Preview: Hartlepool United v Peterborough United

By Albatross
April 5 2005

Hartlepool United have the chance to imporve their position tonight with a game against a side that's all but relegated. Pools have slipped up a couple of times against sides at the bottom though - after all, Barry Fry tells us we're in a false position.

Ah, Barry Fry, old rent-a-gob himself. Tonight's game will give us the opportunity to put one over from him for possibly the last time as a Manager, as to the general relief of the Posh fans he hasn't already managed to lose he will be stepping down at the end of this season after masterminding their headlong plummet to relegation. He's not exactly been the most popular person at Hartlepool over the last couple of seasons, but we can forgive him that - after all, we're in a position to be generous so long as we don't have to go as far as donating three points.

Posh find themselves in a position of pretty much waiting for the hangman to pull the lever on the relegation trapdoor. Just one win in ten games - and none in the last six - mean that our opponents are 13 points from safety, plus several goals behind, with just six games to go. We can't be the exceutioners ourselves, but failure to beat Pools would quite possibly see Peterborough relegated at the weekend - and with just two home games remaining and an abysmal away record (only two wins) what chances they have got are slender to say the least in any case.

Scoring goals has been the main problem - they have managed just 45 goals this season, less even than relegated Stockport; only Port Vale have netted less. Callum Willock is their leading scorer with just nine in the league; after that, you're looking at the likes of Wayne Purser, with six since arriving from Hornchurch in November, and veteran defender and free kick specialist Andy Legg with five. Fry's usual revolving door policy hasn't helped matters and neither have injury problems - 33 different players have made league appearances this season, four have arrived permanently since the first day of the season, seven have left, and three more have had loan spells at London Road. The most recent arrival was Nigerian forward Folawiyo Onibuje, on Transfer Deadline Day; his modest record so far (four UK clubs, eight sub appearances and no goals) doesn't exactly indicate that he's going to fire them out of trouble.

On the injury front, the most recent problem for Fry is Curtis Woodhouse. The midfielder picked up an ankle injury in the defeat at Huddersfield, and looks like he may miss the rest of the season. It's just the latest chapter of a series of injuries that have afflicted Posh this season - although on one or two occasions there have been suspicions that Fry is simply using the opportunity to blood a few youngsters ready for his probably successor as manager Jimmy Quinn.

Pools meanwhile have one or two injury concerns of their own. Jack Ross remains on the injured list, where he's joined by Mark Tinkler; Eifion Williams is also still a doubt although he is hoping to be available for selection. It looks unlikely that Cooper will tinker too much though after a convincing 3-0 win over Swindon at the weekend.

In recent weeks part of Pools problems have been caused by failing to beat teams that we should have. Losing to Stockport and then Wrexham in close succession, and then failing to follow up the win at Bradford against Huddersfield and Blackpool, show that we can't afford to ease off against anyone. Peterborough felt they should have had at least a point on Saturday, and took a hard-earned point at Brentford on their last away trip; while this may be a rally far too late to save them, they are unlikely to roll over and die. Cooper needs to ensure Pools take Posh as seriously as they did Swindon; if he does though, I can see a similar result. 3-0 for Pools then, with Porter, Boyd and Butler to score the goals.