Austin - goal

By Charlie Summerbell
January 27 2010

Hartlepool’s age-old failing prevented them from chalking up the win they badly needed against Gillingham at Victoria Park, as they controlled much of the game but failed to turn their domination into goals. But Chris Turner says if they continue to play good football, the result will come.

It’s to be hoped he is proved right soon, because the longer Pools go without a win, the more dangerous their position will become as they sink slowly down the League One table.
With only two wins in the last 12 games, Pools may still be in mid-table, but their position is nowhere near as comfortable as it once was – they are only three points ahead of fifth-bottom Brighton, and some of the teams below them are showing worrying signs of improving.
And the next few fixtures don’t provide a lot of light at the end of the tunnel – Norwich away, Leeds at home, Southampton away, Huddersfield at home.
But as Turner says, if  Pools play the sort of football they can play and keep plugging away, the goals will hopefully come – the sooner the better.
After the Gillingham game, he told the Northern Echo:  "We played some good football, passed the ball moved it around well and could have been two goals up. It got scrappy in the second-half and they caught us out a bit. They scored, we bounced back and got a point from a game many thought we would lose.
"The goal wasn't the greatest strike, but it went in. Things aren't going for us right now in front of goal, but we are playing good football and it will come.
“They had two chances on goal and we outplayed them. The players were a bit down afterwards, but what more can you ask?
"If we hadn't made chances, created openings and had chances missed, then you would be worried. We need to put them away.''
Too right they do – having Adam Boyd on the bench at the start of games probably doesn’t help as he is the moist instinctive goalscorer the club has got.
Neil Austin’s late equalizer was a reward for the best Pools player on the night, but elsewhere nobody really shone – Joe Gamble looks a good signing, cool on the ball and a good organiser, but too many players failed to hit their better form, and as a result the team stuttered.