By Albatross
February 14 2004

It was a defeat at Hillsborough, but there's a very good case for saying that it wasn't the home side that beat Pools today, but the Referee. However, we didn't capitalise on plenty of good possession, and eventually paid the (controversial) penalty. The fact that times are hard at Hillsborough was highlighted today by the fact that the supporters were having a bucket collection to raise funds for ground improvements. They've fallen a long way, and on the evidence of today's showing it'll be a while longer yet before they reach the corner, never mind turn it...

As expected Pools lined up with Barron coming back into the right back slot and Westwood moving across into central defence at the expense of Walker. Sheffield lined up with Robins, Proudlock, N'Dumbu-N'Sungu and Olsen - all nominally strikers - in their side.

Pools kicked off towards us in a heavy drizzle, and were the first to show. Robinson chased down a long ball, did well, and aimed the ball into the box; it was deflected out to Strachan, but his ball from a central position into the box was poor.

Pools continued to press, and a good header from Humphreys from a throw-in on the left almost made it's way to Tinkler - Tidman having to scramble to get there ahead of the Pools midfielder. The ball was cleared, but then some great play from Robinson saw him cut in from the left and let fly from 20 yards - however the shot wasn't strong enough to worry the Keeper, who took comfortably at the near post.

Some good buildup play on 10 minutes almost created a shooting chance for Eifion, however his attempt on goal was blocked by a defender just in front of him.

Wednesday looked short on ideas going forward, and seemed mainly to be aiming hopeful balls towards Proudlock and Robins; one of these on 14 minutes was comfortably claimed ahead of the former by Provett, and Proudlock then proceeded to body-check Westwood. Nothing was given however - and this pattern of poor decisions was to continue.

Some good play from Robinson on the right saw him play the ball across to Eifion, and Dean Smith pulled him down crudely 25 yards out in a central position - prime Strachan territory. Sure enough he was the one to take the kick, and it went through the wall - however there wasn't enough power there and Tidman collected retlatively comfortably low down to his right.

Pools were looking strong defensively, and needed to be on 19 minutes as Olsen looked to get on the end of a cross - however he was well challenged by Nelson and failed to get near the target with his header.

Pools had dominated the opening 20 minutes, though Wednesday were starting to show occasional signs of life; however on 22 minutes it was again Pools showing them the way. Good play from Williams saw him play the ball out to Shuker; his long throughball was cleared back to him, so was another attempt, and then Robinson sent a dangerous cross in from the left that Barry-Murphy had to head behind at the far post with Humphreys lurking. Strachan aimed the corner at Nelson at the far post, who headed powerfully just wide.

Pools continued to look dangerous, and on 25 minutes Shuker and Barron combined well to send over a dangerous cross that lead to another corner. Barron and Shuker were again linking up on 27 minutes when an incredibly poor decision came from the Referee. Barron played the ball towards Shuker, and Shuker had the ball in a good attacking position 15 yards away when N'Sumbu-N'Dungu dived in on the Pools fullback. It was a challenge so late that it reminded me of Virgin Trains! The ref blew up, deciding not to play advantage with Shuker in a menacing position, surely a sign that a card was in the offing - but no, nothing doing and after a brief word with the offender we were left with a free kick on the halfway line. N'Dumbu-N'Sungu was unsurprisingly booed for the rest of the game.

Retribution wasn't long in coming. After a brief spell when he managed to get into a dangerous position down the left only to see his cross headed behind for a corner, he was checked near the half-way line by Nelson; despite the foul being if anything less malicious - the ball was at least there to be won rather than long since gone - the Pools defender received a booking.

Pools continued to look more impressive in the final third, and on 33 minutes a break down the right saw Shuker away; his attempted cross made it across to Eifion, and his cross was blocked behind for a corner. Strachan's floated delivery was headed out to Shuker on the edge of the box, but his shot went just wide.

A couple of minutes later some good work from Eifion saw him rob a defender on the edge of the box on the left, he turned inside and shot, only for the effort to be blocked in the direction of Strachan. He volleyed powerfully towards goal - but also straight at Tidman, who just about held on to make a great stop. Pools then won a free kick on the left touchline that Strachan crossed into the area; Eifion got the ball back from beyond the far post, and Westwood headed towards goal - unfortunately not with enough power to make Tidman do more than comfortably catch the ball.

Pools were almost caught on the hop on 38 minutes when a quick attack from a throw-in saw Olsen break into the box with the ball at his feet; however a good saving tackle from Westwood removed the danger. Wednesday finally started to attack a little more, and some good play on the left saw Robins put in a good cross that Ritchie had to head behind. The corner was initially cleared before the ball back in was headed well wide.

Pools were looking to use Eifion's pace to exploit the relative flat-footedness of the home defence, and he did so to great effect on 42 minutes; after getting on the end of one such ball, he laid it back to Robinson, who shot powerfully from 20 yards - but just a little too high to trouble Tidman.

Half time arrived, and there was no question that Pools were the better side. Eifion was looking good, Robinson again working hard, but we were just lacking the cutting edge to create clear-cut chances. Shuker wasn't seeing as much of the ball, and was tending to beat one or two men before finding himself running into a defender; however the final bnall was never quite good enough no matter where it came from.

