Double Dan: Hartlepool United boss praises duo after ex-Chelsea and Middlesbrough stars rescue a point against Sutton United
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Kemp was making his home debut for Hartlepool after joining on loan from MK Dons on transfer deadline day and marked the occasion with his first goal for the club.
Kemp stepped up from 25-yards to curl a delightful free kick into the top corner of Jack Rose’s net in front of the Town End at the Suit Direct Stadium to get Hartlepool back in the game having found themselves 2-0 behind early in the contest.
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Hide AdAnd just minutes later Kemp and his team-mates were celebrating the equaliser as Dodds grabbed his second goal in a week in stunning style as he picked out the top corner himself with a wonderful left-footed strike.
“The free kick from Dan Kemp created momentum. That is quality. The goal from Dan Dodds, that is quality,” said Curle.
“Dan [Kemp] has got ability. Oli Finney has got ability. Connor Jennings has got ability. They’ve got assets in their armoury which potentially we didn’t have in the building before they came.
“I still think Fergie has got a good free kick and delivery in him. Jamie Sterry has a good free kick and delivery in him. We’ve built an armoury now and we’re going to need everything from now until the end of the season because there’s going to be different ways to win games and earn points. Today we gained a point.”
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Hide AdCurle added on Kemp: “Dan was a lad who came on the radar when he was at Leyton Orient. I went to watch him play a couple of times.
“He can go past a player, he lands on the ball and he looks natural in possession. He’s a good ball carrier, with a good set piece delivery and he’s got a habit of opening doors with his left foot.
“He’s one of those players where you give him the ball and he’s difficult to get the ball off. He can wrong foot you and go past you very quickly. He understands the game.”
As well as Kemp, Curle was also keen to praise Dodds once more.
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Hide AdHaving been impressed by his match-winning contribution against Doncaster Rovers recently, Curle was again pleased to highlight the former Middlesbrough man, admitting he is performing exactly how he hoped the 22-year-old would at the Suit Direct Stadium as he looks to progress his career.
“Credit to the lad. He made a decision early in his career at Middlesbrough to go out on loan and he had interest from other football clubs,” said Curle.
“But the conversations I had with him and his representatives, he saw this as a stepping stone and he’s doing exactly what we wanted him to do; come in, flourish, perform, develop.
“Probably a bonus for me is that he’s in a car share with Jamie Sterry who is mentoring him, not only on the field but also off the field, with how to conduct himself.
“He’s a level headed young man who has taken on board a lot of information and he’s enjoying his football and this football club.”