Pool hoping their cup will run over

Aug 30 2008 by Mark Douglas, The Journal

HARTLEPOOL United have been told to transfer their cup form into league wins, writes STUART RAYNER.

Tuesday’s extra-time League Cup win over Premier League West Brom was typical of their early-season performances, but the result was not.

Continuing a worrying trend from last season, poor finishing has meant outplaying the opposition has only given the Teessiders a 50-50 chance of victory. That is something midfielder Gary Liddle wants to see put right in today’s League One trip to Peterborough United.

“Our win on Tuesday wasn’t expected from the outside but we knew what we were capable of really and played more with our heads than our legs,” he reflected.

“We’ve been playing well all season but sometimes results don’t go the same way as performances. We got both against West Brom.

“We need to take it on now into our own league. We have a habit of playing against teams in our own division and not getting the result we want. We’re hoping we can carry it on now in the coming weeks.

“It’s just good we got the chance to show what we’re capable of against the big boys and hopefully we can draw another decent team in the next round and put in another good performance.

“We started the league season with four games, two wins and two losses which is average really. The most important thing is our league form.”

The 22-year-old is clear where improvements need to be made. “I’m guilty of it myself, we’ve created numerous chances and we haven’t put them away in certain games,” he said. “We combined performances and goals on Tuesday and created a lot more chances.” Liddle’s first two senior goals came at London Road two years ago in a 5-3 win. “I haven’t scored many since (five)!” he joked. “I scored my first goal, a free-kick. If I could repeat that I would be really pleased obviously, but if we could repeat that I’d be really happy. Our away form hasn’t been the best, especially in the last year, and we’re hoping to improve that.”

Manager Danny Wilson, who said this week he has not received any offers for highly-rated striker James Brown, has no fresh injury problems.

Carlisle boss John Ward has told his team to show their character by bouncing back from a midweek hiding at Loftus Road.

The Cumbrians’ 100% start to the campaign ended with a 4-0 Carling Cup defeat against QPR in which they were outclassed by the Championship side in the second half. But Ward does not believe it will affect the morale of his side ahead of Yeovil’s visit to Brunton Park.

Ward will re-instate Danny Carlton and Danny Graham to his front-line in place of Gary Madine and Michael Bridges, but he is unlikely to make any other changes. “We have got to get it out of our system, of course we have to,” he said.

“It is something that we will have to contend with all season – coming back from defeats like that – and just because it was a heavy scoreline it doesn’t really change anything.

“We didn’t really do anything wrong on Tuesday, we just came up against a good team, so it shouldn’t alter what we’re doing or the way we approach games.”

Russell Slade’s Glovers are also protecting an unbeaten league record, and Ward believes the contest gives his side a chance to establish their top six credentials early in the season.

“Even at this early stage of the season it is a top six game and it’s important for those reasons,” he said.

“I don’t think you can really look at the table and take it too seriously until eight or 10 games have been played, but winning these kind of games goes a long way to establishing us in the promotion places.”