Turner decided to change things around at half time; Armstrong was replaced by Quinn, and Robins - whose main contribution had been moaning at the Referee - was replaced by former Poolie Paul Smith. He played wide left, Proudlock pulled out to the right flank, and N'Dumbu-N'Sungu moved up front to partner Olsen. This was to turn out to be a litle counter-productive; with two physical presences up front, Wednesday became even more prone to trying to play the ball in the air towards them. With Nelson and Westwood in good form, it was a strategy that wasn't going to get them far....

We'd heard plenty about Robertson's shooting, and early in the second half he decided to show it was no lie. A long range effort from the Scot went just wide, but had Tidman worried.

Wednesday did have an early opportunity on 49 minutes, with a cross from the left causing a little trouble - but Proudlock couldn't get a clear shot in and the ball was cleared.

Another poor decision from the Referee on 54 minutes had the away fans up in arms. Bromby fouled Robinson - no problem there, but once again the Ref should have played advantage as Eifion had the ball in a promising position. Pools were still looking to do much of the attacking, and Robinson almost created a chance for Shuker a minute later; he slid the ball beyond the last defender for the on-loan winger to chase, and Wednesday were forced to concede another corner. That was again aimed at Nelson at the far post, who again headed powerfully just wide.

Pools did have a slight scare on 57 minutes, when one of the innumerable attempted throughballs made it to N'Dumbu-N'Sungu; he however was off balance and spooned his shot well off target from a decent position - his effort looking more likely to trouble the Scoreboard in the corner than the scorers!

Pools thought they should have had a penalty on 60 minutes. Tidman spilled yet another corner, Eifion managed to collect the ball, twisted and turned and then went down - but all that was given was another corner. Tidman managed to collect this one a little more comfortably.

The Ref aroused the ire of the couple of thousand Poolies again on 62 minutes. Another hoofed ball up front was being chased by Proudlock and Strachan, but Barron came across. Seeing that the Pools defender was going to collect the ball several yards ahead of him, Proudlock descended to the turf - as blatant a dive as you'll see. A booking for Strachan, but the Free Kick hit the Pools wall. Quinn's curved effort from 25 yards from the rebound did force a save though, Provett having to scamper to the near post to put the ball behind. Shortly after Clarke came on for Strachan; worryingly, news emerging since the end of the game indicates that the influential midfielder may have suffered a knee injury.

Pools continued to look for a way through, and some neat football on the left saw Eifion send Richie away; he did well, but then delivered a poor cross that was too far fro anyone to get to. Pools then made another change, Porter coming on for Robinson. Once again Robbo had worked hard, and shown some good skill and awareness - but it's just not coming off for him in front of goal at the moment.

Westwood almost played pools into trouble on 75 minutes; his sliced clearance found Paul Smith, who put in a dnagerous cross that Westie had to head behind for a corner. Two minutes later it was a rare slip from his defensive partner Nelson that almost provided Wednesday with an opportunity; N'Dumbu-N'Sungu crossed well into the box, but no-one was there to get on the end of it. The ball was played back in, and looked to be cleared when the Ref capped an extremely bad day at the office by deciding Westwood had fouled Olsen - an extremely innocuous challenge that provoked no appeals from fans or players, and yet was adjudged by the Ref not only to be a penalty but bad enough to be worthy of a booking. N'DUMBU-N'SUNGU struck the kick well to Provett's right, and although the Pools stopper guessed correctly, it was simply taken too well to give him a chance of getting to the ball. Quinn then decided that he'd prefer winding up the Pools fans rather than celebrating in front of his own - the sort of thing that more in the public eye would see him censured, although no doubt he'll escape punishment in Division 2.

Pools tried desperately to get back on level terms, but with time and the referee apparently against us we suffered from not taking and creating chances earlier. Shuker forced Tidman to make a save low down, and Cooper brought Walker on for Barron as he went for three at the back to try and change things. Robertson sent a long-range effort well wide, some good play from Porter sent Shuker away to win a corner, and Nelson moved up front - but despite a frantic last few minutes the final whistle went to deny Pools a deserved point. Cooper strode across the pitch to remonstrate with the Ref, and with reason - we were well and truly mugged by Mr. Butler today.

How bad was the ref? The kindest thing that I can say is that he had an extremely poor game today, and expressions such as "blithering incompetent" and "Stretton would've been proud" don't even begin to express the frustration at his performance today. Pools were well worth at least a point, and it wouldn't have been undeserved had we collected all three; Wednesday were short on ideas and creativity, and only a shocking decision by the Ref to hand them a goal on a plate seriously threatened the Pools goal - Tidman was the busier keeper by some distance. However, Pools lacked enough of a cutting edge to create and finish chances - we should have been comfortably ahead by half time with the amount of possession we had in the final third. Robinson and Williams are playing well enough outside the box, but we're not carving enough opportunities out inside it - and Robinson in particular looks like he could play for a month without adding to his current goals tally. If Strachan's injury is enough to keep him out for a bit, I'd be tempted to move Shuker inside and play Istead wide right - or alternatively give Clarke his chance in the centre with instructions to get forward and cause problems for defences. Another striker wouldn't go amiss either....