Boyd - early strike

By Charlie Summerbell
August 15 2010

There were plenty of positives and almost as many negatives about Hartlepool United's performance as they outplayed Danny Wilson's Swindon Town at Victoria Park, then grabbed a point from the jaws of victory with a disappointing second-half display.

It was one of those games of two halves as Pools looked the business as they took an early two-goal lead, but Swindon showed the pedigree that took them to last season's play-offs with a point-saving fightback.
Pools boss Chris Turner suffered the sort of frustration that hit him so often last season, admitting after the game that his team ran out of energy after an excellent start.
In fact, after Adam Boyd and the impressive Antony Sweeney (celebrating his goal, right) had put Pools in a comfortable position, Swindon's two quickfire goals in the second half turned the game upside down and it needed a determined display by the home team to hold on.
It was a disappointing end to the game, but what a great start as Boyd's volley and Sweeney's lob gave Pools what should really have been a match-winning lead.
But as Turner says, Swindon are a good side and Scott Flinders had some saves to make before Thomas Dossevi's low 20-yarder and Charlie Austin's ten-yard finish on 72 and 74 minutes gave Swindon their lifeline.
A draw was a fair result, and the Pools performance was the sort that will have the optimists saying they are better than last season , while the pessimists will point to the second half and say nothing has changed.
It's early days yet and after three games Pools are unbeaten and face a Carling Cup-tie against a Premiership side there to be beaten.
It could have been a lot worse.

Meanwhile, Pools have been drawn to play Northampton at the Vic in the Johnstone's Paints trophy Northern Section (East), playing on Tuesday August 31.
Whoever decided that Northampton is either in the North or in the East needs to buy himself a an atlas, specially as he managed to place Walsall in the same section.