Match Report: Hartlepool United 1 Barnsley 2

By Albatross
December 26 2003

The 28 game unbeaten home run in the league is now history; Barnsley become the first side since Rushden in September last year to leave the Vic with 3 points. Hartlepool United may have lost, but the Ref will be in for a fair bit of criticism on the boards tonight....

Cooper made one change to the starting eleven, bringing in John Brackstone for Matty Robson. Steven Istead made a welcome return to the bench.

A combination of bad traffic (don't you just love the A1?), and having to leg it round to the Mill House due to the Cyril Knowles being full meant almost ten minutes of the game had passed by the time I got in - and there were another couple of hundred behind me in the queue to get in through the two turnstiles for pay on the day punters on the Mill House. Apparently though, according to my brother in the Town End, Pools started off the brighter and had a couple of decent chances early on. Provett was soon in action though, having to deal with crosses from Warhurst and the lively Betsy.

I did get to my seat though in time to see Shuker on the break; as he hared down the right and headed infield Porter appeared to be chopped, and when the Man City player reached the edge of the area he shot weakly at Ilic.

Pools were looking more enterprising with the wind at their backs, and Humphreys sent a great crossfield ball to switch play to Shuker on the opposite flank - but Shuker couldn't quite control it and it went out for a throw. Barnsley were showing they weren't here to defend though, and Walters put a shot over the bar from a cross from the left when he should have done better.

Humphreys was looking like he was up for it, and after a free kick was cleared by Barnsley the wide man tried a long range effort that went well wide. Provett however did have a moment shortly after when he flapped somewhat at a free kick from the left to give away a corner that lead to a shot from Kay that went well over.

Ritchie next tried a chipped free kick into the box that Eifion Williams could only head just wide; but these to combined again to better effect on 22 minutes. Humphreys took a good long throw from the right that found it's way to Williams at the far post; the Welshman made no mistake to volley Pools into the lead.

Pools continued to press, a Strachan free kick being diverted over for a corner that was played deep for Humphreys to send well over; and Ritchie was again in the action when he curled another effort over a few minutes later.

Barnsely weren't offering much penetration at this point, and Pools again carved out a good chance for Eifion on 27 minutes. A Barnsley goal kick found it's way back to Porter, who flicked the ball on for his striking partner to run onto; however, Eifion's powerful shot from the edge of the area failed to trouble Ilic.

On 30 minutes there was some consternation when the Floodlights went out; after a brief pause play continued sans lights, and less than ten minutes later they sprang to live again amidst cheers.

Betsy in particular was proving to be a handful, and he almost made it count after a slip by Brackstone on 40 minutes. Betsy though decided to go down to try and win a penalty - only for the Ref to signal play on. It was a clear dive, but was to prove far from the only penalty appeal to be turned down in front of the town end.

Ritchie and Eifion almost repeated their trick on 42 minutes when a free kick almost made it through to a lurking Eifion at the far post; a despairing clearance from a Barnsley defender though saved the day. Pools then almost had another goal through Gavin Strachan; Humphreys did well to win and hold onto the ball, timing his release of the ball perfectly for the on-rushing Strachan to burst through and head for goal only to roll his shot wide of the far post.

The Ref had signalled one minute of added time, and in the second minute of it Barnsley levelled the game. Brackstone made the error - near the halfway line he headed backwards, over Westwood, and allowed Betsy to break. His cross found it's way to Carson, who shot powerfully at Provett; Betsy however was there to follow in the rebound. The ref whistled for half time just after Pools had restarted the game.

Pools kicked off towards the Town End in the second half with the wind and driving rain in their faces. Nelson almost gave Provett a shock when he mis-kicked to provide an up and under that the Pools Keeper took comfortably in the end. Pools then showed the sort of football we were hoping for, with a good passing move seeing Shuker in space on the right; however, his cross failed to clear the first man. The ball was cleared, and from the counter attack Barnsley headed just over.

Hayward became the first player in the book on 55 minutes, and deservedly so after a very late challenge on Gavin Strachan. Shortly after this, Pools were denied what looked to be a clear penalty. A clever header from Shuker put Porter in the clear, only for the Aussie to be scythed down. Referee Halsey though decided the Barnsley defender had got the ball, and allowed play to continue. There was justice of a sort shortly after though, when Nelson got away with some obvious holding back on Betsy forty yards out.

Barnsley then swapped the booked Hayward for Chris Lumsdon, and three minutes later the Tykes took the lead. A long clearance from midfield allowed Betsy to outpace Westwood and slot the ball home past Provett.

Pools were soon back at them though, and Williams and Shuker combined superbly down the right. Williams' first touch in the box though was too hard, and the ball went harmlessly behind for a goal kick.

Cooper decided on a change of personnel on 70 minutes, with Porter and Tinkler (who looked a bit off the pace) replaced by Robinson and Clarke. Pools though were failing to get the better of a well organised Barnsley side, and playing into the wind were too often guilty of conceding possession by trying to play the ball in the air.

Barnsley made another change on 80 minutes, Alex Neil replacing Walters, and Cooper made his last throw of thedice shortly after; Istead came on in place of Brackstone, and Pools went to three at the back as Istead played in his normal wide right role while Shuker moved inside.

Clarke became the second player of the afternoon to see yellow; a battle on the edge of the Barnsley box saw the ball rolling back towards Ilic and Clarke slid in to try and poke the ball past him. It looked like the ball was there to be won, but when Ilic and Clarke collided the Pools player soon found himself on the end of a couple of shoves from the Barnsley defenders before the Referee put himself in the way.

Istead found his way into the action when some good play sent him away down the right, his cross being put behind for a corner that was headed onto the roof of the net by Robinson. Pools should maybe have had a penalty again shortly after; there was a melee in the box with a Pools Player seeming to go down under a heavy challenge before the ball was eventually cleared off the line by a Barnsley defender.

With time running out Pools were throwing everything at the Barnsley defence, and twice felt they should have had penalties. First of all Istead did well and broke into the box before going down - though I do think he was playing for it; and with time almost up a Barnsley player seemed to handle in the box. The Ref bottled it though, and blew for full time shortly after to put an end to the longest home unbeaten run in the club's history. He was immediately surrounded by a horde of angry Pools players - with reason!

So it's over, but Pools will be feeling more than a little aggrieved. four good shouts for penalties - three of them looking like dead certs - and a goal scored in stoppage time that didn't exist. However, we struggled with the pace and skill of Betsy all afternoon, and especially in the second half were guilty too often of trying to play a ball in the air into a strong wind, when instead we should have been trying to keep the ball on the ground. It was a good advert for second division football though, and given Barnsley's league position it's far from the end of the world. With half the season gone we're in eleventh place - and the 6520 crowd bodes well. Consolidation and mid-table, and a bumper festive crowd? Not as good as a win, but I'm not going to despair just yet.