Pools look to bounce back against Stockport

By Albatross
March 16 2004

The games are coming thick and fast, and after Saturdays defeat at the hands of QPR Hartlepool United are back in action tonight against Stockport County. Can Pools get back on track and continue to push for the playoffs? County though are badly in need of points themselves...

Despite wining their last two games, Stockport remain in the relegation zone and are four points away from safety; this is in large part due to a home record that has seen them earn fewer points than on their travels. Despite appointing Sammy McIlroy after sacking Carlton Palmer after their home defeat at our hands, form hasn't been good at any stage of the season - their longest unbeaten league run is four games, and until this month they hadn't won as many as two games in a row.

Wins over Bristol City and at Brentford on Saturday have given them a little hope, but it's form they need to keep going if they are going to avoid the drop. Before the surprise victory over Bristol, they had failed to win in nine attempts, and the odds are that this is a brief blip before normal service is resumed.

Without doubt one of the biggest blows to County's season was the loss of Luke Beckett through injury. Expected to be a prolific scorer, Beckett had scored four in six games before suffering a serious injury early in September; he hasn't appeared for the first team since, and the Hatters have struggled to replace his goals. Stuart Barlow is leading scorer with 11, but only seven of those have come in the league - a total matched by Aaron Wilbraham and Rickie Lambert. Other than that, no player can muster more than four goals.

There have been problems at the other end too, with County struggling to find a regular Goalkeeper following the departure of Ola Tidman in the close season. They started off with loanee Nick Colgan, and also taking the jersey this season have been youngster James Spencer and loanees Boaz Myhill and of course most recently Tony Williams. Taff may have kept clean sheets in the last two games, but Pools have denied him permission to play tonight unless there is no other fit keeper available; this means that it will be Spencer in goal, with County hoping to smuggle Taff onto the bench. Defence has seen a few loanees as well, most recently Danny Adams from Macclesfield, but McIlroy has been hit by the news that Derby have recalled the Bedlington-born Dave Walton from his loan spell at Edgeley Park.

Pools meanwhile are only likely to be missing Gavin Strachan - although Cooper may decide to shuffle his pack following the defeat to QPR at the weekend. Steve Carson didn't have the best game on his first start for the club, and there's every chance that Steven Istead will be given the nod on the right; Neil Danns will be hoping to retain his place and have a more productive game in the middle after receiving a debut thrashing against QPR for the second time this season. Coops may consider throwing Robinson in up front, but I suspect he'll keep faith with Eifion and Porter.

Prediction time then, and I can't see anything other than a Pools win tonight. The players will be looking to bounce back after Saturday, and we have yet to lose two on the spin in the league; Stockport, despite two wins recently, are one of the weakest sides in the division. It may not be a hammering of the type we gave Grimsby, but I reckon we'll win comfortably enough; 3-0 to the Hartlepool, with Porter, Eifion and Danns hitting the net.