By Albatross
April 23 2005

Hartlepool United failed to shine at Doncaster, unlike the sun at the Earth Stadium, losing 2-0. The shaft of light though is that our rivals in the playoff race failed to take advantage.... Looks like it's down to the last game again then! Pools lined up without the injured Joel Porter, with Eifion Williams taking his place up front but were otherwise unchanged; meanwhile, Andy Appleby joined Provett, Robertson, Tinkler and Daly on the bench. For Donny, sometime Pools loan man James Coppinger started, and so did our favourite "love to hate" man Leo Fortune-West.

In ideal conditions for football - I was wishing I'd brought some Sunglasses with me - neither side made too much of the opening exchanges. Donny (whose numbers were difficult to read on their red and white shirts) had a couple of half chances, but it wasn't really until the tenth minute that Pools had a decent chance. Clark took a free kick that was cleared, but when the ball was played back in Williams almost played in Sweeney - but before he could pull the trigger he was tackled and the ball went behind for a corner.

Both sides were looking keen to pass the ball, with the game looking like a good advert for Division 2 - but both sides were struggling to create anything clear cut. Humphreys did well down the right on 17 minutes, but saw his cross cleared, and Westie had to be on the mark to close down any chance of a breakaway; Boyd then demonstrated good skill but couldn't find a way through, his shot eventually being blocked away for a corner. After some intricate buildup play involving Boyd Pools again failed to find a way through - eventually the ball was laid back to Matty Robson, but his 30 yard effort was well off target.

Doncaster were looking pretty threatening themselves when they got forward, and Dimi had to be on his toes on 22 minutes to claim the ball ahead of an advancing Doncaster attacker; and Guy also headed a cross from Green well over. Pools then won a free kick that Strachan played short to Boyd, the two players exchanging passes again before Boyd tried a long-range shot that was deflected for a corner. The corner was cleared for a throw, from which Boyd got into the box to win another corner that was also cleared to Humphreys whose cross from the right was well cleared. We were seeing plenty of the ball, but the Donny defence was standing firm.

The organisation of the home defence again came to the fore on 25 minutes. Robson was fouled on the wing, and Strachan's delivery into the box was spilled by Turner. However the Donny players reacted first, clearing the ball before any Pools player could react. Humphreys tried an ambitious lob from the clearance, but never looked likely to trouble the by now back in position keeper.

Chris Westwood was the first man in the book on 29 minutes, and he couldn't have too many complaints after a fairly poor block challenge on Guy. Dimi though collected the free kick from the left with ease.

Doncaster though were really starting to threaten now, breaking quickly and with purpose. Again the clear chances weren;t coming though; the best one came after a dangerous cross from the right that Dimi could only punch away; Guy though put his shot wide of the post from the edge of the area.

Butler had a chance to go for glory on 42 minutes; the ball reached him at full stretch though, and he put his 25 yard shot well over the crossbar.

Half time arrived after Strachan had needed treatment, and at 0-0 there was still everything to play for. A draw was probably fair at this point - both sides had shown some purpose going forward, but neither had really carved out anything clear cut. The good news was that results elsewhere were going our way -Brentford and Bournemouth were losing, while Sheff Wed were being held by Stockport.

The good news wasn't going to last too much longer though, with Doncaster soon showing that they weren't going to simply settle for a draw. Fortune-West's attempt at a quick free kick might have causght out the Pools defence - but the linesman's flag was up for offside; while a dangerous attack down the left saw Strachan having to clear a good cross.

Pools first action of note in the half came on 50 minutes. Butler and Williams combined well down the left, winning a corner; that was cleared for Robson to try a long throw and then another straight after that found Williams - he crossed for Strachan to try a header that was taken by Turner after it originally looked like it might embarrass him. Boyd then tried to play Sweeney in on 52 minutes, the defender getting there ahead of him to clear for a throw.

Possibly our best chance of the game came though on 55 minutes. Eifion Williams raced clear on goal from midfield, reached the area and shot well - only for Turner to get his hands to the ball and deflect it away for a corner. That was cleared to Butler, who saw his long-range effort blocked for a throw that found it's way to Boyd, who turned and shot from 25 yards but wide.

