Out of Ideas
Match report by RUNNING MONKEY
Pools 2 Bromley 3 (National League)
Saturday 17 August 2019
Victoria Park
Another fine day at the Vic for football and initially the game got off to a good lick. Both teams were pressing and it was the visitors that got the early goal this week who hit us on the break. Kiilip tried to make himself big in front of goal but it was easy peasy for the striker who pushed his way through the midfield to roll the ball into the net.
The Pools of last season would never have bounced back so quick, Holohan fought well to make the chance and he made no mistake with the shot to even up the score just five minutes later.
The game was getting niggly and Raines and a Bromley attacker were spoken to by the ref for some off the ball shenanigans. The visitors played some good football in patches and Pools had to be on their guard throughout as they pushed us hard in the first half.
The second goal came from some hesitation from Pools who had the opportunity more than once to clear the ball but persistence by the visitors scrambled the ball into the net,
"It was a great pleasure to see a Pools player take on the opposition in such a determined fashion"
Mafuta once again came to the rescue with a cracking shot from distance to level up the score just before half time.
The second half was a more sedate affair as it looked as if the visitors had run out of steam and Pools looked as if they had run out of ideas. Muir had a decent chance as he broke into the box but his shot came off the post and was cleared upfield.
Toure showed his class as he took the ball out wide, went to the dead ball line and jinked back into the box leaving at least four defenders in his wake. It was a great pleasure to see a Pools player take on the opposition in such a determined fashion and he was very unlucky to see his shot blocked by the keeper.
Pools had a decent spell hoping for a winner and were still making chances but not connecting in front of goal. Good crosses from Holohan, Donaldson and later James found an empty box. The visitors broke free and Killip was at fault, not beating the attacker to the ball and it was laid on for an easy goal to take all three points.
I have to take issue with the manager's substitutions as giving out-of-form players like Noble five minutes even if he was replacing Featherstone who, incidentally, did ok.
There was no point in taking Kitchen off for Kennedy when the game was over. even though we did play five minutes of added time, Even Donaldson was holding up well and the James substitution changed nothing, I think Hignett was just making a show for the sake of it.