By Albatross
October 29 2005

Hartlepool United seem to like Vale Park: that's the third season running we've won there. Eifion Williams and Thomas Butler were the scorers as HUFC recorded a 2-1 victory. Vale Park is still a little in the "It'll be good when it's finished" state, as the stand on the right of the Pools fans is still not finished - although it seems to be getting there slowly. It's been like that for a long time - I remember going there for a Youth Cup game three years ago and it was under construction then! As the tannoy blasted out Carl Orff's "O Fortuna" chorus (aka the Old Spice ad) I couldn't help thinking that the concrete steps that are presumably awaiting seats looked ideal to have water and a surfer streaming down them.

Some teams would have used that as the music for the teams to run out to but not Port Vale: after it had finished, the teams came out - slightly incongruously - to "The Wonder of You"..... Pools lined up with Craddock still on the right and Darren Williams in the middle for the suspended Nelson, Butler on the left wing, Llewellyn on the right, Sweeney and Bullock in the centre and Daly and Eifion Williams up front. On the bench there was a return for Proctor, alongside Maidens, Brackstone, Stephen Turnbull and Jim Provett.

Playing in Red, Pools kicked off towards the 200 or so of us in the away end and soon made an impression: Craddock found Williams in the right channel, but his cross was blocked. On two minutes, Collins brought down Eifion wide on the left; Humphreys crossed the ball in, and had a second bite of the cherry before he ball was finally cleared.

Pools had started brightly, and a good move saw the ball played into the box for Eifion; as the Welshman controlled the ball on his chest though the Ref used his X-Ray specs to determine that there must have been a handball and blew up before Williams could get any further. A couple of minutes later a good break from Butler caused trouble for the home side; he layed the ball off intelligently for Daly, who took a little to long on the ball and saw his shot blocked. He got the ball back though as Pools piled forward, and crossed the ball for Williams who headed towards the far post and saw his effort put behind for a corner.

Vale weren't exactly sitting back, but the well-marchalled Pools defence and midfield was making them work hard to try and get into the final third and they weren't creating much. On 7 minutes they did create an opening for Birchall, but the Valiants player put his shot well over the bar when he should have done better. Meanwhile Pools were looking to attack quickly and incisively on the break to good effect; on 9 minutes a swift passing move saw Sweeney in the clear but he took too long to try and set himself in the box and was tackled before gettign a shot away. Pools did win a corner, and that was cleared behind for another; meanwhile though both Dinning and Collins were down. The Physio was called on, and after examining Collins he helped the Vale defender off the pitch. Humphreys finally got to take the corner and swung it across; Daly flicked on at the near post and at the back stick the lurking EIFION WILLIAMS headed home from close range to put Pools in front.

If Pools were looking content to play on the break somewhat, it was obvious to see why on 12 minutes. Pools had more pace going forward, and with Williams in particular a willing runner into the channels the home defence was at sixes and sevens. On 12 minutes Williams collected one such ball on the right before crossing for Sweeney - but the Pools midfielder put his shot just wide of the post. Vale were starting to push forward more and more in the search of an equaliser, but just didn't look to have the tools to unlock a Pools defence and midfield that looked well-drilled at the back.

Pools created an opportunity themselves on 16 minutes when Daly headed a free kick on to Butler, who broke into the box, beating his man before cutting the ball back for Daly to try a shot that was blocked away. This time Vale broke quickly, and Llewellyn was out of position; as the home side attacked down the Pools right, Craddock was left in a two on one situation and dived in, conceding a free kick and picking up a yellow card for his trouble. Meanwhile, both Collins and Eifion were down in the Vale box, both needing to leave the field for treatment, while the Ref - who I thought had a poor game - was completely oblivious to them.

Dimi easily claimed the Free Kick, and then Eifion again did well as Pools looked to break quickly. He played in Llewellyn, but he was crowded out in the box without shooting. A minute later Pools again were quicker to the punch in midfield, Williams again playing the ball through for Llewellyn; he crossed to Sweeney, but the offside flag went up.

After some more unproductive pressure from Vale, Pools won a free kick in their opponents half on 27 minutes after Pilkington went through Daly and was lucky not to pick up a card. Daly got his head to the set piece to head the ball back across the area, but Vale cleared their lines at the second attempt. Shortly after, the home side made their first change; the struggling Collins, who had already had two bouts of treatment, was replaced by Robin Hulbert. On 35 minutes Vale got the chance for a set piece themselves after Collins fouled Lowdnes 20 yards out on the right; however, Bell's free kick was poor and blocked by Darren Williams. The ball was played back in but Birchall again blazed over. Bell tried again from open play soon after, but found Dimi on forw with the keeper diving low to turn the ball around the far post.

Darren Williams when picked up a booking for a foul on Lowdnes; Bell's free kick again failed to cause Dimi any concern. On 40 minutes came something of a let off though; Payneter crossed from the right, and in the centre Rowland managed to head wide of the far post from a good position. Pools then carved out a chance for a long range efoort: Daly headed the ball on well for Williams; he laid the ball off to Llewellyn who shot wide. Vale though were about to get back on level terms. A quick attack down their right saw Mulligan in the clear; he was given too much time, and crossed for CUMMINS to head towards goal. Dimi made a great save, but could do nothing as the Vale player put the rebound into the roof of the net.

