Curle questions ‘basic’ mistakes after defeat
HARROGATE..2 POOLS..1
But when you analyse the goals, they’re cheap, basic
and that’s the disappointing
thing.
Keith Curle
HARTLEPOOL United manager Keith Curle bemoaned some “basic” mistakes from his side as they fell to a narrow defeat at Harrogate Town.
Despite making a bright start to the contest with Jamie Sterry and Josh Umerah going close, Pools fell behind just after the midway point of the firsthalf.
Alex Pattison found time and space before unleashing a drive beyond Pools keeper Ben Killip to give his side a platform to go on and win the game.
Their chances of going on to secure the points were further enhanced just before half-time as Jack Muldoon doubled their lead with a neat finish after good work from Pattison.
It was the hosts that made a better start to the second half, but Curle’s men managed to make some headway as they attempted to claw back their two-goal deficit.
A glimmer of light arrived five minutes from time when substitute Callum Cooke produced some fine approach-play to release Umerah in on goal, and he made no mistake, chipping the ball over the advancing home keeper Pete Jameson.
That proved to be the sum token of Pools’ attempts to secure a point as their defeat left Curle to question his side’s decision-making.
He said: “On the balance of play, there is nothing in the game between the two times. But when you analyse the goals, they’re cheap, basic and that’s the disappointing thing.
“You’re thinking it might be a game of two halves, playing downhill with the wind and you can pen them in during the second half.
“But you have to give yourself a foothold in the game. We are nice to play against, when you look and analyse it, you think experience-wise, League Two experience-wise, have we got enough? No. Do we need more? Yes.
“Within that, there are players, some of their decision-making is basic.”
Pools will now focus on their Papa John’s Trophy campaign as Everton Under-21s visit the Suit Direct Stadium on Tuesday night.