Another game, another defeat as Hartlepool went down to a single goal at Leyton Orient.
Report from Brisbane Road
Ritchie Humphreys replaced the injured Evan Horwood as Neale Cooper largely kept faith with the team that held Doncaster on Saturday for the trip to Leyton Orient.
Perhaps that faith was misplaced as Orient dominated the opening stages of the game and could have been two or three goals ahead were it not for the quick hands of Pools goalkeeper Scott Flinders.
The visiting defence were treating the ball like a hot potato as they cleared the ball anywhere, Moses Odubajo could have easily opened the scoring when his powerful strike was turned over by Flinders.
The stopper had to be quick again to deny Odubajo moments later before pulling off a world class save to hit the floor and palm away Nathan Clarke’s point blank effort.
Despite their early dominance, Orient went into their shells during the remainder of the half but came out with renewed vigor at the start of the second period.
Ryan Brunt fired over the bar within seconds of the restart but made no mistake minutes later when he found himself in plenty of space in the box and easily headed home a right wing cross.
The home side again sat back, but were easily soaking up Pools’ aimless long balls, with Hartlepool’s only chances coming from set pieces.
The first was through substitute Jordan Richards who curled a free kick just wide of the mark.
Moments later striker Steve Howard, a nuisance to the O’s defence all evening and Pools’ best outfield player along with Jack Baldwin, rattled the crossbar with a powerful header from a corner.
But in open play Cooper’s side looked out of ideas and extended their winless run to 10 matches.
FT: Leyton Orient 1 Hartlepool 0
Hartlepool: Flinders, Austin, Baldwin, Hartley, Holden, Murray (Luscombe 77), Sweeney, Humphreys, Franks (Richards 66), Noble (Poole 55), Howard
Subs not used: McHugh, Collins, Rutherford, Walton
Leyton Orient: Allsop, McSweeney, Sawyer, Chorley, Cox, Smith, Clarke, Odubajo (Griffith 90+2), Rowlands, Brunt, Wagstaff
Subs not used: Baudry, Symes, Laird, Cook, James, Mooney
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Another awful game, we’re lucky we’ve got Ned in goal or that could easily have been 3 or 4-0. What’s the excuse this time Neale? We were unlucky? The players aren’t performing (if so, surely it’s the manager’s job to GET them to perform)? The feng shui in the away dressing room was all wrong? Change the record mate, it’s getting boring. Ken needs to get on the phone to Phil Brown or whoever because at this rate we’re in danger of doing even worse than the side that went down under Busby and MacPhail in the ’90s. Neale, I’m sorry it hasn’t worked out and I’ll always treasure the memories of your first spell in charge but for the good of this club, please go now before it’s too late.
Great post Bradford, I’d echo your words completely. Coops is and always will be a legend at this club and there’s no way that he should shoulder all of the blame for the current mess – the owners and the players are equally culpable in my eyes. However, we unfortunately can’t change either of the latter so Coops has to fall on his sword to allow the club even a dogs chance of survival in L1 – but I fear that it may already be too late.