By Nathan Jackson
March 10 2007

With 2 minutes to go, Nat Brown decided to play basketball in the box and therefore giving Hartlepool an equalising penalty. Paul Green had opened the scoring for City and the Imps had several great chances to extend the lead, but were fortunate to just hang on to a draw in the end.

Pool started the game well, and within 3 minutes they had been awared a free kick ksroughly 30 yards out. Experienced Ritchie Humphries stepped up and smashed the ball forward, however it had no direction and went straight at Marriott. Hartlepool won several free kicks early on but couldn’t find a way past a stubborn Imps defence. When the Imps got on the attack, it appeared they had finally returned to the football that had seen them dominate games for a long time earlier this season.

 

Great work from several Imps players saw Nicky Eaden’s header cleared as far as Green, he controlled the ball, shooting powerfully past Konstantopolous to give City a lead, it did have the help of a big deflection though. City could have made it 2-0 within a minute as Dany N’Guessan shot but unlike Green, he couldn’t score in just his 2^nd start for City.

 

City were not in full control, but Ryan Amoo saw yellow for a late challenge on Anthony Sweeney, it resulted in an injury that saw the Pool midfielder go off. Hartlepool won a corner, but City easily cleared just before a counter attack saw City win their own corner. Moses headed the ball on but it was easily claimed by Konstantopolous.

 

Alan Marriott was tested by Monkhouse’s long range effort midway through the first half. Monkhouse was trying desperately to keep a run going that sees him as one of the few players to have not lost a game in which he’s played this season. Hartlepool wasted a free kick as Brown headed clear unchallenged.

 

City should have made it 2 as Frecklington fed Forrester after pouncing on a Nelson mistake, the striker however couldn’t get it under control until it was cleared. Adie Moses then produced a goal-saving challenge as Barker  broke forward. Humphreys was then pivotal to keeping Hartlepool in the game as he cleared a great City chance off the line. That was the final major incident of the first half.

 

Forrester got the second half off to a great start, and he should have extended the lead but Humphreys blocked his long range effort. The midfielder was then frustrated as his free kick was easily cleared by Brown. James Brown then had a great chance for the home side but his effort went wide of the post.

 

Nat Brown again blocked a Hartlepool striker, this time it was Barker. Micky Barron received treatment on an injury after colliding with Jeff Hughes. The who went at it again, this time with Hughes coming off the worse and having to receive treatment. The Imps midfielder again injuring himself a few minutes later after Gary Liddle tackled him harshly. Eifion Williams replaced Foley for the hosts.

 

A mistake from Moses saw Barker released one-on-one but his shot went just wide of the target. N’Guessan was booked for tripping Humphreys. The former Rangers man then wasted a good chance to City as he sent a weak effort towards goal from the edge of the area, this despite Forrester being free just a few years to his left. Gibb replaced Monkhouse for Hartlepool.

 

Forrester then had a brilliant chance to extend the lead as he beat 2 Hartlepool men to find himself one-on-one with Konstantopolous. The striker sent a neat lob over the keeper but it hit the top of the bar. Play switched to the other end and Kerr cleared a chance off the line.

 

Hartlepool were well on top now, winning corner and corner, and breaking forward but just failing to get the final touch on the ball that they needed. N’Guessan was replaced by Paul Mayo. Forrester was injured in a challenge with Konstantopolous. Just after a 4 minutes of injury time were announced and after a MOTM performance, Nat Brown decides to play basketball in the box, raising his arm at full stretch to try and stop a free kick coming into the box.

 

So in the 92^nd minute, City were on the verge of throwing away a vital 2 points and former Mansfield striker Barker stepped up. He smashed the ball perfectly down the middle of the goal and if Marriott had stood still then he wouldn’t have a head at the minute. It was 1-1 and all of a sudden, Hartlepool were on the verge of victory.

 

They broke forward again with Lee Bullock putting the ball into the back of the net, but fortunately for the Imps that goal was disallowed. The game ended 1-1 and although City moved up to 3^rd, it means that we’ve played 2 more games than all 4 of the playoff teams.