Hoodoo continues for Pools at home
FOR Hartlepool United, the wait goes on.
In six home games this season they have yet to record a victory, and in five meetings with Crawley Town, they have yet to win.
And they lost the chance to make amends after a late penalty earned Crawley a share of the spoils.
At newly-named Northern Gas and Power Stadium, Pools are in need of some energy, and this game lacked it in the main.
And while both managers felt a draw was a fair outcome, they equally accepted it was there to be won.
Pools boss Craig Hignett, who was forced to watch from the stands as he serves a threegame touchline ban following his dismissal at Plymouth two weeks ago, said: “I wasn’t too far away and saw a few things differently.
“It was a dull game and nothing in it, I felt we would see it out. It had the feel of a pre-season game with no quality, a lot of huff and puff when nothing happens.
“To get in front and not defend it and see it out is disappointing. We switched off and when it goes dead the brains go dead and all it took was for people to be concentrated and do their jobs and we would have seen it out.
“The only way they would score was a penalty or free-kick. But we could have lost it at the end, but for an unreal Scotty Harrison tackle.’’ Opposite number Dermot Drummy said: “I think we limited them to setplays in the main and played some great football.
“To come here and get a point is impressive, but we could have won it at the end.
“I’m not angry, just a bit rueful as we could have gone away with three points. That would have been nice.
“But the performance was really pleasing and, if we had produced a bit more quality, we could have put the game to bed.”
That moment at the end came when Bobson Bawling curled a shot against the post and James Collins was set for a tap-in into an empty net before defender Scott Harrison came from nowhere to make a game-saving tackle. It means Pools are now unbeaten in six league games.
They took the lead when in-form Nathan Thomas was felled in the area. His spot-kick was saved, but keeper Glen Morris only pushed it out as far as Lewis Alessandra who headed in.
After Crawley hit the bar and post in the first half, chances were rare.
But they levelled when Jake Carroll pushed Collins over and the striker slotted in from 12 yards.