Preview: Hartlepool United v Tamworth

By Albatross
December 2 2005

Hartlepool United take on Tamworth at Victoria Park, with the prize for the winner a crack at the big guns in Round 3. The Lambs travel with hope in their hearts, can Pools leave them shorn of hope?

Currently just outside the COnference relegation zone, Tamworth remain a part-time outfit and this season in particular are finding it harder to live with their full-time counterparts. They've won just four of their 18 league games, and have scored only 13 goals - but showed against Bournemouth that they are capable of pulling of a performance.

The FA Cup has to be honest been their high spot this season by some distance. Recent form is mixed: last weekend saw them go down 2-0 at Altrincham - the side they beat in the final qualifying round; a week before that they won at Canvey Island, but had lost the two games before that in the Conference to Exeter and Scarborough. The win at Bournemouth came in between those two results, and arguably was their biggest result for years - and that as much as anything may be what spurs them on.

Not that sometime Poolie Mark Cooper is underestimating the task ahead of his charges. Speaking to Tamworth's official website he seems to think that in some ways Bournemouth suited them - they tried to play neat football, had some youngsters playing, and they struggled to cope somewhat with the more direct and physical approach of the conference side. He reckons Pools will be tougher, in part because we're aware of the threat they pose and in part because we are more likely to get stuck in and battle for it.

Cooper's modus operandi with the Lambs seems to involve extensive use of the loan system. According to Soccerbase, no less than 5 players are currently at other clubs from Tamworth (including Aaron Brown, soon to join Reading permanently), while 8 are with the Midland club on a similar basis. This makes the description of them as part-timers a little deceptive; several of the loanees are cleared to play, and with those including Football League players such as Scott Bevan (MK Franchise) Pools will not exactly be facing a team of dustmen, postmen and window-cleaners. In fact a number of the squad have had pro experience, none more than Cooper himself - still pulling on his boots as he approaches his 36th birthday. On the down side, there's been plenty of chopping and changing and not much chance for a settled side which probably hasn't helped them.

A leading question for the Lambs will be who will score the goals. They've not been in plentiful supply this season, and in fact one of their loanees - Jake Edwards, from fellow Conference side Exeter - is top scorer. Although his strike rate looks OK for them, a tally of three goals from six starts is enough to surpass anyone else at Tamworth and indicates the paucity of striking talent that Cooper has at his disposal. Everyone else is weighing in a bit, but it's all one goal here, two goals there - and not enough overall.

Cooper himself was something of a set piece specialist in his days at Pools; and he may want to chance his arm at a free kick should the opportunity arise. Despite cracking a rib two weeks ago he's declared himself fit - although James Francis and veteran forward Bob Taylor will both miss out.

For Pools, Thomas Butler returns from his suspension although he's said this week he doesn't necessarily expect to get straight back in the side, and the good news is that Dean McDonald is available after he was given permission to play by Ipswich. Presumably Neil Collins will miss out again though with Sunderland having already vetoed him playing in the first round; I expect Darren Williams to move across into the centre, and Mickey Barron to start at right back. Chris Llewellyn impressed up front with McDonald at Bradford and will probably stay there - Michael Proctor, fresh from a double in the reserves, could well be on the bench. I don't know if Butler - arguably our player of the season so far - will get straight back in, although it's possible that he may come in on the right with Humphreys staying on the left after revelling in his restoration to midfield last week.

This is a hard game for Tamworth, but they know it, expect it, and will come here with nothing to lose. Their first round victory showed that Pools can't expect to stroll past them with ease, but with sufficient application we should have more than enough in the tank to win. I'll go for 2-0 to Pools, McDonald to open his account and Sweeney to grab the other.