2003/4 Season Review: May Climax

By Albatross
June 15 2004

From favourites for relegation to the edge of the Playoffs: May 2004 started with Hartlepool United still in with a chance of being in Division 1 for 2004/5, and not through some idiotic "rebranding" exercise either....

May started with Pools knowing that two points would ensure a playoff place, and that one would probably be enough. Plymouth - newly-crowned Champions - would be the visitors in our last home game of the regular season; a big crowd was expected and appeared, but sadly Argyle proved to be too much for Pools to cope with. We took the lead with a goal almost inevitably scored by Adam Boyd, but held onto it for less than two minutes before eventually succumbing 3-1. Port Vale had beaten Tranmere, and we were now in a "perm two from three" situation, with Swindon, ourselves and Port Vale.

Swindon would of course be our opponents in the last game of the normal season, and with both sides knowing a draw would be enough the bookies odds on that result tumbled. Vale fans seemed ready to accuse both sides of a carve-up before the match was even played!

Adam Boyd's form had been superb during April, and he reaped the rewards early in May - collecting the Division 2 Player of the Month award, and the Goalscorer of the Month award. Could he repeat his goalscoring feats at the County Ground?

Pools fell behind to an early goal from Igoe, and with Port Vale going ahead on their way to dooming Rushden to Division 3, there were anxious times for Pools fans. Boyd snatched an equaliser with 20 minutes to go, and with the last few minutes seeing both sides happy to hold on to what they had, 1-1 was the final score. Vale failed to score the seven goals they needed to overhaul us, and so we were facing a Playoff campaign once again.

While Pools Fans were generally pretty happy, it didn't take long for a few Vale fans to shout "Fix!" Many of them may have been prepared to accept that their results over the whole season had denied them, but some accused Pools and Swindon of agreeing a draw - without even seeing the highlights! Still, why let the facts get in the way of an opportunity to blame someone else....

With two televised legs against Bristol City to look forward to, Eifion Williams was given rather mixed feelings about the games ahead. He, together with Christian Roberts from our opponents, was called up to the full Welsh squad; whoever made it through to the final would have to pull out of the national side. Still, it was a tremendous achievement for Eifion, and a mark of how much attention and respect Pools were getting.

The first leg of the playoffs was a cracker at the Vic; Rougier got an early goal for City, but backed by a large crowd (the only spaces were in the away end) Pools fought to get back into the game, with Joel Porter grabbing the goal that sent us into the second leg level. It would be a one-off special at Ashton Gate the following Wednesday.

Despite City being strong favourites, Pools worked hard to deny City time and space, almost going ahead when Boyd hit the inside of the post. It was Sweeney that put us in front though, and as the clock ticked down the tension mounted: would we make it to a playoff final at last? Injuries however were to have a crucial role. First of all Chris Westwood limped off, Tinkler having to move into defence, and then Mickey Barron had to be stretchered away after pretty much being knocked out cold by a powerful cross that hit him full in the face. With no defenders on the bench, Eifion Williams found himself having to fill in at right back. With two minutes to go, Goodfellow levelled the score; in stoppage time, an attack down the weakened Pools right saw Christian Roberts break the hearts of Poolies everywhere, leaving Pools with no time to respond. To add to the despair, Williams was injured as he tried to tackle Roberts, leaving Pools to finish with ten men - and, a bitter blow for the Welshman, the injury was bad enough to cost him his place in the Welsh squad to boot.

We may have lost, but the team had done us proud; they had worked themselves into the ground, and had fallen short of the final by the narrowest of margins. To the very last, we had given our utmost - and no-one could have asked any more than that.