Thirty seconds later we were behind. Doncaster broke quickly, Lewis Guy on the left beat Clark and then Westwood on his way to the by-line in the box before sliding the ball across for the arriving RAVENHILL to slot home.

Doncaster weren't resting on their laurels either; they were quickly back on the attack, putting Pools under pressure. Pools weren't doing themselves too many favours thoguh; a poor Free Kick from Strachan on 60 minutes was cleared upfield and with Dimi and then Clark not getting the ball clear Guy almost stole in with Dimi having to make a good stop at his near post. Cooper's response was to bring on Daly for Butler, who had been much quieter since the break. Initially though this seemed to cause us even more problems; with Pools moving to wing backs, Robson seemed to be finding himself more exposed. An attack down his flank was allowed to proceed almost to the penalty area, and although Matty did well to win the ball, Nelson then allowed himself to be robbed of the ball by Green, only for Dimi to confidently claim his cross.

Guy was replaced by Blundell on 66 minutes, and shortly after Humphreys tried an ambitious effort from extremely long range on the right flank (well over 30 yards) that never looked like causing Turner a problem. Pools then made their second change - Strachan replaced by Appleby. We now had four strikers on the pitch, although Williams now seemed to be playing down the right; however this seemed to backfire on us as without Strachan in the middle we seemed to lack bite and too often conceded possession.

Appleby's first taste of action was a good one though, as he got down the left to win a corner that was cleared behind for another and then another; however Pools couldn't keep the pressure on, and Doncaster again used the flanks to good effect, Green sminging over a great cross on 25 minutes that only needed a touch to double our misery.

Sadly this was pretty much the story of the rest of the match. Pools were piling forward trying to get an equaliser; however we were unable to sustain a spell of pressure, and Doncaster would set up yet another dangerous looking attack. Pools day was pretty much summed up on 75 minutes; Appleby was clumsily taken down on the right touchline, and when we needed a decent delivery into the box Matty Robson could only hoist the ball so high and wide that it elicited a jeer from the Rovers fans. Two minutes later Appleby did get onto the end of a cross from Clark - but couldn't get enough power behind his header to trouble the keeper. Meanwhile at the other end Green put in an enticing cross that Fortune-West could and should have done much better from, heading wide instead of hitting the target.

Pools continued to pour forward, but with ideas sadly lacking; and when Donny got the ball they were quick to start playing some very neat football in the Pools half. No keeping it in the corner; some patient build-up and possession football that looked more threatening meant that Pools were struggling to get the ball in their own half, never mind trouble the opposition keeper, and Eifion Williams seemed to be playing as an orthodox right back as a result.

The coup de grace was administered in stoppage time. Pools were again caught out trying to get forward; Ravenhill collected and advanced into the box from the right before cutting it back for Fortune-West to score from very close range. The Final Whistle brought an end to the misery soon after.

A game of two halves? Yes, but Pools weren't really the better side in either. The first half was fairly even, although we did lack a final ball; the second saw us well beaten by a side that exploited the flanks, had players that had the drive and skill to get through the defence in the form of Guy and Green, and defended capably when needing to. Pools meanwhile lacked a bit of spark today, and lost control of the midfield as we tried to change systems. "Where's the midfield" was one cry as another wave of Doncaster attacks broke on the Pools defence; unfortunately by this point Strachan and Butler were no longer on the pitch, and with four strikers out there the rest of the team were struggling to win the ball and then hold onto it long enough to feed them. Strach may well have been injured - he went down just before half time - but we were crying out for someone in the middle to collect the ball and put their foot on it for long spells and it's to be hoped that Tinkler will soon be fit enough to move off the bench and start doing precisely that.

The positives for Pools come from the fact that other sides didn't take advantage of our slip. With Bournemouth and Brentford losing, and Sheffield Wednesday failing to win either, we remain in 4th place and realistically are no worse off than before. Next up then it's Walsall - fresh from spoiling Hull City's party. Will they rain on our parade as well?