Stoppage time penalty seals win for Pools

ALDERSHOT 1 HARTLEPOOL 3

HARTLEPOOL United got back to winning ways with an important three points over Aldershot Town at the EBB Stadium.

Pools looked to be cruising to a comfortable afternoon thanks to second-half goals from their leading strike duo Luke Armstrong and Rhys Oates until Mo Bettamer threatened to make a grand stand finish when he lashed home from the penalty spot three minutes from time after Ryan Johnson was adjudged to have handled.

But Pools captain Nicky Featherstone sealed the win in stoppage time converting a spot kick of his own after Gavan Holohan was bundled over by Jamie Sendles-white.

The win sees Dave Challinor’s side move up to third and keep up their pursuit of a top three spot in the National League play-off race to avoid an eliminator tie.

Having slipped to untimely backto-back defeats for the first time since December Challinor made four changes to the side who conceded four at home to Maidenhead United last week.

Middlesbrough loanee Brad James was handed the gloves for his Pools debut in place of Henrich Ravas with Timi Odusina, Luke Molyneux and Harvey Saunders all dropping out.

Gary Liddle returned to the heart of the defence following his suspension with Lewis Cass as they reverted to a back three while Armstrong led the line alongside Oates.

Both teams struggled to gain any dominance in the early stages of the game with very few chances being created. That was until the 22nd minute when Craig Tanner brought a stunning save out of former Aldershot stopper James who hurled himself to his left to claw out his goalbound freekick.

Pools’ first sight of goal came just after the half hour when Oates latched onto Featherstone’s lofted ball to poke past Mitch Walker and the Shots had their hearts in their mouth when Kodi Lyons-foster got back to clear off the line but his clearance cannoned into goalkeeper Walker and almost went back across the line.

Oates threatened again five minutes later cutting in from the left channel to strike right footed but Walker was equal to it.

The visitors should have taken the lead two minutes before the break but for a wonderful goalline clearance from George Fowler to deny Holohan.

Oates turned Lewis Kinsella just inside the Shots half and was able to skip the challenge of Sendleswhite and advance on goal.

A heavy touch allowed Walker to close the angle but Oates was able to lift the ball over the keeper and into the path of Holohan who had an empty net but he was spectacularly denied by Fowler sliding on the line.

Pools did take the lead just before the hour though thanks to Armstrong’s 13th of the season benefiting from an excellent advantage by referee Elliott Swallow.

Mark Shelton was brought down by Jermaine Anderson but play was allowed to go on as Armstrong touched it round Sendles-white before hammering home at the near post.

They went close to doubling the lead twice in the space of a minute after Oates raced clear from Holohan’s clever through ball and curled wide before Armstrong turned Shelton’s cutback goalwards only for it to be headed clear off the line by Sendleswhite.

The second goal did come in the 77th minute as Oates nodded in Featherstone’s deep freekick beating Walker at his near post.

With Pools edging towards a win they were made to sweat when Kinsella forced Johnson to handle in the area – Bettamer making no mistake from the spot lashing into the top corner.

But any concerns were quashed when Holohan won Pools a penalty of their own in stoppage time and Featherstone sent the keeper the wrong way to seal all three points.

ALDERSHOT XI: Walker, Fowler, Sendles-white ©, Lyonsfoster, Kandi (Bettamer ’74), Panayiotou, Anderson, Edser, Kinsella, Tanner (Wylie ’85), Miller (Hinds ’61)

Subs: Whittingham, Ogie

HARTLEPOOL XI: James, Sterry, Cass, Liddle, Johnson, Ferguson (Francis-angol ’88), Featherstone ©, Holohan, Shelton (Donaldson ’82), Armstrong, Oates (Elliott ’82)

Subs: Molyneux, Williams