Pools great escape hopes are killed off

Flinders - saves
By Charlie Summerbell
March 20 2013

After toying with a possible great escape, building up the hopes of their fans on the way, Hartlepool United have fallen back into their old habits and virtually made sure of relegation from League One with one awful performance.

They couldn’t afford to even draw at Oldham, let alone to lose, and yet they managed to lose 3-0, hammered and humiliated by the team directly above them in the table.

John Hughes described it men against boys, but it wasn’t even that close really and in the end Pools were lucky to get nil.

They did well enough in February for Hughes to be named manager of the month and for Peter Hartley to be named player of the month, but it’s all gone sour in Match and five games without a win or a goal have virtually ensured the great escape is off.

They are seven points away from safety and relegation is not yet assured, but Pools areb back to second bottom and on the form they showed at Oldham, all hope is gone.

“We didn’t do enough,” Hughes told the Northern Echo. “We were second best all over the park, we didn’t pass it well. We didn’t win our tackles and headers. We didn’t have any leaders of men. I can only be honest in my assessment. “Lately we have given ourselves a chance, this was our cup final. I wouldn’t like to think we would perform in a cup final like this. “Show character, wear your heart on your sleeve, show spirit, compete, snarl and scratch. “Then the rest takes care of itself. Then you get on top and start playing football. “Not tonight, we were so far off the game, it’s bitterly disappointing.’’

Not just for Hughes … it was a sickener for the fans whose hopes have been raised by the improvement in form and results in the second half of the season. At Oldham it was back to the sort of form they showed in the first half, and only some great saves by Scott Flinders kept the score down.

Hughes won’t admit it, but the result will probably signal the start of preparing for life in League Two and he added: “You learn about your players all the time. Now we need a miracle.’’

Again.

Hartley had an early header cleared off the line, but that was all Pools mustered and Robbie Simpson’s 18^th-minute header and another from Jean-Yves M’voto ten minutes later ended the contest. Jose Baxter’s second half goal was mere icing on Oldham’s cake.

Hughes started the game with Steve Howard back in attack, and the result provides ammunition for those who argue against the inclusion of the big striker.

Pools are at home to Walsall on Saturday in a game which last week promised more than it does now.