By Albatross
November 11 2005

Hartlepool United entertain Martin Allen's Brentford at Victoria Park, the first meeting this season after four games last year. It's sure to be a hard game, probably with not much in the way of goals.... Although we played Brentford four times last season, Martin Allen has done quite a bit of squad rebuilding and so it will be a somewhat different side we face to the one that made the playoffs last season. However, they are still looking capable of mounting a challenge again this year and currently sit in 4th place.

All this is against a background of financial worries and uncertainty over the future of the club. Fans group Bees United is trying to take over, but are having to make some last-minute appeals to try and raise the money they need; and there's talk that should their bid fail, there are three other groups with unknown motives ready to step in. The feeling amongst many is that if current owners Altonwood (on behalf of Ron Noades) sell to one of these groups, it could be a case of "out of the frying pan into the fire."

Allen himself is raising money for the cause, agreeing to do a sponsored bike ride at the end of the month. And whether you like him or not, it has to be said that his achievements at a club where money for players is at a premium demand respect. Opposing fans often found Allen's tactics last season less than exciting, but they were highly effective and he certainly showed the ability to get more from the team than the sum of it's parts suggested.

Despite an exodus of players including Stewart Talbot, Steve Hunt, Deon Burton and John Salako amongst others, Allen has succeeded in forging another side that's looking a danger at the top end. The likes of Skulason, Owusu and Junior Lewis have come in with differing levels of success (Skulason hasn't played since picking up a bad knee injury in the second game of the season), but the whole picture is looking bright - on the pitch at least.

Their tactics continue to be far from expansive, but their effectiveness can't be denied. However things haven't quite gone to plan in recent weeks - after their win over Oldham on 9th October, successive 0-0 draws with strugglers Swindon and then Blackpool were followed by defeat at home to Bournemouth; in the meantime they've gone out of the LDV to Oxford and scraped a 1-0 win at Rochdale in the FA Cup. Isaiah Rankin - leading scorer with four goals - hasn't netted since the beginning of October, and may miss the game with Pools anyway. Although the rest of the Bees players have chipped in, goals have remained at a premium this season and it's hard to pinpoint a specific goal threat.

Rankin may be a doubt, but other than that things are looking quite bright on the injury front for our opponents. Ricky Newman and Michael Dobson are both ready for first team action, and Rankin seems to be the only doubt other than the long-term injured Skulason, who needed cruciate and medial ligament surgery on his knee after making just two appearances.

For Pools, the news is that things are getting better. We're still missing several players with long-term injuries, but Hugh Robertson and Mickey Barron are both stepping up their recovery and the Club Captain may even be considered for the squad; Mark Tinkler returns from suspension, and Neill Collins is available again after being refused permission to take part in last week's Cup Tie. I expect Collins to come back in to partner Nelson, Darren Williams moving across to full back and Darren Craddock missing out; and Tinkler may well come back in at the expense of Bullock or maybe Sweeney. Martin Scott will also have to decide whether to play Llewellyn or Maidens on the right.

So can Pools make it five wins in a row? Brentford will as usual provide a tough test, as they have been one of the hardest teams in the division to beat for about 18 months now. However they aren't in the best of form, and with their leading scorer possibly missing and out of scoring form in any case, I think Pools can pull off a 1-0 win, Jon Daly to grab the only goal of the game.