Ken H - taking time

By Charlie Summerbell
December 18 2011

A fat lot of good that did. After Mick Wadsworth was sacked for leasing Hartlepool United to a record-equalling seven home defeats on the bouncve, caretaker Micky Barron has overseen a record-breaking eighth Victoria Park flop.

Losing 1-0 at home to Colchester a week after a late 2-1 defeat at Brentford won’t benefit any chances Barron might have had of getting the job on a permanent basis and all Pools fans can hope is that this latest setback will inject some urgency into the search for Wadsworth’s successor.

An tap-in goal from Anthony Wordsworth on the half-hour was enough to give Colchester their win, Pools huffing and puffing but generally not doing a lot to threaten a real comeback.

Barron turned to youth by giving a midfield debut to 18-year-old Jack Baldwin while Luke James, a year younger, was on the bench.

But while they showed promise, the basic problem is that Pools do not have what it takes to break down a solid defence, and visiting teams have caught on.

Barron told the club website: I think we did OK at times. Perhaps we could have been more patient to create the chances – we had a couple but we couldn’t get anyone on the end of them to put it in the back of the net, and it’s really frustrating.

“This home run is going to have an effect and the longer it goes on the more it will play on the minds.”

Barron said he put James on after half-time because Pools needed a lift – was he expecting too much of one so young?

The losing run does weigh on the minds of the Pools players, of course, but one of the best ways to settle that would be to appoint a new manager ... sharpish.

Ken Hodcroft’s determination to take time to decide on the new man could do just as much harm as the hasty decision to sack Wadsworth has done.