James B - great goal

By Charlie Summerbell
September 5 2009

Hartlepool United knew they needed to react to the previous weekend’s home flop against Norwich, and they did it in great syule at Oldham's Boundary Park. Winning 3-0 away from home is a good result in any team’s book, no matter how short of confidence and badly hit by injuries the home team is, and Pools could have won by more.

Oldham were made to look like relegation candidates by a well-drilled, determined and thoroughly professional display from Chris Turner’s team – what a pity only 268 travelling Poolies saw it, because really it needed to be seen by everybody who witnessed the Norwich defeat.
Pools’ second away win on the trot was built on the foundations of another stunning edge-of-the-area goal by James Brown midway through the second half, and before the break Andy Monkhouse’s cross was headed in at the far post for Leon McSweeney’s first goal for the club.
Denis Behan (right), who had set up Brown’s opening goal, smashed a second half free-kick into the net for the third in the second half to complete a great win - free-kick even the fabled Hugh would have been proud of.
Turner told the Northern Echo: “I think the players were so disappointed with the Norwich performance, they went out to prove it.  The plan was to get at Oldham early on. James and Denis were superb up front and we got three great goals.
“We have yet to win at home, but it will come. People should have faith in them and not slaughter them after one bad show.”
He’s probably right, of course, but people who paid to see the Norwich game had every right to complain – Pools were as bad then as they were good against Oldham.
They’ve managed to turn the form of recent seasons on its head by producing winning performances away and there’s every chance they can soon end their losing streak at the Vic … beating Wycombe next weekend would be a start.

POOLS have been drawn at home to Mike Newell's Grimsby in the second round of the Johnstone's Paints Trophy, the game due to be played in the first week of October.