Crawley Town 0-2 Hartlepool United: Pools claim first away win of the season to move off the bottom

Keith Curle’s side, temporarily, moved off the foot of the League Two table and out of the relegation zone after a second half double at the Broadfield Stadium.

Rollin Menayese powered in a header from Callum Cooke’s corner just after the hour to give Pools the lead before Travis Johnson turned into his own net from another Cooke corner 10 minutes from time.

It’s the first time Hartlepool have earned three points on the road since March’s 3-2 success over Newport County as they braved the cold to claim what could be a vital three points as we head towards the January transfer window.

The covers remained on at the Broadfield Stadium until only a few hours before kick-off in West Sussex so as to ensure the fixture had the best possible opportunity to beat the freeze sweeping the nation, but there were more than a few concerned faces when officials and both teams arrived.

Referee Tom Nield and his assistants gave a good survey of the pitch, including both penalty areas, with the freezing temperatures having already forced a number of Saturday’s EFL fixtures to be postponed in advance.

The Hartlepool squad, too, which included a returning Jamie Sterry, took a keen look at the turf, with many of the players testing out the surface amid the sub-zero conditions. But with all parties satisfied, the game was given the green light and Curle made two changes to the side who were humiliated by Stockport County last weekend.

Sterry was not only part of the matchday squad, the former Newcastle United man was handed a place back in the starting line-up as part of a back five, with Reghan Tumilty moving over to left wing-back.

Jack Hamilton also returned to the starting XI to partner Josh Umerah in attack as Curle shuffled his system for the fixture with the Reds. Christopher Missilou and Jake Hastie were the two who missed out, both dropping to the bench which also included the returning Mark Shelton who, like Sterry, had overcome a calf injury to be involved.

It was a bench, however, which included no recognised defensive options with Brody Paterson and Alex Lacey missing, while academy star Louis Stephenson was also not involved and makeshift centre-back Mouhamed Niang still missing with a hamstring problem.

But, perhaps with Curle’s words still ringing in their ears from last week’s defeat against Stockport, Hartlepool started brightly and were able to take the sting out of any potential fast start from a Crawley side looking to build on new manager Matthew Etherington’s first game in charge - a win over Swindon Town last time out.

David Ferguson’s floated free kick caused Crawley trouble with both Menayese and Cooke in the thick of things as Joel Lynch was able to scramble clear with Tumilty closing in.

And Tumilty might have had a penalty moments later when skipping in from the left, riding one challenge, before being bundled over by Tony Craig with the referee unmoved - in fairness it was the first challenge which seemed the more likely to draw a spot kick.

Sterry had his first test defensively when under pressure from Ashley Nadesan and the 27-year-old would suffer an untimely slip to allow Nadesan to pick out Liverpool loanee James Balagizi who fired well off target.

And that would be Nadesan’s final act as Crawley’s top scorer was forced off with injury in the opening quarter of the game. But Crawley’s situation worsened within seconds when former Sunderland defender, and Reds captain, Lynch was also forced off - changing Etherington’s game plan in an instant.

It was something which appeared to work to Hartlepool’s advantage as they began to take control of the game.

Umerah wash able to to turn his man on the right of the penalty area before flashing across the six-yard box before Tumilty produced a wonderful cross on the rise which narrowly missed the advancing Sterry at the back post.

Sterry continued his strong return defensively as he had the measure of Balagizi and substitute Jayden Davis.

And it was Sterry who brought the first save of the game when expertly picking a long diagonal ball from Cooke out of the air to beat Nick Tsaroulla and cut inside towards the edge of the area before striking at goal. Ellery Balcombe fumbled Sterry’s effort but Crawley were able to clear with Hamilton lurking.

It wasn’t until first half stoppage time we saw Crawley really threaten when Tsaroulla’s cross flashed wide of the far post before James Tilley’s strike was deflected just wide of Ben Killip’s post.

The home side were out early, despite the cold, with Etherington likely to be less than impressed by what he saw from his side, but that continued after the break as, again, it was Hartlepool who looked the more likely.

Tumilty closed down Harry Ransom in the area which saw the ball spring into the air as Tumilty then looked to loop a header over the stranded Balcombe but the ball landed agonisingly wide of the far post.

Curle was forced into a change on the hour when Hamilton was unable to shake off an early knock as Joe Grey came on in his place.

But Pools were soon able to take a deserved lead as Menayese met Cooke’s corner from the right to power into the far corner to give a superb away following something to cheer behind the goal.

And where in recent weeks Hartlepool have had plenty to deal with defensively, here Pools were in control and limited Crawley to very little in front of goal before sealing the points when Johnson turned into his own net 10 minutes from time.

Crawley Town XI: Balcombe, Craig, Lynch (Ransom ‘15), Tilley, Powell (Ogunbo ‘67), Nadesan (Davis ‘15), Telford, Balagizi, Johnson, Tsaroulla (Chukwuemeka ‘67), Hessenthaler

Subs: Addai, Wells

Hartlepool United XI: Killip, Sterry, Menayese, Murray, Ferguson, Tumilty, Featherstone ©, Sylla, Cooke (Hastie ‘90), Hamilton (Grey ‘60), Umerah (McDonald ‘77)

Subs: Letheren, Oduor, Shelton, Missilou