By Albatross
February 21 2003

A month ago this was an easy game for Hartlepool United; you can't say the same now. Swansea City, with a radically different team to that we drew with at the Vetch Field, will be looking o put some bad memories behind them. Swansea looked doomed at the end of December, but not so now. Brian Flynn has started to turn things around like last, and a flurry of signings have helped make the difference; Kevin Nugent has just signed permanently after a highly successful loan spell, Lenny Johnrose is struggling for fitness but has already made his mark, and Roberto Martinez finally joined the Swans after an epic on/off saga. Add in sometime Pools target Keiron Durkan, Leon Britton (on loan from West Ham), Alan Tate (Man Utd) and a couple of others, and the side is looking radically different.

Three wins and a draw from their last six games have lifted them up the table, and the Swans are no longer favourites for the dreaded drop. Away form has been poor to say the least though; their only win away from the Vetch came two weeks ago at Macclesfield - who hadn't registered a home win for some time - and they have lost 11 of their 16 away games, most recently at Bournemouth.

Along with Nugent up front, look out for James Thomas; their leading scorer with 9 goals, he has also made the full Welsh squad - although he has yet to play at that level.

For Pools, it's almost a case of "same old, same old." Once again, the only position up for grabs seems to be who will partner Eifion in attack: Boyd is currently the man in place, but Henderson and Richardson may both fancy their chances if Newell decided a bit more physical presence is needed.

One player certain to be sitting this game out is Gordon Watson. He was due to have a scan after going off with an ankle injury in the reserve team's defeat at Scarborough. Paul Smith is also finding it hard to get back in the reckoning, not least because of Humphreys consistently playing well on the left. Rumours continue to abound that Smith is likely to be leaving the club - at the end of the season if not before - and possibly returning to Lancashire, with Rochdale the team mentioned most often.

Like many Pools fans, the thing that I can't help thinking about is last season's fixture between the two teams at the Vic; the 7-1 thrashing that day still hurts for the few Swansea players still at the club, and for all of their fans. Roger Freestone didn't play, and may have helped to keep the score down if he had - and although Pools are justifiably short favourites to win this game, I don't reckon he'll be facing the barrage he would have last year. This is a very different Swansea side, with a lot to fight for.

I reckon it will be a bruising encounter, but can't see beyond a Pools win: 2-0, goals from Williams and Tinkler.