Pools have possession but cannot

DOVER ATHLETIC HARTLEPOOL 4 0

HARTLEPOOL United are starting to lose ground in the National League promotion hunt after suffering more misery in Kent.

Two Saturdays after shipping three unanswered goals at Ebbsfleet, Pools managed to trump that with a 4-0 rout at Dover.

Two first-half goals from attacking talent Mitch Pinnock were followed by a late brace from leading scorer Ryan Bird, ironically a former Pools Great Escape forward.

Pools controlled the game for large swathes of the fifth-versus13th contest at a freezing Crabble Athletic Ground.

But they could not translate possession into goals, again, and, could not keep the ball out of their net, again.

And to make matters worse, Nicky Deverdics, one of the side’s better performers in this bad run, was sent off a minute from time.

Boss Craig Harrison, under pressure after four defeats in the last five games, was left frustrated again by his side’s defensive frailities.

“We’ve given poor goals away at poor times,” said Harrison, whose side have slipped to 14th, seven points outside the top seven.

“That’s been the story of the last few weeks, giving away goals you can’t really legislate for.

“You can pick holes in all the goals we conceded.

“We need to defend better, we need to be hard to beat.”

Going into the match five points off the play-offs, Pools could afford to give away goals like they did the previous weekend late on against Macclesfield.

The clock had not even reached