Hartlepool United 3-1 Barrow RECAP: Luke Molyneux inspires come-from-behind win for Pools over Barrow
Molyneux scored twice in 12 minutes before January signing Omar Bogle grabbed his first goal for the club to extend the lead at half-time.
Pools had trailed in the game after John Rooney scored a spectacular goal from range early in the first half.
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Hide AdThe former Stockport County man spotted Ben Killip off his line and tried his luck from all of 40 yards and was able to find the top corner as Killip watched on in despair.
It stifled what had been a bright opening from Graeme Lee’s side who started on the front-foot in a change of system.
But Pools weren’t behind long as Molyneux found time and space on the edge of the area from Joe White’s pass and was able to shift the ball onto his left foot before firing low into the bottom corner, beating Paul Farman at his near post.
And the former Sunderland striker was at it again soon after when he once again found himself in that pocket of space over on the right side of the final third.
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Hide AdThis time he skipped inside and curled from 25 yards beyond Farman into the corner in almost a carbon copy of his strike against Charlton Athletic in the EFL Trophy quarter-final.
And a resurgent Pools added to their turnaround just before the break to stun Barrow.
Molyneux was again involved as he collected a reverse pass from Jamie Sterry but looked to have missed the opportunity when driving across the edge of the area looking for an opening himself before both he and Bogle looked to have gotten in each other's way.
But the ball eventually came to Bogle who cleverly shifted the ball onto his left and rolled into the corner through the legs of the defender.
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Hide AdThe second half became about managing the game for Lee and his side and they did so pretty well.
Killip was called into action in the closing stages to deny former Pools man Luke James when diverting his effort onto the bar as Pools ended a seven game winless run on home soil.
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Hartlepool United 3-1 Barrow RECAP: Luke Molyneux scored twice as Omar Bogle grabbed his first Pools goal to seal all three points.
Key Events
- Omar Bogle scores his first goal for Hartlepool to extend the lead
- Luke Molyneux puts Hartlepool in front
- Luke Molyneux fires Hartlepool level
- John Rooney scores from range to give Barrow the lead
- Hartlepool United XI: Killip, Sterry, Byrne ©, Odusina, Ferguson, Morris, Crawford, White, Grey, Molyneux, Bogle
- Subs: Bilokapic, Liddle, Ogle, Holohan, Shelton, Fletcher, Cullen
- Barrow XI: Farman, Brown, Brough, Taylor, Glennon, Wakeling, Hutton, Amadi-Holloway, Canavan, Banks ©, Rooney
- Subs: White, Jones, Gotts, Harris, Williams, James
Thanks for joining us here at the Suit Direct Stadium as Pools got back to winning ways in League Two.
Join us again on Saturday as we head to Crawley Town to see if Graeme Lee’s side can make it back-to-back wins.
Reaction
Graeme Lee has given his initial thoughts on Hartlepool United’s win over Barrow.
“It feels great. I think for me at the end of the game on Saturday, that noise, the atmosphere, the fans, all I could think about was getting the win tonight,” said Lee.
“That’s what it was all about. Just to keep that momentum going, just to keep the fans singing.
“It was massively important to bounce on the back of the performance against Crystal Palace. We had to do it in the league.
“It was all about the three points today and thankfully the first half was excellent.
Crawford does well to work an opening on the edge of the area but his strike takes a deflection and goes out for a corner