A Hartlepool United XI began pre-season in earnest with an emphatic 8-1 win over Northern League Division Two side FC Hartlepool in front of a record crowd at Grayfields.

The game, which was moved forward to a one o'clock kick-off to avoid clashing with the European Championships, might have lacked any of the nail-biting tension of England's quarter-final clash but it did provide Pools boss Darren Sarll the chance to check out a host of trialists.

Sarll watched from the sidelines while academy manager Ian McGuckin, with support from player-coach Nicky Featherstone, took charge of the side, which comprised a host of trialists as well as a number of players from the youth ranks.

For the home side, meanwhile, it was a memorable occasion despite the result.

There were no first team players on show as Pools fielded a squad consisting of trialists and players from the youth ranks.

placeholder image — There were no first team players on show as Pools fielded a squad consisting of trialists and players from the youth ranks.

With a record crowd of 1,498 packing into the ground, Premier League referee Tony Harrington officiating and a former Football League club in the opposition dressing room, FC Hartlepool gave a good account of themselves, especially in the first half, while the club proved itself to be welcoming, engaging and family friendly.

The home side acquitted themselves well during a fairly even opening 25 minutes, wth chances few and far between, but United took the lead after some fast feet unlocked the FC defence and a dragged shot across goal fell straight into the path of the Pools number nine, one of the afternoon's outstanding performers, to score the opener from close range.

Pools added a second in the 32nd minute after one of the lively wingers latched onto a flick on from the towering frontman and lashed an effort across goal and into the bottom corner.

Even so, a spirited FC continued to probe and forced a couple of sharp stops out of United's trialist goalkeeper, who certainly impressed supporters with his imposing size and stature, while the excellent Lewis Green, who began his career in the Pools academy, provided a threat all afternoon.

The hosts deservedly pulled one back just after the restart when Green, who was effective at drifting into pockets of space, curled an effort from the edge of the box into the bottom corner to halve the deficit; it was a smart finish from the relentless Green, although the Pools goalkeeper might well have felt he was a little slow in getting down to his effort.

The second half was, generally, a far more disjointed affair as a succession of substitutes disrupted a back and forth contest - probably a necessary evil in pre-season.

The changes, in the end, swung the balance decisively in favour of Pools, who added six second half goals, including a second for the threatening number nine and a quickfire hat-trick for one of the Pools substitutes, number 15, including a superb solo effort.

Even so, FC deserved huge credit for their performance with goalkeeper George Briggs making a string of fine saves, skipper Dean Cope impressing at the back and substitute Alex Hutchinson making an impression from the bench.

After the game, academy manager Ian McGuckin hailed a "fantastic" occasion for the town and suggested he'd like to see the pre-season clash between the two near neighbours become an annual event.

"It's fantastic for the town," he said.

"These relationships should only grow and develop from strength to strength.

"This should maybe be an annual thing where it can help with fundraising for FC while also providing good opposition for our side."