Striker scores on his return to action

Feb 18 2010 by Stuart Rayner, The Journal

JAMES Brown could be on the bench for Hartlepool United on Saturday after scoring with his first two touches on his comeback from injury yesterday.

The Cramlington-born 23-year-old played 25 minutes for the reserves in a 6-1 Victoria Park win over Scunthorpe United, his first run-out since knee surgery. Brown tore the lateral cartilage in his right knee during November’s 3-1 home defeat to Southampton.

Providing there is no reaction, he is set for a place on the bench at home to Huddersfield Town in League One.

Often used wide on the right but expected to carve out a career as a centre-forward, Brown is one of the division’s most promising talents, but his progress has been slowed by knee injuries.

Brown’s first-team debut was delayed when he ruptured his cruciate ligaments in a 2005 pre-season game at Hibernian. When he finally made his first appearance, it was as a goal-scoring substitute in the last match of the season. Brown was attracting the interest of a number of Championship clubs, led by Norwich City, when he ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament in November 2008, forcing reconstructive surgery on the opposite knee, his right.

Director of sport Chris Turner is therefore not prepared to rush him back and will be guided by physiotherapist James Haycock.

“His career is more important than playing against Huddersfield,” commented Turner. “He is the priority, not the situation.”

First-team outcast Ármann Björnsson also scored twice, and was joined on the scoresheet by Michael Mackay and Colin Larkin.

The news follows the latest disruption to defender Ben Clark’s stop-start season.

Clark was also in reserves action this week, playing in Tuesday’s 2-0 win at Middlesbrough.

Clark was sent off for a tackle on Kieran Edwards, and is waiting to see if his two-match ban is increased to four if deemed violent conduct.

He has started only twice this season, having missed the first four months through injury, and was red-carded as a substitute at Southend United in December.