North-East Sport

Pools must focus on Turner replacement

By Nick Loughlin

9:30am Monday 6th September 2010

WITH a run of games out of the way in the 18 days since Chris Turner quit Hartlepool United, now the club can turn attentions to making an appointment to replace the departed manager.

Mick Wadsworth remains in temporary charge and was unfortunate to come away from Milton Keynes Dons on Saturday in defeat, denied an obvious penalty in the last minutes.

The coach, assisted by Ritchie Humphreys and Micky Barron, has steadied the ship and there’s been a touch of continuity to the side.

He’s had two wins, three losses in his spell in charge so far. It should have been two losses and a draw.

But now, Pools need to weigh up the options and decide which way they are going.

Chairman Ken Hodcroft and owners IOR Ltd have never been quick in making managerial appointments, as they stick to the company recruitment policy.

And that criteria should be put to the test in the coming days; there’s a few roles to fill at Victoria Park.

The club is currently without a director of sport, first-team manager, chief executive and director of youth. Commercial manager and assistant physio are also two positions which have to be refilled, while the club is also missing a shirt sponsor for the away kit.

“IOR has a process to go through, this won’t happen overnight,’’ said Hodcroft the day after Turner quit.

If that process hasn’t started, it needs to be underway soon.

Pools have had a somewhat encouraging start to the season, but this loss pegs them back. Four points from five games isn’t quite enough.

Their 4-5-1 system again offered a solid foundation and they were more than content with the amount of possession allowed to the home side, who didn’t do a great deal with it.

First time they got in behind the back four, when Luke Chadwick slipped a pass in for Jermaine Easter, goalkeeper Scott Flinders was off his line to block.

Second time, they scored.

Andy Monkhouse’s pass to Antony Sweeney was pinched by Chadwick and he lifted the ball over the top for Sam Baldock who squared for Lewis Guy to net.

Until then the game was pretty turgid, but it came to life in the closing stages, as Pools showed some welcome attacking desire.

Evan Horwood’s raking pass put Leon McSweeney in on goal. Left-back Dean Lewington grabbed the substitute to drag him down.

Referee Craig Pawson was unsure of the nature of the offence and needed help and advice from his assistance to send the defender off.

From the free-kick, three Pools players stood over the ball. Fabian Yantorno took it and smashed it high into the stand. After the success of a free-kick six days ago brought a goal against Northampton, fair to say this one wasn’t worked on on the training ground.

Three minutes later and Pools should have had a penalty. McSweeney knocked the ball over for Sweeney to tap in.

But defender Sean O’Hanlon bundled him to the floor. Referee Pawson was having none of it.

There was still time for seething Pools to create another chance, Sam Collins turning over a McSweeney cross after a swift breakaway.

“I’m sure the referee hasn’t done it with any malice,’’ said Wadsworth. “He just hasn’t seen it as a penalty.

“He had to rely on his linesman for the sending off so you have to question his positioning.

“But it’s not the easiest job in the world. I wouldn’t have it for a gold monkey. There’s so much scrutiny.

“But it would have given our players and our supporters what they richly deserved – which was a result.

“Their manager came to me after I’d done an interview on Sky and Karl (Robinson) said it was a definite penalty.

That’s jolly decent of him.

He’s a bright young guy.’’ The caretaker added: “The thing about a gameplan is sticking to it.

“The thing that is disappointing is that one loose pass has cost us the game, but it sometimes happens.

“I cannot criticise the players’ efforts, endeavour or togetherness. We’ll do OK this season. I’ve no doubt.

“The players have responded very well from Sheffield Wednesday and I thought it was a very good performance, albeit we’ve come away with nothing.

“They had possession but too much possession can be dangerous sometimes, we dealt with it very well apart from the critical incident of the goal.’’ Wadsworth indicated after his first game in charge he would prefer to remain coach than be appointed manager, describing the training ground as his ‘habitat’.

And he added: “I like being here, like the club and like the people. It’s a really nice club and there’s some terrific people who work in the club.

“It’s come a long way in the last 10 years. I’ve worked at a lot of clubs and this is a really nice football club.

“It’s the first away game we’ve lost , but if we can keep picking points up away from home, we’ll do okay.

“It’s a shame because it’s a game where we should have had a result.’’

Matchfacts

Goal:

1-0: Guy (77, turned in from close range after ball was played in behind the defence)

Bookings: Monkhouse (68, kicking ball away); Murray (71, foul)

Sending-off: Lewington (84, foul)

Referee: Craig Pawson (Sheffield): Needed advice for an obvious red card, failed to award an equally obvious penalty 3

Attendance: 7,666

Entertainment: ✰✰

MK DONS (4-4-2): Martin 5; Woodards 5 (Carrington 44, 6), Kouo-Doumbe 5, O’Hanlon 5, Lewington 5; Chadwick 6, HAMANN 7 (Guy 72), Leven 5, Balanta 5; Easter 5 (Ibehere 72), Baldock 6.

Subs (not used): Searle (gk), Chicksen, Powell, Johnson.

HARTLEPOOL UNITED (4-5-1):

6 Flinders: Important first-half stop to deny Easter, but was left open for the winning goal;

5 Haslam: Stood up to Balanta when he had to and sat in with the rest of the back four

6 Collins: Put under pressure through the middle, but stood up to the test

7 LIDDLE: Started the second period well and carried his performance on from there 5Horwood: Stood behind his defence to play the home attack onside in build up to the matchwinner;

4 Yantorno: A flat first start, as he never got into the game on the left wing

6 Murray: Did his usual shielding role in front of the back four and started some much-needed attacks in the closing stages

6 Sweeney: Would have scored if he wasn’t pushed over in the penalty area on 88 minutes

5 Humphreys: Went close in the first-half with a left-foot strike on a steady first start of the season

6 Monkhouse: Played on the opposite flank and did a job in keeping Lewington pegged back;

5 Boyd: Created an early chance for himself, but was generally a lone and isolated figure in the forward line Subs:

Behan (for Boyd 62): Introduced to give Pools more of a physical option up front 5

McSweeney (for Humphreys 82)

Larkin (for Yantorno 87)

(not used): Austin, Mackay, Hartley, Mooney (gk)

MAN OF THE MATCH

GARY Liddle – at ease and comfortable throughout in the back four.

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