Adam B - late pen

By Charlie Summerbell
October 15 2011

So which is the REAL Hartlepool United - the one that went nine games unbeaten at the start of the League One season, or the one that has since slumped to three consecutive defeats in an alarming loss of form?

With four changes, Pools were hammered 3-1 at home by Wycombe and have now slumped from the heady heights of the top four to the mid-table position they occupied for much of last season.

However, unless they quickly put a stop to the slide, they’ll go lower. Wycombe are no great shakes, but they were easily good enough to win against a Pools side that wasted chance after chance.

Scott Donnelly gave Wycombe an easy early lead, Stuart Beavan slotted the second before half-time, and when Sanm Collins turned the ball into his own net near the end, Pools were dead and buried – sub Adam Boyd’s late penalty was no more than a consolation.

It might not have quite been the horror show that saw Pools thumped at Notts County, but it wasn’t pretty either – though Mick Wadsworth insists there’s no need to panic.

He told the club website: “It was a poor first half defensively. We tried to play out from the back a little more because we needed to do something after last week, but that didn’t work and I take responsibility for that.

“Having said that, over the course of the 90 minutes we probably created enough chances to have won three games. The own goal from Sam putt the tin hat on it and summed up how it had gone for us.

“It’s a case of not panicking now. We’re very, very disappointed, but I can’t fault the lads for effort in the second half. I have absolute faith in these guys and we haven’t got to let any outside criticism affect us.”

Pools are at Chesterfield next weekend – the question is, which of their split personalities will turn up?