|
Swagger
|
|
Four points clear...
|
By:
Max Bygraves
|
29/01/2025
|
|
|
This article has been viewed 377 times.
|
|
Hartlepool on a rainy, cold Tuesday night in January. Out of context, not one to get particularly pumped up for. In the current scenario, anyone and anywhere is exciting.
I had an evening work meeting that I really should not have made excuses to not see all the way through, but such is the hold of this season, I had no regrets making a hasty exit and doing all I could to race across North London for kick off. In the event, pleased to have made up time but very, very pushed, I took the extortionate hit of the car park. Efforts and money (to some extent, anyway) not wasted as the shrill kick off whistle blew just as I pressed the key to lock the car. They can feedback on what I missed in the morning.
Hartlepool have been fairly frequent opponents during my time following Barnet, but for one reason and another, one I have rarely seen us play in the flesh. A fair few memorable encounters and moments over the years at both Underhill and The Hive. My only previous viewing of the 'Monkey Hangers' however being a fairly uneventful 1-1 draw in March 2000, as our form fell apart and with it went our automatic promotion hopes out of Division 3.
I had expected them to be in the mix with us this season, but things really haven't worked out. I did have to do a quick in-match Google to check it was 77-year-old Lennie Lawrence I could see in the dugout (or 'Mr Burns' according to some Hartlepool twitter comments. Incredible). His last post as a permanent manager was at Cardiff City in 2005. Following a Director of Football odyssey, with his last three stops being Stevenage, Newport County and Hartlepool, it's fair to say he's in it for the love of the game. Arguably a safe pair of hands to get them to the end of the season, but hard to see the Lennie Revolution being what galvanises Pools back to the Football League once more...
It wasn't the same flowing, high tempo start we've become accustomed to in most games lately. What was pointed out quite accurately by one of my regular accomplices (who needs a suitable nickname for such mentions) is that every home game currently is, "the same game every time, just against a team in a different kit." Like everyone before, this season, Hartlepool were happy to sit in very deep and look to keep it tight early on. When will someone try a different approach?
What was apparent was that they had enough about them, a little like Halifax, to make this a bit more of an obstacle than some recent victories. They looked drilled and well organised, with Emmanuel Dieseruvwe an outlet up top. However, they found little opportunity to utilise him and showed next to no adventure all night. For much of the first period however, they were compact and made things frustrating.
Our first proper chance fell to Lee Ndlovu in the latter stages of the half. In something of a carbon copy of his opportunity at the same end on Saturday, once again he directed his effort at the goalkeeper rather than into the corners. Nerves? Lack of composure? The frustration and disappointment was clear to see and a few mutterings could be heard. Modern football is a ruthless place and a striker not scoring after four games no doubt would have led to outlandish, exaggerated claims about his lack of ability. Arguably, there have been some similarly hyperbolic statements about how great he is already based on less than three hundred minutes of football. Let's just all chill out a bit, eh?
Before the half time break, a rasping effort from Zak Brunt was fumbled onto the bar by a not particularly assured looking goalkeeper. We were starting to bang at the door, but at half time, the scores remained level.
The half time break saw much enthusiastic chat about the upcoming away fixture at Boston United a week on Saturday. It's shaping up to be quite the day out for our contingent. A certain website nerd flying in from Ireland and old faces who don't frequent The Hive but have begun to make one annual away day an event of epic nostalgic proportions. One individual who came to a first away game in thirteen years last season at Woking resurrected the then dormant Final Countdown chant. What impact will he have this time? Perhaps a few well-oiled renditions of some classic terrace chants will help with some word learning for the youngsters in Block F. I'm all for their enthusiastic support of the team, but some serious homework on lyrics, timing and even the notes of more than a couple of chants might be a help.
After the first few minutes of the second half, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't wondering whether this might be 'one of those nights,' where the goal just doesn't come. I should know by now that you doubt this team at your peril.
A little reminiscent of Saturday; it was quite a strange opening goal. Ryan Glover tucked away from fairly close range at the back post but my attention (and I assume many others, but none of the officials, thankfully) was on the additional ball someone had thrown back onto the pitch when the game was in play. Whilst not affecting anything that was going on in the box, there was a slight hesitancy in my celebration in case things were to get called back. Linesman and referee absolutely not interested. The ball was cleared with a joyous thud by Danny Collinge in celebration. Resistance broken.
