KINNEAR’S BOYS MEAN BUSINESS
Pinnock and Bird double up
HARTLEPOOL’S play-off hopes were dealt another blow after a comprehensive defeat away at titlechasing Dover.
A brace in each half from Mitch Pinnock and Ryan Bird, along with a late straight red card for an alleged elbow on Connor Essam for former Athletic midfielder Nicky Deverdics, meant it was only one win in six league games for the monkeyhangers and manager Craig Harrison was left to lament his side’s poor defending.
The Pools boss said afterwards: “We have given poor goals away at bad times and that has been the story of the last few weeks.
“We need to be harder to beat and I’m really concerned about how we are conceding.
“They pulled the trigger early for their first goal, but we were in a similar position at least five times in the game. We need to make better decisions in both boxes.”
On Deverdics’ red card, he added: “I am struggling with that decision. Devs got his body between the man and the ball and at no point did I think it was a free-kick for them, let alone a red card!”
Dover, themselves on a fourmatch league winless run prior to today, made the ideal start as Pinnock exchanged passes with Nortei Nortey and rifled in from an angle. Bird then stabbed wide Pinnock’s pass and Nortey was denied by some last-ditch defending by the visitors as the Whites continued to press.
And that pressure told as Pinnock tucked in Anthony Jeffery’s pass after the winger took advantage of Louis Laing’s slip. The away team’s first shot on target arrived five minutes before the break, Liam Donnelly denied by home stopper Mitch Walker’s brave block.
Femi Ilesanmi saw an effort deflect narrowly wide after the break and at the other end Munns struck an effort straight at Walker.
Harrison’s side dominated possession in the second half and almost pulled one back through sub Otsuwatomasin Adeloye, but were undone twice more by Athletic late on. Bird headed home sub Kadell Daniel’s cross and then wrapped up the three points by tucking in Pinnock’s injurytime free-kick.
Whites boss Chris Kinnear said: “We have not done bad in the last few weeks, but results have not gone our way. But today we we put in a good performance against a decent side. I am more than happy with how it went.”