Pools ‘undone’ at home by losing ‘battles’, says boss
HARTLEPOOL 1 CARLISLE UNITED 3
HARTLEPOOL United manager Keith Curle admitted his side ‘was undone’ by its own approach in the home defeat against Carlisle United.
Pools went into the game looking to build on their midweek home win against Doncaster Rovers – although both sides made a quiet start to what seemed to be a nervy contest.
Pools’ goalkeeper Ben Killip made a fine save to deny Jordan Gibson on the quarter-hour mark before Mo Sylla was off target with the hosts’ first opportunity just a minute later.
The deadlock was broken two minutes before half time as the majority of those inside the Suit Direct Stadium celebrated an opener for their side.
The hard work of Clarke Odour reaped maximum rewards as he set up Jack Lacey to crash an unstoppable effort beyond Cumbrians’ goalkeeper
Tomas Holy. The lead remained in place until eight minutes into the second-half.
Owen Moxon seized possession in midfielder before beating Killip with an unstoppable effort.
That set the platform for a major turnaround and the visitors took the lead for the first time with 15 minutes remaining as substitute Omari Patrick was given time and space to beat Killip from close range.
The forward doubled his tally and secured the points for his side as the game made its way into the final 10 minutes - and that left Curle to deliver an open and honest assessment of his side’s display.
He said: “I don’t like the manner of the defeat but it is important that I am prepared to protect the changing room.
“They know there were elements in our performances today, individually and collectively, which I was not happy with.
“Everybody enjoyed Tuesday night, everybody emptied the tank and put a shift in, mentally, physically, to get that win. Today, I thought we were lucky to go in one up at half-time and then you are thinking we were undone by a team who did to us what we were trying to do to them.
“Putting good balls into quality areas and getting people running after them, simplifying your mindset and simplifying your thoughts. We lost the battles, we lost too many individual battles all over today.”