Lots of work still to do for Pools boss
HARTLEPOOL 1 HAVANT 1
RICHARD Money pipped Lee Bradbury for the mamager’s job at Pools – but was unable to get the better of him on the pitch.
Pools took on Bradbury’s Havant and Waterlooville, the sides cancelling each other.
It means more home dropped points for Pools, but given how many games they have lost at home this season at least they avoided defeat.
The side’s familiar failings were there for all to see. Money, at least, has recognised them and will set about rectifying them.
At least they didn’t crumble at home in front of their new manager as they have too often this season.
Pools started slowly and a shot from Theo Lewis was deflected wide. When the corner wasn’t dealt with a low shot from Tyler Frost found the far corner from distance.
Their advantage lasted only seven minutes, as Pools levelled when top scorer Liam Noble created some space on the edge of the area to get a shot away. It was diverted in, but he now has ten for the season.
Luke James burst away looking for a second, but dragged his shot wide, Mark Kitching then clipped a ball across the face of goal, high across goal and it drifted out.
After the Hawks looked lively in the opening ten minutes, Pools were now in the ascendency.
At the start of the second half, returning captain Andrew Davies flashed a volley over the bar from a corner.
But Pools failed to press on and get at the opposition, sitting deep and failing to link up midfield and attack.
The had a great opening to take the lead. A tasty cross from left-back Rory Williams into the penalty area just evaded strikers Nicke Kabamba and Bradley Tarbuck.
Money changed formation to try and find a way through, going to 4-2-3-1 and the introduction of Josh Hawkes as substitute gave them a lift.
Ryan Donaldson drove from deep and his low shot was saved by Ben Dudzinski.
But still at the other end, Scott Loach had to make a fine save to keep out a Kamamba shot.
Money said: “I think you have to take the positive aspects first and we didn’t lose the game. Four points from two league games and a Trophy win in between – so we are moving in the right direction.
“Clearly we need to be better and we all know that – they will be better too.
“I said when I first arrived I need to see the group, see the players live, see what they can and can’t do. Can they take information on board? The only way to do it is to give as many a chance without making too many changes and this period gives me the chance for that.
“Plenty of games to come gives me the chance.’’
He added: “I won’t come in and say we were this or that – this isn’t where we want to be. We have a lot of improvements to make, a lot of work to do. If anyone thought a new manager comes in and waves a magic wand at a club where results haven’t been very good this year, then they would be mistaken.
“We conceded a goal and we reacted well. That was a positive thing for sure. I could sense when the goal went in that the feeling in the crowd was ‘here we go again’ but there was a good reaction.
“From then we could have won it, could have lost it as well.’’ HARTLEPOOL UNITED: Loach 6; Rodgers 5 (Richardson 46, 6), Davies 7, Magnay 8, Kitching 6; Donaldson 7, Featherstone 5 (Hawkes 74, 7), Noble 6, Mclaughlin 5; Muir 6, James 6 (Newton 81, 5). NOT USED: Anderson, Richardson, Hawkins. HAVANT AND WATERLOOVILLE (4-4-2): Dudzinski 6; Strugnell 7, Harris 7, Cordner 8, Williams 6; Lewis 7 (Tarbuck 46, 5), Frost 6, Stock 7 (Paul 45, 6), Robinson 5; Kabamba 6, Rutherford 6 (Wood 54, 5). NOT USED: Woodford, Bradley, Paul. BOOKED: Williams (35, foul) REFEREE: Simon Mather (Manchester)