HARTLEPOOL UNITED V IMPS REPORT
Saturday 15th April 2000 - Nationwide League Division 3
From Victoria Park

Hartlepool United 2 - 0 Lincoln City

HUMILIATING END TO POOR SEASON PROPHESIED

By James Prentice from the Victoria Park

I was just one of the more than disappointed travelling few yesterday. After accidentally missing the club's coach and literally throwing myself at the mercy of a friend to give me a lift to the north-east (maybe missing the coach was a warning to me that I should perhaps spend an afternoon at the cinema!), I was blatantly disgusted that I had made such an effort yet receive an inept, lackadaisical "performance".

It wasn't that Pool showed some of the solid, flamboyant football that has earned them a previously unaccustomed position outside that play-off zone ; many of their supporters said prior to the game that the team were having a bad spell and in all fairness did not really deserve to go to Wembley come May. But poor management has let the Imps down all season, and a lack of motivation and tactical deployment were again in evidence.

In tandem with the said lack of motivation, the players were utterly shorn of confidence. Alan Marriott and his defence were at fault for the first Pool goal, a free header inside the area. The second goal was one of total idiocy which let Hartlepool's top scorer, Tommy Miller, seal that game even at that point, which shows how bad the side really were.

Chances were non-existent in the first half for the Imps, and after the break they would have been level had Phil Stant not hit the woodwork and Gavin Gordon slotted a silver platter-style through ball (confidence lacking once again - he has put away many more difficult chances than that in the past).

But if the Imps had in fact levelled late on, it would not have been justice in action. Hartlepool controlled the second half proceedings and would have scored several had they been a little more sharp with their shooting (the likes of Rotherham or Peterborough would have hit the Imps for, at least, six).

City lacked that quintessential togetherness and team spirit that Hartlepool had, even though they did not play particularly excellent football thought. Which can only lead the observer to blame one man - Mr K John Reames. Words cannot express the audacious and ostentatious nature of a man that has ruined everything in a promotion-winning Lincoln City side. He has let excellent players leave, Kevin Austin for example, has lambasted supporters for their every financial effort while showing a total lack of regard for them, has let at least two excellent players go (Barry Richardson, Lee Philpott) without so much as a good reason, and has, basically, turned people away because of his own self-righteous selfishness.

• I have thought for a while how it would be an excellent gesture to get at Mr Reames by making banners and posters gesturing for him to go. I have a home made newspaper page-style poster at home simply reading, "Reames Out as Chairman-Manager". This is simple but would be effective in getting him to change his ways.

Please make one and hold it up during that match.

Please email me with your thoughts, James Prentice.

MATCH STATS
	HARTLEPOOL UNITED		V	LINCOLN CITY
STARTING LINE-UP
	Martin Hollund Darren Knowles Gary Strodder Michael Barron Chris Westwood Ian Clark Tommy Miller Paul Stephenson Paul Arnison Kevin Henderson Greame Lee			Alan Marriott Jason Barnett Grant Brown Steve Holmes Terry Fleming John Finnigan Anthony Henry Paul Miller Paul Mayo Gavin Gordon Lee Thorpe
FORMATION
	4-4-2			3-5-2
SUBSTUTIONS
	James Coppinger (for K Henderson 81) Paul Beavers (for Greame Lee 90) Craig Midgley Sam Shilton Lee Fitzpatrick (for Michael Barron 81)			Peter Gain (for Anthony Henry 45) Lee Philpott (for Paul Miller 70) Phil Stant (for Paul Mayo 74) David Phillips Daniel Bent
GOALS
	Kevin Henderson (6) Tommy Miller (39)
BOOKINGS
	RED	YELLOW		RED	YELLOW
IMPS ONLINE MAN OF THE MATCH
	Well it is hard to name a player in such a poor game, but ANTHONY HENRY was thrown in at the deep end and was told he would play in centre midfield for the first time. He didn't do much wrong and made some very creative passes.

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