Dave Jones loves seeing Hartlepool United dig in and then turn it on

Dave Jones admitted the first period was like watching paint dry '“ if that was the case, the second 45 minutes was like seeing artists at work.
Pools celebrate Lewis Alessandra's second goal. Picture by FRANK REIDPools celebrate Lewis Alessandra's second goal. Picture by FRANK REID
Pools celebrate Lewis Alessandra's second goal. Picture by FRANK REID

Hartlepool United turned it on in the second half to hammer Crewe Alexandra 4-0 – the club’s first four-goal triumph at the Northern Gas & Power Stadium for three years.

Lewis Alessandra gave Pools the lead against the run of play at the end of the first half, but after the break, the boys in blue clicked into gear.

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Sub Padraig Amond doubled the lead in the 71st minute before Alessandra and Nathan Thomas struck at the death.

“For the first half, or certainly 44 minutes of it, I would rather have watched paint dry,” said Jones.

“But they are the games when you have to dig in.

“Then we got a break with our first goal and we were a different team in the second half.

“I felt once the second went in, we relaxed more.

“It’s nice to score four and get a clean sheet.”

Amond produced a bit of magic to get the second and provide the platform for the side to go on and finish with a swagger.

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Teenage full-back Kenton Richardson had a part to play in the third goal and Jones had praise for the 17-year-old .

“I thought that Podge coming on helped us,” said Jones. “He got a super goal and we threatened that all through the half.

“We were more comfortable at 2-0 at we relaxed and began to play.

“Kenton grew into the game,

“For the first 20 minutes – like everyone – it was a struggle to find some sort of tempo.

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“But the secondhalf was nice to watch and a good feeling to have.”

He added: “Being one up was a bonus for us at half-time, I’d have taken 0-0.

“The second-half? Everyone deserves a slap on the back.

“I would have taken a 1-0 as much as a 4-0, we have had good displays without a result.

“This was our poorest first 45 minutes but we won 4-0 in the end.”