HARTLEPOOL 0 WYCOMBE 2 Winning run over, but Jones remains upbeat
AIMING to build on a rare but welcome away win, Pools fell short.
After three wins from their last five unbeaten home games, they suffered a first defeat at The Northern Gas and Power Stadium under boss Dave Jones.
It was, in truth, a bit of a missed opportunity for Pools as they failed to make much headway against a well-drilled and effective visiting side.
Defeat for Pools against the Chairboys means they have lost an astonishing nine times in ten meetings with the Buckinghamshire club.
But they didn’t lose any ground in the table, as bottom two clubs Orient and Newport both lost, leaving Pools nine points in front of the pair with eight games to go.
Intriguingly, Pools go to Orient on Easter Monday.
By then the fate of the Os could be known as they are due in the High Court next week to face a winding-up order for an unpaid tax bill to the tune of £250,000.
The game started quietly but the visitors took the lead, with the first opening on 24 minutes. Giant striker Adebayo Akinfenwe controlled the ball on the edge of the area as Pools failed to defend a routine throw-in. His touch was confident enough to get in ahead of Scott Harrison, who was brushed aside without fuss, and he netted low from 12 yards.
Pools had two first-half penalty appeals rejected, first when Nathan Thomas was tripped in the area under a challenge, the second for a clear handball in the six-yard area after a deep Lewis Alessandra corner was headed towards goal by defender Brad Walker.
Referee David Webb was having none of it, much to Pools’ angst.
Lewis Alessandra dragged a low shot wide from 20 yards in the second half as Pools looked for the sort of comeback which brought success against Exeter two weeks previously – but their best opening was a wasted one.
Alessandra broke away after the ball was played into his path by a defender’s bad touch and fed Padraig Amond, only for Michael Woods to get in his way inside the penalty area – the ball rolled wide.
Pools’ loan keeper from Boro Joe Fryer again excelled with some fine saves as the visitors had a few cracks at goal from distance. But on 90 minutes Pools failed to clear with any conviction as substitute attacker Lewis Rooney fluffed his defensive lines to allow the visitors possession in a key area.
The ball was fed into Paris Cowan-Hall and he raced past Nicky Deverdics to shoot into the far corner.
There was still time for Cowan-Hall to be red-carded, collecting a second yellow card, after tangling with Harrison as frustrations from the Pools’ defender boiled over.
Boss Dave Jones admitted: “We are limited to changes, but we get on with it and with our structure and game plan we will have a chance in this division against anyone.
“All we missed today was nous. We got in positions behind, but needed to kill them off. A goal would have won it, but we found it hard to get that goal.
“I felt we just fell short in the final third of the play.
“We had a lot of tired bodies after Tuesday and we put it to bed. We look ahead now. It’s not all bad, but it’s about learning.’’