Fans get Moore of Ronnie’s magic act
HARTLEPOOL boss Ronnie Moore insisted the club’s fans deserved their final-day finale after completing the unlikeliest of comebacks at Carlisle.
The home side had cruised into a three-goal advantage thanks to goals from Kyle Dempsey, Steven Rigg and Jason Kennedy, before Pools completed a sensational fightback through a Jordan Hugill double and a Michael Duckworth bullet.
And Moore, who has sealed his cult status in the town with their ‘Great Escape’, believed it was a fitting finish to his side’s campaign.
Moore explained:“That second-half performance was superb, and it’s typical of how our season has finished – we never know when we are beat.
“That will send all our fantastic fans home happy, which puts a smile on my face.Without them, we wouldn’t have achieved what we have done this year.”
The goal frenzy began through a familiar source in the form of Cumbrians top-scorer Dempsey. The highly-rated midfielder picked up a loose ball before bending a low 25yard strike beyond Scott Flinders into the bottom corner.
And the Blues quickly doubled their lead when Brad Potts’ glorious cross was converted at the back post by Rigg.
Moments later it was three, after a Rigg header was bravely blocked on the line only for Bradford loanee Kennedy to nod in the rebound.
Yet, what appeared set to be a rout was turned on its head in a crazy second period. The visitors got their first after good work from substitute Marlon Harewood led to Hugill tapping into an empty net.
And within a minute they had a second, with Duckworth rifling a halfvolley into the top corner from all of 30 yards.
There were chances at either end in a frantic finish, but it was Pools who grabbed an equaliser to send their travelling support into raptures, Hugill poking in a low cross for his second.
And Cumbrians boss Keith Curle was left with mixed emotions at the full-time whistle.
“I thought there was plenty of good and bad to take out of that performance,” he said.
“Losing a three-goal lead is not acceptable, though. There was a lot of young players out there, and they will learn from that experience.
“I have a dossier on each individual player in the squad, and I can tell you now there will be a lot of new faces and a new mentality at this club next year.
“The first challenge was to keep the club in League Two by any means necessary.
“Now that is done, we can begin to turn the page and move on.”