Boxing Day Preview: Barnsely v Hartlepool United

By Albatross
December 23 2005

Hartlepool United travel to Oakwell for the Boxing Day clash with Barnsley. The home side are doing pretty well at the moment, and it will be an achievement for Pools to take anything from the game.

Oakwell has been a hard place for visiting teams this season: Barnsley's home record is impressive, and has played a major part in their current position in the playoff zone. Seven wins, three draws and just one defeat - against local rivals Doncaster in September - mean that Pools will do well to get anything out of this game.

Unbeaten in six at home since that solitary loss, Barnsley have also been making progress in the FA Cup and will face Walsall in the third round; however, that's only after a replay that saw them needing extra time to beat Bradford. It's possible that those exertions contributed to the disappointment of a defeat at the hands of Yeovil last weekend. That brought to an end a run of ten league fixtures without defeat - so Andy Ritchie's men have certainly shown what some consistent form can do.

Paul Hayes - a summer capture from Scunthorpe - is the leading scorer in all competitions with nine; however, as four of those were in cup competitions the leading league scorer is a certain Chris Shuker with eight. The sometime Pools loanee seems to have blossomed with the Tykes, and no doubt would like to put one over on us. Martin Devaney has seven goals so far from the wing, while Marc Richards has scored four since arriving just before the window closed and is currently the regular partner for Hayes, squeezing Daniel Nardiello onto the bench and meaning ex-Darlo forward Barry Conlon has been allowed to go on loan to Rotherham.

Devaney is a doubt though, having missed the game at Yeovil through illness; Nardiello is currently injured, and so it seems is Stephen MacPhail. The former Leeds player is rumoured to be on a considerable wage at Oakwell, but although he has shown his quality in spells it seems he's spent plenty of time in the Physio's room as well. Nicky Wroe is also an injury doubt, while Richard Kell - like Hayes a summer arrival from Scunthorpe, in a move that caused the Iron to complain to the Football League - is still recovering from a long-term injury and is unlikely to be able to play until late January. Nick Colgan is fit again after injury, but the Keeper may find it hard to dislodge Scott Flinders from the side.

Pools meanwhile are facing the prospect of an injury list that seems to extend just when it was getting shorter. Roberston and Barron are both doubtful again after brief comebacks, and with Dean McDonald back at Ipswich the absence of Boyd and Porter is felt ever mone keenly. Pools will be hoping that Eifion Williams is also going to be fit, as otherwise our options up front will look decidedly threadbare despite Michael Proctor being available following suspension. For that matter, our options at full back aren't exactly huge either: with Barron a doubt, the bad news is that Darren Williams is also out, suspended for one game after picking up his fifth booking of the season against Walsall. With Humphreys likely to continue if Robertson isn't fit (unless Matty Robson is rushed back), we could be lining up with a back four of Humphreys-Nelson-Collins-Craddock - and as our opponents seem to be particularly strong down the flanks, that's something we could well do without.

Can Pools take something from this game then? I'd like to think so, but with the injuries piling up, a lack of penetration up front, and a side that's been formidable on their own turf this season it doesn't look too promising. I'll go for us to lose 1-0, but despite this I'd still like to wish all of our readers a Happy Christmas - and hope that Pools respond by presenting us with three points on Boxing Day.