Soon after Mulligan was in trouble though. After a foul by Butler he needed treatment which continued on the pitch for about three minutes without the Ref telling the physio to get him off the field, leading to the board showing five minutes of added time while Mulligan continued to receive attention. Although his injury didn't seem to stop him dribbling his way into the box three minutes into stoppage time, (his cross was cleared) he was replaced when the break finally arrived by Craig James.

1-1 at Half Time then, and things were looking encouraging for Pools. Vale may have seen more of the ball, but weren't doing much with it despite their pressure as Collins and Darren Williams in particular refused to give an inch; meanwhile, Pools were looking dangerous on the break with Eifion looking in great form - every channel ball he chased seemed to stick - Daly winning the ball in the air and making some intelligent headers, and Butler proving an absolute menace to the home defence. The main problem in my eyes was that although Llewellyn was looking decent going forward, he was showing an alarming tendency to get sucked into the middle, leaving Craddock rather exposed at right back.

The second half was still in it's infancy when a foul was given against Craddock apparently for a push as he tried to win a header - despite it looking anything like. The cross from Birchall though was sent high and wide by a Vale player. A minute later Birchall headed a cross from the left well over.

On 51 minutes some lacklustre defending from Pools allowed the ball to be worked out to the right flank; a cross came over for Rowland to shoot from, but Dimi saved at his near post. On 53 minutes Lowndes tried to get onto a long through-ball, but Dimi was quick to come out and collect; Darren Williams, who had been tussilng with Lowndes for the ball, went down, but the Ref decided that nothing had happened.

The Ref by this point was enraging both sets of fans. Things were getting very bitty; decisions about players pushing at headers seemed to be given on a completely arbitrary "who's turn is it" basis, free kicks were arriving for nothing, and he the officials were being over-fussy about the position of throw ins and free kicks.

Pools were coming under more pressure now, but once more the defence was holding firm and the home side just didn't seem able to create much in the way of clear chances. Williams saw a long range effort on the break go wide, and then Llewellyn was replaced by Maidens on 60 minutes. A minute later more poor refereeing allowed Hulbert to get away with grabbing Sweeney in a headlock as he leapt for the ball; Sweeney chased after the midfielder, dived in and gave away a free kick in a dangerour area. Dinning though put his attempted shot over.

And then, on 63 minutes, Pools took the lead. Sweeney collected the ball well inside his own half and played a great ball forward in the direction of Daly; he laid it off to Bullock, and then he played through to Butler. The Pools winger was in plenty of space, and with the Vale defence seeming to stand off, cut inside. From the edge of the area, BUTLER shot with precision but not too much power at the near post; Goodlad though was scrambling to try and reach the ball, such was the positioning, and could only help the ball into the goal.

Dimi needed to be alert on 65 minutes to keep Pools ahead; James shot from the edge of the area and forced a great save from the Greek stopper as he touched the goal-bound shot over the bar. On 67 minutes Rowland was booked for a foul on Butler; soon after, Craig James got down the left and put in a great cross the Cummins completely fluffed at the far post with the goal at his mercy. Lowndes was then withdrawn in favour of the on-loan Michael Husbands.

Although the home side continued to have more of the play, Pools were still looking lively going forward. On 71 minutes Eifion almost embarrassed the Vale Keeper; from wide out on the right touchline he put in a quickly-travelling cross that ended up only just going over the bar. On 75 minutes Sweeney won the ball in the midfield, forced his way past one man, and found himself in the clear and galloping towards goal - homever, he took too much time trying to set himself for a shot and was crowded out by the chasing Vale defenders just inside the box. Soon after, Butler - who had been a thorn in the side of the home side all afternoon - was withdrawn, Proctor coming on. He went up front alongside Daly, Williams moved to right wing, and Maidens to the left.

Proctor soon won Pools a corner that Maidens swung across; however, the ball was cleared and Birchall found himself advancing on the right flank. Fortunately Darren Williams was alert to the danger, not only preventing the home player from getting a cross in, but also winning the ball from him, beating him, and then clearing his lines - quality defending. Dimi had a little rush of blood on 82 minutes, coming out of his goal to try and collect a ball only to lost out and allow Rowland to cross; fortunately, Birchall could only head wide.

Two minutes later, Port Vale advanced down the Pools right on the break after we'd lost the ball on the left flank; Bell put in a dangerous looking cross that Humphreys watched well before clearing behind for a corner at the far post. Dimi claimed the corner easily before clearing long upfield for Proctor to get on the end of - but the former Sunderland man shot tamely.

The Ref once again made a poor decision on 85 minutes. Darren Williams was down, needing treatment; but despite the fact that play had stopped for a free kick to Vale in their own half, he didn't even notice that Williams was down: Vale were allowed to take a quick free kick, and attacked down the Pools right through James, who crossed for Paynter. Fortunately Dimi was able to make a good stop, but it seemed that unless it was under his nose the Ref was oblivious to small matters like a player lying injured...

Vale continued to push forward, but with Dimi doing well despite one moment when he seemed to be playing basketball, the defence holding firm, and poor finishing, Pools sam out the remainder of the match without too many problems. The closest Vale came to snatching an equaliser was in the second minute of injury time; a long-range effort from Craig James hit the side netting, causing premature celebrations from some of the home fans before they realised what had happened - after which many of them decided to leave!

So Pools win on the road again, and have back to back wins in the league. We looked dangerous on the break and defended solidly; in truth, Vale looked short of ideas in midfield, and short of a goalscorer when they did create chances. Can we now build on this and put together the sort of run that can lift us up the table? The next step is on Tuesday Night, when we welcome Neale Cooper back to the Vic for the game with Gillingham.