Hartlepool United go down as Wrexham show the way

By Albatross
March 19 2003

It was another bad midweek game as Wrexham out-thought and out-fought Pools at the Racecourse Ground. Will we manage to bounce back from this poor performance? If not, the title may be heading elsewhere.....

Pools lined up with the same team as on Saturday, Richardson continuing in attack alongside Eifion Williams.

Wrexham kicked off, attacking the goal where the 2-300 Poolies were sitting, and it didn't take long for them to look dangerous: Carlos Edwards on the left wing forced a good challenge out of Darrell Clarke and won a throw in that was easily cleared. A minute later though Edwards did brilliantly to take the ball past Barron before delivering a low cross that Taffy should have easily taken; instead, the ball came out to STUART GREEN who had all the time in the world to pick his spot from eight yards.

Pools were rattled, but before long were showing their own mettle. On five minutes, some good play down the left eventually saw Tinkler play Eifion Williams in, but his shot from 15 yards was straight at the keeper. Shortly afterwards an attack down the right saw Richardson try a shot that was deflected for a corner. The ball came across, and as play broke down Richardson managed a weak downward header that didn't really stretch Dibble.

On 10 minutes Carlos Edwards was again showing his party piece; he waltzed round the outside of Clarke before delivering a great cross that was headed over by Green. Barron had pulled into the middle, and Edwards had quickly worked out how to get round the outside of Clarke. There was another chance for Wrexham shortly after when Williams was forced to make a save that he then took over the line for a corner.

A couple of minutes later, with Wrexham piling forward in attack, Clarke did well to win the ball in midfield and set off for goal: he then played the ball on to Richardson, who was promptly taken out by Dibble. Inside the box or out? I can't say, but either way it was a red card offence: unbelievably, Premiership Ref Dermot Gallagher waved play on.

Pools were trying to play offside, and Wrexham almost took advantage on 15 minutes: a ball over the top played in Trundle, but as he prepared to pull the trigger Westwood got in to make a great saving tackle.

Pools were struggling to get hold of the ball, and Wrexham's central three meant that we were frequently outnumbered in midfield; the passing was also going astray too often and we were struggling to provide the forwards with any kind of service.

Pools then had good reason to be thankful for Mark Robinson, as in the space of three minutes he got in a couple of important challenges and then, after Barron had made another important challenge, cleared the ball off the line from a corner. Not long after Trundle made an opportnity for himself but shot straight at Taff.

Spike then had to recieve some treatment after an injury, and while he was off the field Gallaghrer again bottled a decision: Dibble picked up a backpass, and the whistler again waved play on.

Pools were being limited to long range efforts, and Humphreys let a couple go on 34 and 35 minutes: the first was always going wide, while the second, form a bit closer in, went over the bar.

Edwards was still causing trouble, and forced Taff to save with his feet from just inside the area; Morrell then had a weak shot easily saved. Another bizarre decision from Gallagher saw Wrexham given a corner that never was - though to be fair he received absolutely no help from his assistant who was much better placed.

It was Wrexham's turn to be on the end of a strange decision a couple of minutes later, when Edwards turned well and knocked the ball forward to run onto; despite the fact he was playing the ball to himself, the flag went straight up for offside! If these were Premiership officials, then the game is in a very poor state....

The last chance of the half inevitably fell to Wrexham; Taff and Westie collided on the edge of the area as they went for the ball, leaving Morrell an empty net; incredibly, from 20 yards he put the ball just wide.

The second half started with Pools starting to get some better possession and putting Wrexham under a bit more pressure. Humphreys saw a shot go over, and then an up-and-under that Eddie Waring would have enjoyed allowed Richardson to cause a bit of chaos in the defence before Lawrence got the ball clear. Richardson then received the ball back about 20 yards out, and managed to get a shot away. It wasn't exactly a strong effort, but the placing was enough to cause Dibble problems as he got to the ball and then spilled it; however with no Pools player following in he was able to claim the ball at the second attempt.

Tommy Widdrington was the next to go close, when some good work from Richardson allowed Clarke to get in a cross; Widds didn't quite get the contact he wanted with his head and the ball went well wide.

Humphreys then managed to get on the end of a low cross from Barron that he sent over, but Wrexham were looking like they could soak up whatever we were throwing at them, and looked capable of breaking quickly as well. When play did break down, Wrexham's superior numbers in the middle of the pitch meant they got to it first time and time again.

Dibble seemed to have been timewasting since the break, and was lucky to escape a booking on 65 minutes when Gallagher spoke to him. Given that Wrexham looked well in charge, this was all the more bewildering.

Finally Newell decided to change things, but once again rather than Watson it was Henderson who came on for Richardson, with Smith replacing Widds. Humphreys moved inside, and Pools soon looked weaker in midfield as Widds' battling qualities were sorely missed in an already outnumbered midfield.

Not long after some bad defending saw Pools fail to clear the ball and this time we were outnumbered two on one at the back; the ball was played to GREEN who finished well from the left of the area and put the game beyond Pools.

Almost straight away Flash did make his appearance, replacing Eifion - but it was too late to make much difference. The final ball was never quite good enough to give anyone a clear chance, and with Pools being out-battled in midfield we were struggling to create much anyway. It wasn't until 85 minutes that a chance was finally made for Hendo, who managed to scuff his shot and failed to trouble Dibble. Poolies were already heading for the exit by the time that the whistle finally went and ended the suffering.

Mike Newell has said he thought Pools looked "jaded" tonight, and he has a point: even Humphreys didn't have much of a game, and it was difficult to pick out any player who looked like he was having a good game. But a lot of credit has to go to Wrexham, who used the 3-5-2 system to great effect - not just to stop Pools playing, but also to make sure that they outnumbered us when and where it mattered. With Green breaking forward quickly to support the attack, Pools simply didn't have an answer - and Carlos Edwards was skinning Barron and Clarke for fun in the first half. We lost this game due to tactics: with Wrexham proving very effective in midfield, we could have done with switching to 3-5-2 ourselves at the break to compete more with them. Instead we stuck to 4-4-2, and were reduced to long range pot shots that only rarely tested Dibble. Meanwhile Wrexham's movement in front of goal caused our defence problems all night, and they were full value for their victory.

Some may wish to claim that things would have been different if Gallagher had sent Dibble off; but to be honest, Pools looked out of ideas tonight and I doubt it would hav made a great deal of difference. The officials succeeded in annoying both sets of fans: maybe they were making us suffer for the fact they were having to slum it for a night.

Next up for Pools is another away game, this time at Bristol Rovers; and with Rushden having won at Bury, it's more important than ever that we get something out of the game at the Memorial Ground. That gap will look a lot less healthy if we don't.