Hartlepool United 0-5 Stockport County: Sorry Pools suffer heavy defeat at hands of ex-manager Dave Challinor to remain bottom

Having produced their performance of the season seven days ago, Hartlepool once again showed why they are in a huge battle to preserve their Football League status - a status afforded to them by the man in the visiting dugout.

Kyle Wootton scored twice in the space of four minutes in the first half to give Stockport a commanding lead, with Keith Curle’s side looking flat throughout, before Paddy Madden and substitute Callum Camps added to the scoreline after the break.

Will Collar put the finishing touches on the scores in the closing stages as it was Challinor left smiling on his return to the club on a day Raj Singh appointed Curle as the permanent manager.

There were a number of subplots surrounding Hartlepool’s meeting with Stockport, none more so than the return of former boss Challinor.

And while the earlier news of Curle’s permanent deal as manager at Hartlepool was also unveiled, the Challinor exchanges between the two sets of supporters ahead of kick-off suggested there was an added incentive to this fixture.

Challinor spent what would become two memorable years at the Suit Direct Stadium as he got the club back into the Football League but it’s his current side Stockport who look the more likely to be here in the 2023-24 campaign as the Hatters, and Challinor, eased to a comfortable afternoon in the North East.

For the third week in a row Hartlepool had a significant announcement to make ahead of kick-off.

After recent on the day confirmations of players Chris Missilou and Alex Cairns, it was the turn of boss Curle who agreed a permanent deal with the club to remove the interim tag.

Curle arrived on an interim basis in September following Paul Hartley’s winless start to the season and had taken eight points in his 10 league games in charge before the visit of Stockport with chairman Singh deciding now is the time to move to tie Curle down for the next 18-months.

Curle’s first taste as permanent manager was boosted with the injury returns of goalkeeper Ben Killip and defender Euan Murray to the starting line-up.

Killip missed the FA Cup win over Harrogate which led to the emergency loan deal of Fleetwood Town stopper Cairns while Murray missed out with a back problem.

Both started against Stockport as David Ferguson was able to return to a more natural full-back position. Missilou, Callum Cooke and a rejuvenated Jake Hastie once again supported Josh Umerah in attack.

But despite the conflicting emotions surrounding Challinor’s return, it was the former Pools boss who was out of his seat celebrating - something he did so often on this ground during his spell with the club, when Wootton broke the deadlock after a muted opening 15 minutes.

After Myles Hippolyte wasted a golden opportunity in the opening exchanges when Rollin Menayese was caught in possession, Wootton was not about to do the same when latching onto a short header back from Reghan Tumilty.

Wootton was there ahead of Killip to coolly lift over the on-rushing goalkeeper to demonstrate why Challinor was so keen to bring the 26-year-old to Edgeley Park in the summer having scored 21 times for Notts County last season.

And Wootton added his fifth goal in County colours four minutes later after meeting Collar’s low cross from the right.

Collar met a direct ball into the right-hand channel and got the better of Murray before sliding across the face of goal to Wootton who could hardly miss.

It completely deflated the Suit Direct Stadium both on and off the pitch - with even the odd anti-Challinor chants fizzling out, similar to what were rare Hartlepool attacks.

Curle’s side fired one or two efforts well off target before Hastie found Cooke in the area with an excellent through ball and when his cross was blocked, Hastie picked up the pieces to find Missilou who headed well wide ahead of Umerah.

But it was Hastie who would have the moment of the half for Hartlepool when beating the offside trap to meet a defence-splitting ball from Cooke. Hastie cut back to beat the sliding Akil Wright and had the goal at his mercy only to get things all wrong when slicing wide from 12-yards.

Curle brought on Jack Hamilton for Missilou at the break but to little avail as Hartlepool continued to look sluggish.

Instead, Stockport sensed an opportunity to boost their goal difference, which they did.

Menayese was caught in possession by Wootton who crossed for Madden who unselfishly picked out Hippolyte from six-yards only to turn wide.

Madden himself steered narrowly wide before he did add a third when heading in simply from Ryan Rydel’s corner on the right.

And it was another double inside four minutes for Stockport as substitute Camps added a fourth when Menayese’s clearance from the right cannoned off his own man to fall kindly in the area for him to poke beyond Killip.

Pools did not land a glove on Stockport all afternoon as the visitors controlled the second half throughout before capping their performance with a fifth through Will Collar.

The midfielder picked up the ball midway inside the Pools half and was allowed to drive into the area before firing across Killip into the bottom corner.

The full-time whistle was met by resounding boos from those left inside the Suit Direct Stadium, as Challinor almost apologetically applauded the Hartlepool fans.

Hartlepool United XI: Killip, Tumilty, Menayese, Murray, Ferguson, Featherstone ©, Sylla (McDonald ‘70), Cooke, Missilou (Hamilton ‘45), Hastie (Grey ‘70), Umerah

Subs: Letheren, Paterson, Oduor, Ndjoli

Stockport County XI: Hinchliffe, Southam-Hales, Wright (Brown ‘83), Horsfall, Collar, Johnson, Rydel, Croasdale (McDonald ‘72), Wootton, Hippolyte (Camps ‘65), Madden ©, (Crankshaw ‘72)

Subs: Jones, Evans, Lewis

Referee: Ben Toner