Notts County vs. Hartlepool United

[jacobncfc]

FOOTBALL

Yeah, this is of no great significance to anyone really, although both teams are in a pretty good place compared to a few weeks ago. We've played some pretty good stuff under Cooper since the horrorshow at Portsmouth led to Andrew Boyce and Alan Smith being fired into the sun.

It's all about next season for us now and working out who to keep, with Wes Atkinson, Filip Valencic and Thierry Audel having come out of nowhere to look fairly alright suddenly. Jon Stead and Izale McLeod are still expensive wastes of skin so we don't score many. The return of Mike Edwards for the 407th time means we can defend again.

1-1, or something.

 

[Glasshalffullpools]

We are on a roll .... We are taking this seriously , I think we can sneak this one 2-1

 

[Deepcut Cobbler]

Hartlepool preparing for a top three place next season?

 

[Youpies]

Isn't it just what happened last season under Ronny Moore, just slightly less impressive?

 

[PoolieTom]

Fortunately, it's not even remotely similar.

I expect a handful of changes tonight as Hignett takes an opportunity to assess some of his fringe players. I suspect he will realise one or two of them are bobbins, but hopefully two or three are up to the task.

With N Thomas, James and Gray up front, and Xavi Featherstone in midfield, providing Harrison doesn't play in defence, I predict a win.

 

[Glasshalffullpools]

If you'd gone to the moon for a month and come back you would not believe Featherstone was the same player ......N Thomas deserves his own thread , Bingham got one !

 

[Sestonpoolie]

The 2 managers are a polar opposite.Before we were due to play Notts last time Moore was building them up.Big team in this league,big support,ground etc.Hignett on the other hand hardly mentions the opposition.
We've a dogshit record there & who knows what the team will be due ti injuries.so i'll be happy with a point.

 

[jacobncfc]

Good game that, two teams who are clearly works in progress but going about it the right way. Loads of nice football on show.

We deserved the win on the basis of dominating the second half, but Pools were well in it before the break.

Cooper has done remarkably well during his short time so far, not just in the results but the performances are worlds away from anything else we've seen this season. Ridiculous we didn't give him the job back in January.

 

[Youpies]

Is this form? I don't recognise it

Oh and give Cooper the job

 

[RavenBish]

I thought we were in trouble at the end when Bingham came on, put thankfully our 36 year old fitness coach playing at centre-back snuffed out the world class threat he posed. Phew.

Hartlepool were alright, like, easy on the eye but I'm not sure that counts for anything when you don't create any chances in 90 minutes despite having a fair amount of the ball. We never really looked like conceding after the first 15 minutes or so when Pools started brightly.

I thought there were some very good performances amongst our lot, especially the back part of the diamond - Aborah, Atkinson after a nervy start and Valencic grew into the game too, looks a very good player technically. Hollis had a blinder too alongside Edwards.

Cooper's the man.

 

[Glasshalffullpools]

We had our best 2 players out ( Paynter and N THOMAS ) . . A couple of months ago that would have meant a 4-0 drubbing , as you say , both clubs looking ahead and will have learnt a lot from this evening

 

[PoolieTom]

Sounds like our players finally burnt out after most of them have played 90 minutes every week for the past 10 games. Sounded like a decent game, in which we seemed on top until your goal came. To go away from home and see more of the ball than the opposition is a world away from the Dinosaur days.

Promising signs despite the defeat, just a shame Hignett didn't change the team up more than he had too. We have players on the bench who must be busting to to prove they are good enough to stay involved next season.