2003/4 Season Review: October landing

By Albatross
June 2 2004

Hartlepool United's great start to 2003/4 hit a bit of an obstacle in October, as a combination of a few poor performances and some injury woes saw us struggle for form.

If Pools had hit the heights during August and September, October was to show us that Division 2 was to be no cakewalk.

Our first game of the month saw us travel to the South Coast to take on Bournemouth. Tinkler put us ahead in the first half, but as full time approached two goals from Holmes and Feeney looked to have deprived us of any reward. No-one had told Gavin Strachan that though, and he curled in another superb free kick to earn us a 2-2 draw.

This was however seen as just the appetiser: the main course being the visit of Sheffield Wednesday on Friday 10th October. A sellout was predicted for the first time since our cup ties against the likes of Arsenal and Spurs in the early 1990s; as it was, almost 7500 were at the Vic to witness the return of Chris Turner. Lloyd Owusu wanted to spoil the party, but it was Gabbiadini that ensured a point against a Wednesday side which at that stage still looked to be in contention at the top end of the table.

Watching from the sidelines were a couple of players adding some International flavour. Adam Van Dommelle may not have impressed Cooper, but Joel Porter had arrived to ensure there was still an Australian contingent; and Dimitrios Konstantopoulos, a former u21 international goalkeeper with Greece. Rumours were already starting to circulate that Tony Williams was not entirely happy with sitting on the bench - and with Dimi being signed on a short term deal those rumours started to circulate even more. As Pools travelled to the North-West to take on Oldham in the LDV Trophy, Williams was talking to the Hartlepool Mail: he made it clear that he wasn't happy to be just sitting on the bench, and wanted to be playing - in the first team. And if he wasn't getting that opportunity at Pools, then he'd have to consider his options....

Taff was selected for the LDV game, but didn't help his cause; Pools drew 3-3, and then lost on penalties, Taff not saving any. Two games played, six goals conceded was not the sort of record Cooper was going to be impressed with - and with teams rumoured to be interested it looked like he'd soon be off. When Konstantopoulos was named on the bench for the next game at Blackpool, it was the end of the road for Williams.

The Blackpool game itself was a fiasco in more ways than one. The local police initially said it was to be pay on the day, but then changed it late in the week to be all ticket for away fans - leaving exiles especially with problems. A wait in a long queue at Blackpool to collect the ticket I'd reserved was then followed by the discovery that it was in fact entirely possible to pay on the gate after all! That was only the start though....

The performance on the pitch was arguably our worst of the whole season as we succumbed 4-0 to a Blackpool side that had displayed little form beforehand. To add to Pools woes, Eifion Williams missed the game due to illness and Paul Robinson had to be substituted after less than 15 minutes. It was an all-round stinker - only Provett, Westwood, and debutant John Brackstone, on at half time, emerged from the game with any credit. For two Pools players it was the end of the line - Mark Robinson and Jermaine Easter would never play for the Pools first team again.

With another away game at Chesterfield in midweek and a looming striker crisis, Cooper threw up a wildcard: Marcus Richardson was recalled from a productive loan spell at Lincoln to start up front alongside Eifion Williams. Although Pools were still well below par, Richardson put himself about enough to gain Pools the lead, inducing an own goal; and Paul Robinson, on as a sub, got the winner to take his tally for the season to nine. Little did we know that it would be the last time he hit the back of the net all season.... It was also the last opportunity to see Paul Arnison in a Pools shirt.

A game against struggling Wycombe highlighted how badly we were out of form, with Pools struggling badly and having to rely on a goal from the most unlikely of sources - Skipper Mickey Barron - to grab a draw. Just one win over the month had seen us drop as low as eighth. Still, we had the FA Cup to look forward to, with a home tie to either Whitby or Bromsgrove.

As the month drew to a close, Kevin Henderson's loan move to Carlisle became permanent; and to keep him company, Paul Arnison also joined the Cumbrians on loan. Already, Cooper was looking to clear out the players he thought weren't good enough - but who would be coming in?