Thomas gets minutes under his belt for Pools
Hartlepool United star Nathan Thomas got 60 minutes under his belt for the club’s second string in their 2-1 win over Mansfield Town. And coach Sam Collins believes despite the heavy pitch and difficult conditions at Billingham Town, it will have done the former Sunderland trainee the world of good as he bids to return to Pools’ firstteam. “Nathan has got 60 minutes under his belt and it would have been tough with him because of the pitch,” he said. “It was really heavy. “Coming back from his injury, it is obvious that he needed gametime. “We had to be careful because of the pitch but it will do him good because it tested him. “It will have done him good.” Thomas, who was yet to start a game since October due to a groin problem which required an operation, was right in the action, winning the spotkick that brought about the opener on the half hour. A typical darting run down the left drew Tom Sloane into a challenge and Thomas went tumbling. One of four trialists named in the starting XI -Tyler Harvey - stepped up to slot home. Harvey, who scored twice against Pools in the final game of last season for Plymouth, was hastily registered this week in order to be given a run. And the frontman, currently of non-league Truro, impressed up top. Centre-back pairing Craig Reid, 30, formerly of Celtic, Motherwell and Dunfermline, and Tolu Kayode, 26, who has been spent the last four years playing in Sweden and Australia, also put in decent shows, alongside a fourth trialist Eddie Rogerson. Mansfield skipper Lewis Collins curled in a delightful free-kick for 1-1, but Pools won it with a last-minte goal from Josh Hawkes.