Three games in and still no win for Pools MAIDENHEAD 2 HARTLEPOOL 1

IT wasn’t supposed to be like this for Pools. A week and three games into the new season, life in the National League has started woefully.

Following a defeat and a draw, Pools went to Maidenhead and expected to kick-start their season.

Instead they slumped to a woeful defeat, which leaves them scratching around for their first victory – and Tuesday’s game with Victoria Park against Chester is something of a must-win affair.

Three games in and it may seem too early to talk that way, but remember this is nonleague football.

Pools have grand designs on an instant return to the Football League. At the moment, it seems a long, long way off.

Harrison has fielded three different formations in the three games so far and then has changed the set-up at half-time in each of them.

There’s being fluid and adaptable, but surely there comes a point to give one setup a go.

Liam Donnelly, Pools’ right wing-back in a 3-5-2 set-up, had a chance early on.

Lewis Hawkins fed him wide and he surged into the area only to blast over the bar from an angle.

Maidenhead, like Dover last weekend, played direct football. A long crossfield ball was headed over the bar by Sean Marks.

Then James Comley got the ball out of his feet and cracked a shot at goal which beat Scott Loach and flew over the bar.

Pools’ best chance to go ahead came when Jake Cassidy rolled the ball across the sixyard area for Padraig Amond, but his strike partner stayed out of the area hoping for a cut back.

But Pools fell behind when a long kick from keeper Carl Pentney was flicked on by Marks and Comley got in behind to angle a finish past Loach.

The Pools keeper made a vital, low save from a corner to prevent them going two-down.

On half-time, Cassidy turned in the area, but fired low into keeper Pentney.

But, despite changing to 4-4-2 in the second half, Pools went two down on 58 minutes.

Louis Laing played a square ball inside his own half, but knocked it to Tarpey and the striker burst away to drill in off the underside of the bar.

Harrison made changes to try and get back into the game, but it was only in the closing minutes they came into life.

Carl Magnay was fouled in the area and, from the penalty, Amond confidently netted to put his side back in the game.

Amond had a chance with a header, Scott Harrison went close and Cassidy flicked a header wide.

A draw wouldn’t have been deserved.

Boss Harrison said: “It doesn’t matter who we are playing against we cannot give any opposition a start.

“We know what the division is all about. We knew the standard, the coaches know, the players know it – we have enough players in there who know what it’s like.

“The standard is one long ball from box to box, which we haven’t defended and next thing we know it’s in the back of the net. It’s standard football isn’t it.

“It’s about our standards and us and what we do.

“Tuesday at home is a chance to put it right. We want to win, get that first win on the board. It’s another game to look for with a clear head and we go again.’’