Poole of Pools

By Charlie Summerbell
December 27 2011

Now that's more like it ... Hartlepool United's first win in three games since Mick Wadsworth was shown the door has given a much-needed bost to their hopes for the season, and to caretaker Micky Barron's chances of getting the job on a more permanent basis. 

Pools’ away form this season has been tip-top, and that was certainly the case at Oldham, where they should have had the game comfortably wrapped up inside the first half-hour, so superior were they. 

But all they had to show for their domination was James Poole’s early strike, and fortunately that turned out to be enough.

Young Jack Baldwin looks a real find in midfield, while keeper Scott Flinders made some top saves as Oldham hit back in the second half.

Barron told the club website: “We were really happy with the first half and the way we played in the second half, we defended and battled, scrapped and tan and chased for 45 minutes.

“The players are just happy to win – to come here and play so well and get three points is a massive lift for everyone.”

For some reasons Barron found it necessary to say that the Pools formation wasn’t a negative one, though why he should have to do so when virtually every League One team plays defensively away from home is a bit of a mystery.

There’s little doubt they will play defensively in their last game of 2011 on Saturday, away to fifth top Sheffield United, managed by somebody by the name of Danny Wilson. Victory at Oldham was Pools' sixth away from home this season - if only their home record was anything like as good they would surely be in the thick of the play-off zone and Saturday's game would be a really big one.