Same again as Hartlepool look for goals

Aug 28 2010 The Journal

MICK Wadsworth is hoping Hartlepool United's players can share the goals around - but he will keep two players he thinks can make an important contribution on the bench at home to Sheffield Wednesday today.

Caretaker manager Wadsworth has already announced another unchanged team for today’s game.

If the fit-again Fabian Yantorno and Ritchie Humphreys are to make their first appearances of the season, it will be from the bench. Uruguayan Yantorno worked with Wadsworth at Gretna and Chester City, and the former Newcastle United assistant manager is excited to be linking up again with a classic “number ten”.

He is also considering the versatile Humphreys as a traditional number nine.

Of Yantorno, Wadsworth said: “He is a talented player and a typical number ten.

“He is a very good dead-ball player and he works very hard for the team. He is certainly not a luxury player. He had a wait for his international clearance to come through and when it did he had a bit of back pain, but that has cleared up now.

“He will be in the squad, but he will not start because we will be keeping an unchanged team.”

Former boss Chris Turner expressed his doubts over whether Hartlepool had the necessary firepower for League One until his surprise departure last week.

Wadsworth, though, seems relaxed about the situation, adding: “We would always like to take more chances, but if we can share the goals around we will be OK.

“We have lots of players who can score goals. If we take a shared responsibility we should do well.”

In nine years at Victoria Park former Wednesday youth product Humphreys has played just about every position, and Wadsworth is considering returning him to his roots.

He said: “I honestly do not know where Ritchie will play because he is so versatile.

“When he was a young lad at Wednesday he started as a striker and it is something I have talked to him about.”