BATES’ BOYS ARE POOLING TOGETHER
FC Halifax Town’s unbeaten record at the MBi Shay Stadium ended as an inspired Hartlepool punished the home side with two secondhalf goals, with the Shaymen also seeing both Matty Brown and Matty Kosylo sent off.
In the first half, Hartlepool instantly established themselves in the game with the impressive Liam Noble running things in the middle of the park.
It was Noble who hit the bar for Pools with a powerful strike from inside the area as the visitors began to press.
The Shaymen manufactured some good chances of their own though, as Jordan Preston’s pass to set up Jonathon Edwards seemed destined to open the scoring, only to be blocked on the line.
Despite Hartlepool having the majority of the first-half chances, the Shaymen had done well to restrict them with some gritty last-ditch defending.
Pools started the second half in a similar fashion to how they ended the first, on the front foot. And they were instantly rewarded.
Peter Kioso was brought down in the box and Hartlepool were awarded the penalty by referee Daniel Middleton.
To add to Halifax’s woes, captain Brown was sent off for an alleged stamp just before Noble dispatched a powerful shot past Johnson to make it 1-0.
The game didn’t get any less heated from that point, and a few moments later Kosylo became the next dismissal for Halifax after a challenge on Noble in the centre of the pitch, just before the hour mark for a second bookable offence.
From here it appeared the Hartlepool players were queuing up to score, and they got their second through Nicky Featherstone; his strike from the edge of the box rising into the top lefthand corner, leaving Johnson with little chance to make the save.
There was a nervy ending to the game though, as the Shaymen admirably fought on despite the odds being stacked against them, and they scored what would prove to be only a consolation goal very late on.
Halifax rapidly countered from a Hartlepool corner and Hanson’s strike found the back of the net. But it was too little, too late as the visitors held out for the win.
FC Halifax Town manager Jamie Fullarton stated after the game: “It’s disappointing. But what’s more disappointing is that the game has been influenced so much by the officials and whichever way you look at it, it impacted the result.”