Unchanged team gets Pools back to winning form
Evan H - first goal
By Charlie Summerbell
September 1 2010
Hartlepool United are in the second round of the Johnstone's Paints Trophy after four goals in ten second-half minutes blew aside League Two opponents Northampton Town at Victoria Park. It was the ideal tonic for a side in danger of suffering post-traumatic stress disorder after shipping eight goals in their last two home games.
After struggling to find a breakthrough against moderate opposition, Pools suddenly found their feet after Evan Horwood scored his first pools goal.
Further strikes from Antony Sweeney, Andy Monkhouse and sub Denis Behan assured Pools of a place in round two.
Many observers felt that caretaker boss Mick Wadsorth's decision to start the game with the team hammered 5-0 at home by Sheffield Wednesday was a shock, but really it wasn't.
He had a good reason to do give the players another chance as he was no doubt hoping that a quick return to winning form would do them good after the Wednesday defeat and the Carling Cup setback against Wigan.
Hopefully he was right and Pools will be up for it when they appear on live telly in their Saturday lunchtime game at MK Dons.
Wadsworth told the Northern Echo: “We got Saturday out of the system.
“On Sunday and Monday we spoke and I said ‘if you played on Saturday, what do you want next?’ The answer was to play the next game - and it showed.
"They weren’t desperately bad on Saturday, and that may sound stupid, but we responded well. The way they played, they were persistent and patient, was pleasing."
The performance wasn't perfect - the Cobblers had a first-half goal disallowed for pushing at a corner and Pools struggled for a long time to convert their chances, the closest they came being a James Brown header that came back off the bar.
But it was all right in the end and with nothing coming out of the club on the appointment of a new manager, Wadsworth has the job of trying to get back to League One form on Saturday.
It won't be easy, but if the players respond as well as they did on Tuesday night, a result is not out of the question.