Pool shut up shop after early strikes

Dec 7 2009 by Stuart Rayner, The Journal

WITH Hartlepool on the brink of their biggest win this season, the old goalkeeper came out in Chris Turner.

Leading 3-0 at home to Millwall, Turner’s half-time team-talk was more about the importance of a clean sheet than scoring four for the first time this term.

“I was a bit concerned because one or two lads were laughing and joking in the dressing room,” he said. “They don’t see the seriousness enough of not conceding. “We have to have the mentality that we won’t concede. When we won at Oldham one player was a bit upset because Colin (West, his assistant) and I were shouting at them on the pitch about doing the right things and the comment that came back was that we were winning 3-0.”

The scoreline remained unchanged after Armann Bjornsson headed his second goal of the week 29 minutes in. Hartlepool’s three goals were a fair reflection of their potency, just as Millwall’s blank was of theirs. Leon McSweeney was the star despite only being drafted into the side 45 minutes before kick-off when Ritchie Jones complained of feeling unwell.

But if Turner took heart from Hartlepool’s solidity, midfielder Anthony Sweeney found greater significance at the opposite end. The 26-year-old knows full well the value of seeing out victories having twice found the net in the opening half-hour of this fixture last season, only for Neil Harris’ 10-minute hat-trick to condemn Pool to defeat. But on Saturday he was more conscious of the fact Hartlepool had taken the lead in their previous three matches – and lost them all. “Last season’s game got mentioned at half-time,” said Sweeney. “But 3-0 is a good scoreline, not many teams come back from that.

“At times in the last three games we have played some decent stuff and actually went ahead in them all – getting the second goal this time was key. It eased the pressure and let us relax a bit. The third allowed us to control the game.”

Either side of Peter Hartley’s precise right-footed opener from Neil Austin’s half-cleared cross, the visitors twice hit the woodwork. Scott Flinders dwelt on a backpass and saw his clearance bounce off Steve Morrison, the crossbar, then a patch of grass just the right side of his goal-line. James Henry also headed onto the bar. It was a test of nerve but for the first time in a while, Hartlepool passed.

“At crucial times in the last three games we haven’t done the right things – at one-up we haven’t done enough to see it out,” Sweeney said. This time they did dig in, and after Adam Frampton’s poor back header gifted Adam Boyd a second Bjornsson quickly followed up his maiden goal for the club. The giant Icelander has been slow adapting to England – Turner suggested he is ill-suited to reserve football – but is not the only one to have started the season sluggishly.

“It may have been my best game for a long time,” said Sweeney. “This season, I’ve been disappointed with how I’ve played. I’ve been working hard in training, getting back to basics, even changing my boots back to Predators that I’ve scored plenty of goals in in the past. I’m hungry to do well, keep my place and get back to how I know I can play.”

Saturday’s trip to Southend United brings another test with Hartlepool yet to win back-to-back matches this season. Break that sequence and Turner will be a happy man – clean sheet or not.

HARTLEPOOL UNITED: Flinders, Austin, Collins, Liddle, Hartley, McSweeney (Fredriksen 71), Sweeney, Humphreys (Clark 82), Monkhouse, Bjornsson, Boyd (Greulich 82). Subs (not used): Cook, Rowell, Cherel.

Goals: Hartley 12, Boyd 22, Bjornsson 29.

MILLWALL: Forde, Frampton (Smith 61), Ward, Robinson, Dunne, Hackett (Grabban 46), Bolder (Laird 46), Abdou, Schofield, Henry, Morison. Subs (not used): Sullivan, Grimes, Fuseini, Price.

Booked: Morison.

Attendance: 3,153

Referee: Jock Waugh (West Yorkshire).