Hartley celebrates

By Charlie Summerbell
May 5 2012

Well, it was a good day out for Hartlepool United's travelling fans on the last day of the League One season as they turned heads by travelling to champions Charlton as Smurfs, and for a long time their team turned a few heads as well.

In fact, for 40 minutes Pools were in front, and even when they looked dead and buried late on they came back to gave the home team a few worries in front of more than 26,000 fans.

But three home goals in ten minutes saw them off, the Londoners taking control of the game to crown a great season for them, and a frustrating one for Pools.

Peter Hartley had given Pools the lead with half an hour gone, and there were only 20 minutes left when the home team started their fightback, Danny Hollands equalizing.

But seven minutes later Danny Haynes headed a second and after another three minutes a close-range finish from Yann Kermorgant made it 3-1, though his reaction suiggested it was a fluke.

The Smurfs were not happy.

But Gary Liddle’s late strike from the edge of the area narrowed the gap again and showed that Pools were not just there to make up the numbers on Charlton’s big day out.

The result means Pools finished the season 13^th, but there was not a lot unlucky about it – the League table tells no lies, and Pools were mired in mid-table simply because their excellent away record was ruined by their awful home record.

Simples.

Neale Cooper told the club website: "We closed them down well in the first half,and thast is very tiring. It sdhowed in the second half, but we played some good stuff today and I am very pleased with the attitude and commitment.

"I was proud of them," he added, before singling out young Jack Baldwin for special praise. "He's going to be a star centre-half in the future."

Hopefully the 18-year-old will have a star team to play in.