Hartlepool United 1-2 Colchester United: Pools fall to damaging late defeat

Jamie Sterry looked as though he had rescued a point for Hartlepool when scoring seven minutes from time before he would then, unfortunately, turn into his own net to hand Colchester the initiative once more to seal a crucial three points at the bottom of League Two.

Sterry had levelled after Fiarce Kelleher’s opener inside five minutes as Pools fans were left venting their frustrations at the club’s chairman at the final whistle.

Keith Curle was bold in handing new loan signing Tayt Trusty a first start for the club after the youngster completed a move from Championship side Blackpool for the rest of the season.

The 19-year-old was preferred in midfield to Mohamad Sylla as he partnered Matt Dolan and Nicky Featherstone to, perhaps, provide a source of energy in that area of the field that Curle has suggested has been lacking of late.

Sterry also made an expected return to the starting line-up after he was on the bench in the midweek defeat at Carlisle United. Sterry formed part of the same back five who secured a 2-0 win over Rochdale seven days ago but it would be a back five that would be disrupted in the first half with an injury to Peter Hartley - striker Jack Hamiton also going off early in the first half.

And it was early in which Hartlepool fell behind as Colchester took the lead through Kelleher, with Curle’s side having had a warning in the opening minute.

Hartley and Ben Killip displayed a lack of communication as a ball was then shanked clear to Samson Tovide who saw his cross bounce through to Junior Tchamadeu who was off target before the U’s struck from a set piece four minutes later.

Arthur Read delivered a free kick into the box from midway inside the Hartlepool half where both Tovide and Kelleher were able to find themselves free almost inside the six-yard box. And although there were suspicions as to whether there was a handball in the build-up, Kelleher was able to power beyond Killip from close range.

Hartlepool were flat and it took some good hassling from Trusty before we saw anything of note as he won a free kick which would eventually land at Sterry’s feet with his cross being cleared ahead of Edon Pruti.

Colchester should have doubled their lead when Tovide’s free kick was met by Connor Hall at the back post who had Killip flying to his right to keep out with the linesman’s flag coming to Hartlepool’s rescue ahead of the rebound.

In the scramble to clear Hall’s header, Hamilton found himself stricken as he was taken off in place of Mikael Ndjoli who was making his first appearance since the end of October.

His introduction did bring about a slight improvement from Hartlepool as Sterry and Featherstone linked well on the right with the full-back just unable to get on the end of the captain’s low reverse ball.

Pools then fashioned their best moment of the half as Dolan, Trusty and David Ferguson were all involved with some positive play in searching for a more forward-thinking, creative, pass.

Eventually it was Dolan who clipped a clever ball into Josh Umerah who took it well on his chest to roll Luke Chambers and fire low, left-footed at Kieran O’Hara who saved well.

Curle was then forced into his second change as Hartley was unable to continue having tried to do so as Sylla came on with Dolan dropping back into defence.

U’s new signing Tom Hopper saw his first sight of goal when steering Tchamadeu’s cross at goal with Killip level to it before the Pool’s goalkeeper had to be alert to deny Tovide on the stroke of half-time when breaking clear from a threatening Hartlepool corner.

Curle sent his team out early for the second half having been met with a disgruntled home crowd at the half-time whistle and they did show some signs of improvement with Ferguson, in particular, more adventurous on the left - his cross almost turned in by a combination of Trusty and Umerah at the near post.

Dodds and Umerah both fired off target as Pools searched for a route back into things before Umerah then forced O’Hara into another good stop.

Dodds went searching along the edge of the box before slipping a ball into Umerah who rolled his man once again and looked for the far corner only to be denied.

Pools saw plenty of possession in the second half and got themselves into some decent areas but were lacking that final ball before referee Simon Mather gave them a let off when not awarding a penalty against Pruti for a foul on Hopper after a short back pass invited the forward to chase.

But the real drama was saved for the final 10 minutes with Pools first thinking they’d equalised through Ndjoli.

Sylla did well to beat two men to advance into the area and tee up Ndjoli who looked destined to find the corner but for a super save from O’Hara.

Colchester were unable to clear the resulting corner, however, as Pools kept on the pressure with Jake Hastie cutting in from the left and seeing his strike deflect into the path of Sterry.

The full-back, with his back to goal, turned and rolled the ball through the legs of the defender to find the far corner and level the scores.

But where Hartlepool were looking to kick-on and use the ascendancy, it was Colchester who were able to come away with a huge three points two minutes from time.

John Akinde did well on the right to get a ball into the area where Matt Jay was brought a double save from Killip, with the rebound then hitting Sterry who saw the ball roll agonisingly over the line with Alex Newby also on hand to make sure.

The full-time whistle was met with boos as well as a small portion of the crowd venting their frustrations at chairman Raj Singh with the onus now very much on the club’s board to ensure the next few days in the transfer window can offer some hope to what is otherwise looking like a desperate season for Hartlepool.

Hartlepool United XI: Killip, Sterry, Dodds, Hartley (Sylla ‘36), Pruti, Ferguson, Featherstone ©, Dolan (McDonald ‘75), Trusty (Hastie ‘75), Hamilton (Ndjoli ‘22), Umerah

Subs: Stolarczyk, Murray, Niang, Sylla, McDonald, Hastie, Ndjoli

Colchester United XI: O’Hara, Chambers ©, Skuse, Chilvers (Akinde ‘64), Kelleher, Read (Newby ‘84), Tchamadeu, Wood, Hopper, Hall, Tovide (Jay ‘54)

Subs: Hornby, Greenidge, Ashley, Newby, Jay, Akinde, Fevrier