Pools let their defences slip as rare defeat brings dismay HARTLEPOOL 2 SUTTON UTD 3
THIS might only have been Hartlepool’s third defeat of the season, a National League campaign which is 17 games in, but disappointment lingered after yesterday’s loss.
Pools lost at home to Sutton United, turning a 2-1 lead into a 3-2 reverse.
But in a season which Pools have rarely impressed at the Super 6 Stadium, there was little on offer to warm the hearts on a raw Hartlepool day.
After trailing in the first half, Pools quickly turned it around and led after a bright and sharp start to the second period.
But it didn’t last long and they shipped two goals as Sutton jumped over them in the table. Pools are four points short of the play-offs with a tricky game at Wrexham to come on Tuesday evening.
Boss Matthew Bates said: “Defensively, it cost us today, I don’t want to lambast them as they have a good record this season and kept us in games.
“We are normally solid at the back and today we weren’t.
“The conditions weren’t ideal and at one-down I was confident we would win it – they players said it too. Their style made it difficult in the wind, but we felt they couldn’t go that way in the second goal.’’
Liam Noble’s charge from deep was halted by a Kyle Eastmond foul, which brought a yellow card.
From the free-kick 25 yards out, keeper Jamie Butler dived to his right to push out the goalbound effort from the midfielder. But the visitors soon got in front.
A deep corner was easily headed back into the six-yard area and, after goalkeeper Scott Loach seemed to spill the ball, a pack of players swarmed in the area with Aswad Thomas pushed it over the line.
There was little response from Pools; indeed they were fortunate not to be two down.
Kieron Cadogan curled a ball into the area from the left, Kenny Davies looked like he was going to get a touch but left it alone and only the alert reactions of goalkeeper Scott Loach kept it out, going down low to his left to paw it away.
It only took Pools a minute to level after the restart. A Liam Noble deep corner was played across goal by Carl Magnay and Niko Muir scrambled in from close range.
And on 50 minutes they were in front.
Noble’s free-kick from the left was curled into the area and, while Craig Eastmond diverted it in, there’s little doubt the midfielder is claiming his seventh goal of the season.
Pools didn’t make many inroads on securing a third and it was all square on 64 minutes, as the visitors broke Jonah Ayunga fed Tom Bolarinwa who had space on the right side to finish low.
On 80 minutes, Pools made a mess defensively, the visitors made the most of some good fortune and won it. Eastmond took possession, picked his spot and curled into the corner from 20 yards.
Luke James was denied a leveller by a firm defensive headed clearance by Bennett.