By Albatross
September 27 2005

Hartlepool United really need a home win tonight over Rotherham; our visitors will of course have other ideas. Is this already a crunch game for Martin Scott - and will he get the better of the club where he started his playing career? Rotherham's season so far is one of recovery and stability after the horror show that was last year. Fourteen points from ten games is enough to see them sitting in 10th place as they travel to Victoria Park. Recent results have not been great however, and they will want to try and find some form.

Defeats at home to Southend on Saturday and at Nottingham Forest the week before sandwiched a Carling Cup defeat by Leeds. This is in stark contrast to their opening few games; after going down to Walsall on the opening day they went five games without defeat (three wins) in the League, and beat Port Vale in the cup to boot. Since then though there's been just a lone win over Gillingham to celebrate.

Deon Burton has been the main threat; the former Brentford man has already notched an impressive tally of eight goals. His partner up front, Martin Butler, has scored three - but no-one else has hit the net more than once. Goals away from home have been a particular problem - they have scored just twice on their travels, although in both cases the end result was three points. Defensively they've been pretty mean then, with the back line - including more often than not sometime Poolie Phil Gilchrist - keeping three clean sheets on their travels. There have been signs recently though that the defence is beginning to crack: not least the fact that Southend put four past them at Millmoor on Saturday. That may be in part due to the fact that Gilly dislocated his shoulder early on against Leeds and so will also be certain to miss out against Pools.

That's not the only injury problem for Mick Harford. Scott Minto and Andy Monkhouse are both still on the sidelines too. The Millers boss has though commented that he'feels a settled side is his best option - so changes may be limited. It's possible that recent arrival Grant Leadbitter will come into the midfield though, while some defensive shuffling looks likely.

For Pools, the injury list contains a large number of the usual suspects. Boyd, Brown, Porter, Barron, Robson, Robertson and Eifion Williams will all be on the sidelines. There is also a strong doubt over Jon Daly, with Scott quoted in the Hartlepool Mail as saying that this game may be a little too soon for him, although he's hopeful that the big Irishman will be fit for the weekend. That leaves him the thorny problem of the forward line: starting with Proctor alone up front and Bullock behind him, as he did on Saturday, would almost certainly attract more than the odd comment about the negativity of playing 4-5-1. Not that it did the likes of Everton or Brentford much harm last season.... Options though are likely to be limited to either playing with a lone striker, sticking Llewellyn up front, or selecting Foley to play alongside Proctor. Whatever the formation, the former Miller is a cert to face his former colleagues.

There is one chink of light for Scott: Thomas Butler's suspension only takes effect after seven days because it wasn't for a red card, so he will be available - although that does mean he misses the game at Bristol on Saturday instead.

So can Pools actually gain their first home win of the League campaign - at the sixth attempt? If we can keep Burton quiet then we have a chance, and I'll go for a complete absence of spectacle but a 1-0 victory thanks - inevitably - to Proctor.