Injuries pile up for unbeaten Pools

Three games, three draws - four if you include the Sheffield United Carling Cup-tie before the deciding penalties. It's been a middle-of-the-road start to the season for Hartlepool United, but there is hope.   

The latest was the goalless game at home to Huddersfield, when a Pools side badly hit by injuries looked the more likely winners against last season’s beaten play-off finalist, who have now not lost in a club record 28 regular League One games.

No wonder Mick Wadsworth is proud of his players.

He told the Northern Echo: “We deserved the points and the performance outweighed the result. The display was a benchmark really and if we perform like that with that intensity we will do well, and I really mean that.

"We had to change shape and personnel and they changed formation three times to cope with us and we became the best team.''

Striker Colin Nish missed a late sitter which should have won the game, but Wadsworth said: He had a big chance to win it. He's been up two nights after his partner gave birth following a difficult labour and he did well, a big threat. Peter Clarke, who I rate very highly, was in a game there.

"It was pleasing for us, but they are delighted to have a clean sheet. They were relieved with a 0-0 draw, they had few chances and we created good things.''

There were a lot more positives to the game than negatives for Pools, the performances in midfield particularly good as Pools coped with the absence of Antony Sweeney, Nobby Solano, Nathan Luscombe  and Gary Liddle, who has had surgery on a fractured cheek after playing most of Saturday’s game with the injury.

Huddersfield did have some chances, former Pools favourite Tommy Miller going close, but over the 90 minutes Pools were the better side – not bad against opponents who did so well last season.

Meanwhile Walsall captain Andy Butler has had his red card rescinded after he and Nathan Luscombe were sent off at the Vic at the weekend.

Pools decided against an appeal, so they have to do without Luscombe for another two games.

Regrets? They’ve probably had a few.

And with the midfield injury crisis at its height, they’ll probably have a few more – games at Stevenage and Rochdale on the next two Saturdays won’t be easy.