TARPEY’S PAIR ADDS TO POOLS’ TORMENT
HARTLEPOOL United are still without a win in the National League after Dave Tarpey inspired Maidenhead to victory at York Road.
Craig Harrison’s side looked out of sorts on their long trip down to Berkshire and were deservedly beaten thanks to two well-taken strikes from last season’s National League South top scorer.
He netted his first in the 40th minute, racing onto a flick from Sean Marks to steer the ball into the bottom corner of Scott Loach’s goal.
And he then buried his second in the 58th minute after intercepting a loose pass from Louis Laing.
Padraig Amond gave the Pools a lifeline when he steered home an 85th minute penalty, after James Comley had hacked down substitute Nicky Deverdics but the Magpies held on for their first National League win.
The Magpies raced out of the blocks in front of the BT Sport cameras and were soon creating chances. Harry Pritchard headed over in the fourth minute and Ryan Upward’s shot was blocked behind a few minutes later.
Hartlepool’s best chance came on 30 minutes when Jake Cassidy’s low cross was very nearly diverted in for an own goal by Jake Goodman.
The Magpies led when Tarpey seized on Marks’ flick from a long ball to net his second of the campaign.
Cassidy scooped wide of Carl Pentney’s post in the 50th minute but the wind was quickly taken from their sails when Tarpey seized on Laing’s sloppiness and fired an arrow of a shot off the underside of the crossbar to make it 2-0 just before the hour mark. Pools improved late on and got back into the contest through Amond’s spotkick, but Maidenhead more than deserved their victory. Magpies manager Alan Devonshire said: “We played really well, I thought we dominated. “We’ve given them a lifeline with the penalty but we’ve won, and we deserved what we got. “Tarps will take all the plaudits for his two goals but it was a good team performance.” Harrison reflected: “We have the players who know this standard of football. When you go behind you don’t give yourself a base to work from. You’re giving yourself a hell of a lot of work to do when you go behind. “I wasn’t surprised at all (by Maidenhead). We should have done better, but Maidenhead were Maidenhead and we just weren’t good enough.”