By Albatross
January 20 2006

Hartlepool United travel to Swansea City apparently full of confidence. We'll need more than confidence against a side that hasn't lost on their own turf since August.... Just what Pools need at the moment: already seven games since our last win, a visit to Swansea's brand new stadium to face a side full of goalscoring potential. To make matters worse, the home team's fans are still looking for revenge for a couple of hammerings a few seasons back - this time it looks like we may well feel the pain ourselves.

The move from the slowly decaying Vetch Field had been long mooted, and after last season's promotion the team seems to be eager to provide a spectacle worthy of the new arena. Their home record has been formidable: just one defeat in their thirteen League games, against Doncaster in August. They put seven past Bristol City there in September, five past Chesterfield the following month; and since then their strike force is arguably even stronger. Their away record is none too shabby either, and that's kept them in the top three for most of the season.

Lee Trundle is a player that isn't necessarily well liked by opponents, but that may be because he's always likely to deliver in front of goal. His goal record is beyond reproach, and his finishing ability - as seen when he scored both goals at the Vic earlier in the season - marks him out as one of the most dangerous forwards in the whole Football League. The 29 year old has already hit the net 17 times this season to be leading scorer, has apparently turned down Everton, and is in contention for a return to action for the home side after injury that has kept him out for all of this month. He's not lacked for support in the goalscoring stakes either - Adebayo Akinfenwa and Andy Robinson have both reached double figures in all competitions, and midfielder Kevin McLeod grabbed seven before the middle of September but hasn't netted since a hat-trick in the demolition of Bristol City. As if that wasn't enough, when the transfer window reopened Kenny Jackett signed Leon Knight from Brighton after he fell out with Mark McGhee - and he scored a hat-trick on his debut. When Pools have apparently bid £75K for the relatively untested Dean McDonald, it's interesting to note that the experienced Knight cost £125K - although he will certainly be taking home a large wage packet too.

The contrast with Pools striking problems couldn't be more vivid. We're still being told that it will be different when Boyd and Porter are fit - but in the meantime we're having to soldier on with just the other nine forwards currently on the books with first team experience. Yes, nine - the following all have at least some first team appearances to their name for Pools as forwards: Andy Appleby, Jon Daly, David Foley, Chris Llewellyn, Jon-Paul Pittman, Michael Proctor, James Walker, Jack Wilkinson and Eifion Williams. That's not even including RiTchie Humphreys who started off playing up front for Pools when he first signed, or James Brown who was so unfortunate to suffer a cruciate injury as he looked set to break into the side. Yet somehow it's only Eifion Williams that even looks likely to score of our current fit forwards.

As far as team news goes for the Swans, Trundle is the biggie but McLeod and former Pools loanee Paul Connor also face fitness tests. Tom Williams will definately miss out, and the Jacks are hoping to complete the signing of Yeovil's Darren Way in time for him to be involved.

Pools meanwhile find once again that suspension will disrupt their plans. Llewellyn misses three games following his dismissal last weekend, and that raises the problem of the left side again: with Robertson still missing, Butler unlikely to be fit and Matty Robson also struggling it's complete guesswork about who will play on the wing for Pools - Pittman may be a possibility. Up front it's likely to be about who partners Eifion.

Despite everything Martin Scott is saying that the squad is full of confidence for this game; I wish I could share it. Pools are out of form, it's looking hard to see where our next goal is coming from never mind our next win, and our opponents are one of the best sides in the division on their own ground. It's more a question of how many we lose by in most eyes, and I seriously can't see us getting even a point from this game. Pessimistic? Maybe, but much as I'd like to see us taking all three points I see little to suggest we will - 2-0 to Swansea and another long trip back from the small Pools contingent.