This really flicked a switch and we went up a gear or two. Brunt had one of his most impactful games of the season and after a slow start, Kanu was in the same kind of excellent form that has been a theme this January. From looking organised and steady, the visitors were now scrambling to keep up. Shortly after the goal, a low cross from Kanu appeared to hit a defender's hand. Looked stonewall from my vantage point but not so much as a raised eyebrow from the referee. A powerful Stead header was also well saved as we upped the ante.
Doubling the lead felt necessary to ensure yet another fairly relaxed viewing spectacle. It was important we capitalised in our spell of breaching their defence and on sixty-three minutes, we did just that. A clever, quick, low corner found Ndlovu at the front post. The new number nine slipped a cool finish into the far corner to make it 2-0. Some great scenes as the team celebrated with him in front of the fans. Lots of finger pointing in his direction and clearly shared delight he'd broken his duck. The extended, passionate celebration was great to see. Let's hope that's the one he needed to get him properly up and running now.
After going 2-0 down, Hartlepool decided they'd try and get the ball into our half. They did this with minimal effect but in the final quarter a great opportunity presented itself to Dieseruvwe. It looked as if he was about the pull the trigger and bring the game back within Pools' reach. However, at the last moment, Danny Collinge came from what felt like nowhere to produce an unbelievable block. There was a phrase my editor suggested I use to describe it, but I am not so crass as he. Let's just say, he found it very exciting watching at home. Like with Ndlovu's passionate response to the goal, it was superb to see the emotion from Collinge as the ball went out of play. Celebrated with a roar of delight; maintaining the clean sheet was clearly of agreed importance.
On the note of clean sheets, it's hard not to mention Owen Evans once more. Another eye-catching display from the new goalkeeper. I feel a bit for Nick Hayes sat on the bench watching it. Last season, we had the oh so fun debate about which of the two keepers should be starting. There's no debate this time. The confidence with his feet and movement away from his goal is something really quite unusual for this level of football. Passing the ball about on the halfway line in the latter stages was a nice bit of piss-taking. As the article title suggests, this team are playing with borderline arrogance at the moment - and it's bloody great to watch.
The final ten minutes were pleasantly uneventful. A 2-0 win very much job done on another night where there never looked any danger of things going wrong. One bespectacled pal commented on the way out that that was 'our most complete performance of the season.' I wasn't sure at first, but it has to be up there. Whilst not the most adventurous, the opposition weren't a pushover, but we made relatively light work of them with persistence, guile and ultimately, too much ability.
It was an amusing end to the evening's proceedings to see Hartlepool's celebrity fan, Jeff Stelling, very active in his comments about his evening at The Hive on Twitter. A nice bit of praise for Idris Kanu before a pop at our non-existent crowd. A little surprising from someone who is clearly a proper football man. I very much hope the deluge of responses in his comments to say 'mention Bring Barnet Back on the radio' lead to him doing just that. For anyone like me who enjoyed Soccer Saturday from the late 90s into the mid 2010s, the bloke is a bloody icon. He can say what he likes about us as far as I'm concerned. A celebrity hand I would very much like to shake. Thank you for all those good times, Uncle Jeff.
I won't avoid it completely. 1289 (102) to see us go four points clear at the top of the league at the end of January. What can you say? Sure, this one was quite quickly re-arranged and maybe not particularly well advertised, but I can't criticise the club for a lack of proactivity on that front this season. Maybe it's worth a reminder being put out again, but we still have the 'bring a mate for half price' initiative on. It isn't working. £5 tickets work for an afternoon, but people don't come back. The solution which we're thankfully seeking is simply to take the club home. You've read it all before, so I shan't open that door fully - but it's that simple. We are doing brilliantly on the pitch in-spite of the backdrop. I am fascinated to see what the turnout will be like for the York game. There might not be much between the two fanbases...
After the Southend game, I highlighted this five-match winnable looking run leading us to York's visit on 18th February. We have now done 2/5. Back-to-back away games follow. I would desperately like to make the visit to The Lamb at the weekend but it's just not going to happen simply due to commitments that come with being a grown up. The hunger is there, but the all-out prioritising sadly can't be the same as 2004/05.
Let's hope we can keep this magnificent run going there and line up even more excitement for the much-anticipated Boston day out. All aboard!
|
|
|
All Articles By This Author:
Other Articles By Category
|