MOORE KEEPS TABLES TURNED
AMADCAP ten minutes may have cost his side the win but Hartlepool boss Ronnie Moore says he won’t be losing sleep about the league table over Easter.
Goals from on-loan Preston man Jordan Hugill and a Lee Minshull own goal had put Pools in control before the Exiles roared back with strikes from Darren Jones and Aaron O’Connor either side of half-time.
That meant Pools missed out on their chance to make it five wins on the bounce – but Moore believes his Jonathan Franksinspired side can be proud of their efforts.
“Newport are in the play-offs and we are disappointed we didn’t win the game, I think that shows how much we have improved,” Moore said.
“You’ve got to remember who we are playing against. They’ve scored just before the interval and the crowd has got behind them – and we had a mad ten minutes.
“It’s disappointing we couldn’t sustain it, but we are still above that relegation line and we don’t need to worry about anyone as long as we continue to do our part.
“It’s the first time for a long time I have come off the pitch after a game and I haven’t even felt like I needed to look at the other scores and the table.
“In the first half we were playing the balls in the right areas and looking to get inside the centrebacks and Jonathan Franks looked like a constant threat.
“He might have had a hat-trick on another day, but we really needed to come in at 2-0 at halftime and would have deserved to do so.
“But I can’t be disappointed with a draw even though we were 2-0 up.”
Led by Franks, Pools took the lead from a freak own goal by Minshull following Michael Duckworth’s teasing cross.
And when Hugill bundled home after Franks had hit the bar, the visitors were well and truly in cruise control.
However, a thunderbolt from defender Jones gave Newport heart before O’Connor stroked home his 11th of the campaign three minutes after the restart.
It was a credit to the away side that they rode the storm with wave after wave of Newport attack, though it was Scott Flinders to the rescue when he saved Ismail Yakubu’s point-blank header.
The Exiles couldn’t quite make it the perfect comeback with another goal but Jimmy Dack insists his side are learning to cope with the play-off pressure after their fine recovery.
“This is a stressful time in the season for all clubs,” he said.
“Getting that win is harder than ever and, at 2-0 down, I am sure people feared for us a little bit after that.
“But the character the whole team showed was absolutely immense, they never, ever stopped working.
“We were in a bad situation and never gave up and they are a credit to this club, the way they battle.
“I am actually over the moon with a point.We certainly look at it as a point gained even though in the second half we pinned them back.”