked as if they were dumping the ball.

"Allen had obviously done his homework and James was man-marked all over the pitch and battered to the ground every time the opportunity arose."

Being two down and, although we did not know it at the time, trying to save his job, Allen threw on all three subs but to be honest the players he took off were far better, and a couple of prima donnas that flapped their arms like windmills every time a decision went against them did not help the manager's cause. I do not know the extent of Lidds' injury, but when players who are getting beat in a game resort to that type of tackle you just cannot excuse it with a lame statement about frustration or his mother left him when he was a child. This was a criminal act and the video will prove it. Bishop, the Stockton-born player, was ruthless in his assassination of one of our players and a simple yellow card only condones that type of play. Mr. Pierced Nipples chickened out of his duty so I think he should be exposed, and I will write to my MP to ask a question in the house why men who piece their nipples should be allowed in the Vic.


Luke James, again making a mockery of his tender age, was a giant today; battered all through the game he kept getting back up for more and his run down the wing, jinking and diving, resulted in a low cross into the box which Monky smashed home to make it three nil to the Hartlepool. This is what the fans have been waiting for, for the past four seasons, a chance to compete with other teams in the division and we now have the team to do that. And with the addition of Ryan Noble of the Mackems, reported to be joining us, it could become even better. This was a great team performance and it is always good to turn a Martin Allen team over, as we don’t often do. The balance of the side looks good but it looks like the end of the road for the Boyd, reported to be going to Plymouth, and you can’t get any further way from the Manor than that.

One incident which was curious and became curiouser - the Notts keeper suddenly went down in the box clutching his head, intimating to the officials he had been hit with an object thrown onto the pitch. I have no idea if he did find an object but then there was something thrown on at the ref's feet which he did pick up while he was booking some player, at the same time bringing subs on. There was a plastic bottle in the goal but we understood that it was the keeper’s refreshments. Apparently the keeper had blasted a ball into the crowd in frustration, hit someone and knocked him out. This was reported to the police and the theory was he was covering up for his own misdemeanor. The keeper then went to the post ready to take a goal kick and bumped his head on the post, walked a few yards then dropped to his knees. Curious? You bet it was. All might be revealed if the video was on. A chant of ,get them out, went up from the Town End with angry fingers being pointed, but that was for the incident the ref did see.