BLACKPOOL 2 HARTLEPOOL 1 Pools’ away defeat is another harsh lesson
AWAY defeats have been the norm for Pools this season; away performances like this aren’t.
But despite a very impressive away show at Blackpool, the outcome was the same.
Pools won their last away game, a victory at Cambridge which was their first in 14 games. But they fell short here on the west coast as the home side made it nine games without defeat and moved into fifth place in the process.
Pools remain fourth bottom, but with seven games to go they are seven points ahead of the relegation zone after Orient, Newport and Cheltenham – the three teams below them – all lost.
So Pools didn’t lose any ground as another game passed by.
Pools went ahead on 18 minutes as Lewis Alessandra netted.
Padraig Amond headed on, the ball bounced in the area as the home defenders stood off, Alessandra took the ball down with his back to goal, turned and cracked in his ninth goal of the season.
Pools were overjoyed, put- ting themselves in a somewhat rare position of being in front away from home.
But the advantage only lasted a mere three minutes.
Pools lost possession in midfield and the home side broke.
A cross from the right found its way to the far post, Bright Osayi-Samuel brought the ball down with suspicions of handball.
As the defenders stood off hoping for a free-kick, the attacker was granted enough time to bring the ball down and fire a low, angled shot past keeper Joe Fryer.
Pools almost regained the lead as they had chances to fire at goal amid a frantic scramble in the penalty area, but it came to nothing and the home side escaped.
Alessandra, confidence high and playing well of late, cracked a 20-yard effort at goal which Lyness tipped over.
Pools were caught out when striker Mark Cullen got in between defenders Scott Harrison and Brad Walker and rolled his low finish across goal and wide.
Pools had a big penalty call rejected by the officials when Kelvin Mellor’s arm blocked a low Nathan Thomas cross.
Jones’ side then had good chances to go in front.
Thomas drove at goal, but was cynically felled, the referee played on as the ball ran for Padraig Amond and his low finish was diverted wide. He should have scored.
From the following corner, Walker’s towering header was nodded off the line.
But on 82 minutes, Pools conceded.
Substitute Kyle Vassell saw his cross blocked, but he instantly returned the ball into the area, looping a cross into the far side of the as it found the net with some good fortune.
Boss Jones said: “We dominated for long spells, looked decent on the ball and should have had a goal or two.
“It was harsh on us, we played well but switched off for that second goal and we can’t do that. It’s a trait we have at the moment and we try to take you of it.
“Is it lack of fitness? We look at it.
“From the bench they have people to change a game, we aren’t at the stage yet.
“It’s hard to swallow, the 56th time I’ve said that and we have to learn quickly. It’s a harsh lesson.’’