Lidds - first goal

By Charlie Summerbell
August 21 2010

So did they do it for Chris Turner, or did they do it for Mick Wadsworth? Did they do it to say a fond farewell to Turner or to say welcome to Wadsworth? Did they do it because they were glad to see the back of Turner, or did they perhaps even do it for Ken Hodcroft? Or did they do it for themselves, simply because they were the better team?

Plenty iof questions, and the answer to all of them is: Yeovil 0, Hartlepool Utd 2.
Whatever the reason, Pool put the week's behind-the-scenes shenanigans behind them for a fully-deserved victory, their first League One win of the season, but a result which means they are still unbeaten in four games.
With Premiership whipping boys Wigan due at Victoria Park in the Carling Cup on Tuesday night, Pools have every right to feel they are capable to their second giant-killing of the season after dumping Sheffield United out in round one.
And in the meantime, Wadsworth looks the man to get the job after chairman Hodcroft said that the club is in no hurry to appoint a successor to Turner, who walked away from the club on Thursday.
Gary Liddle headed Pools in front on the half-hour and the result was assured in the second half thanks to a great long-range volleyed clincher from Andy Monkhouse.
Wadsworth, who dedicated the win to "absent friends" told the BBC: "We got lucky a couple of times, the free kick at one nil and we got a couple of blocks at key times.
"Once we got the second goal, we looked a lot more compact and professional.
"As much as scoring goals and good football is good, we set ourselves up well and were resilient.
"The shape of the team was good -  they changed their shape to match us, which is a compliment." As the fall-out over the departure of Turner and chief exec Russell Green continues, all the players and Wadsworth can do is try to produce results. In their first test of the new era, they have passed with flying colours and nobody can ask for more.
It wasn't a vintage performance, it wasn't a classic, and some will claim neither team will bother the play-off candidates.
But it was a win, which is a lot more than Pools got at Yeovil last season.