MELLON’S JOY IS THE LAST STRAW FOR ASKEY
IT was a tale of two managers at Boundary Park as Hartlepool United closed the book on a painful 2023 by dismissing John Askey after this defeat.
In contrast, Oldham Athletic boss Micky Mellon could celebrate his first home league win as Latics manager, to move closer to the playoff positions.
Askey, who had been in charge of Pools since February, was unaware of the decision to part ways last night as he performed his usual postmatch duties.
“The first goal kills us,” he said. “We defended better on the whole but mistakes cost us again so until we eradicate those mistakes then it’s going to be a similar story.”
Pools’ injury woes also continued as striker Josh Umerah twisted his knee and limped off in the second half.
“We haven’t had any luck with injuries, but what’s happened today has happened too many times with the first goal,” Askey added. “It’s been happening every week, a mistake early on and it gives us a lot to do.
“You come to places like this and with their crowd behind them the last thing you want to do is concede early on, and that’s what we’ve done.”
Mellon had looked at the festive fixtures as an opportunity to make ground on the top seven, and thanks to goals from Josh Stones and former Pools man Mike Fondop, Latics go into the new year level on points with FC Halifax in seventh.
Hartlepool gave themselves a mountain to climb conceding with just over two minutes on the clock when Mark Kitching’s long ball over the top was seized upon by Wigan Athletic loanee Stones, who buried his finish for his second goal in as many games.
He had been a thorn in Hartlepool’s side in the reverse fixture on Boxing
Day, leading the fightback in the 3-1 win in the north east by scoring the first and setting up the other two for James Norwood.
So Pools would have been relieved to see him go off before half-time with an apparent ankle injury.
But Fondop replaced him, and wrapped up the win in the 84th minute.
Hartlepool’s own substitute Anthony Mancini gave Askey’s men a spark in the second half, but on the occasions that Mathew Hudson was tested the Oldham goalkeeper was more than a match to preserve the points for the Latics and a first clean sheet in seven games.
“I’m pleased with the result and to get that result at home. We’ve been waiting a while for that,” said Mellon.
“It’s nice to get the result but I’d be first to admit that there’s still a lot for us to work on.
“The important thing is that we keep trying to win games of football and the positives are that we’ve got that result at home and we’re closing in on the teams above us.”