Hartlepool United look to repeat Crewe victory

The midfielder bagged a brace at the Northern Gas & Power Stadium last night as Pools trounced Crewe Alexandra 4-0.

It was a vital result for Pools and a huge shot in the arm ahead of Saturday’s visit of in-form Exeter City.

Dave Jones’s side moved six points clear of the relegation zone and Alessandra is looking for more of the same at the Vic on Saturday.

A four-goal romp did not look on when the 28-year-old put his side one up just 20 seconds from the end of a disjointed first half from the home side.

But the second period was a different story as Padraig Amond’s superb 12th goal of the season made it 2-0 in the 71st minute.

Pools then finished with a flourish with Alessandra’s second of the night before Nathan Thomas added the coup de grace in stoppage time with his ninth of the season.

“It was a great win in the end and we’ll be looking to carry that into Saturday,” the forward-turned-midfielder told SportMail.

“We’ve had some good performances of late but not had the results, we’ve drawn and lost too many times when we could have had better results.

“We needed the win because a couple of the teams around us, Cheltenham and Notts County, both won.

“We have moved six points above Leyton Orient and there was a swing in goal difference with them getting thumped and us winning by four.

“The confidence we got from that win is massive, especially with us being such a young team.

“I’ve only just turned 28 and I’m now one of the senior players, there are not many experienced heads in our side.

“We can now take that belief into Saturday’s game.”

Alessandra added that Pools, now unbeaten in four home games, should not be daunted by the visit of the Grecians, who stand sixth in the table with the best away record in the division.

“It will be a similar test to last night,” he said. “Exeter are like Crewe, they like to play good football and they’ve had a really good season.

“But the way we played in the second half has given us a lot of confidence and hopefully we can replicate that performance.”

Alessandra was thrilled to be back on the scoresheet, but more for what his first goal meant for the team.

“It was a good time to score,” said the summer signing from Rochdale.

“It was not a great first half, we’d probably have been happy to get to the break at 0-0.

“So to go in 1-0 up was pleasing – Crewe had been the better team and we’d not really go to grips with them.

“But once we scored we were a different team altogether and when Podge made it two then we got to relax and play more.

“When that happens it enables us to be more expansive and look to win by three or four goals.

“The second half was a complete contrast to the first but I think a win’s been coming.”