Hartlepool United attacker makes debut after completing loan move to National League South side
Hartlepool United attacker Sam Folarin made his debut for National League South side Chelmsford City on Saturday after signing for the Clarets on loan until January.
The 24-year-old, who found himself out of favour at Pools under new manager Simon Grayson, came on as an 81st minute substitute, replacing former Wimbledon, Charlton and Nottingham Forest frontman Lyle Taylor, as the Clarets ended a run of back-to-back defeats by beating Bath City 1-0.
Folarin signed for Pools in January as then-manager Lennie Lawrence looked to add some pace and creativity to his ranks following injuries to influential attackers Joe Grey and Anthony Mancini. Having come through the ranks at Middlesbrough, Folarin spent time on loan at Queen of the South before sealing a permanent move to Harrogate. The attacker made 87 appearances for the Sulphurites, scoring 15 goals and finding the net against Pools following a lung-busting run on New Year's Day 2023. However, he fell out of favour towards the end of his time in North Yorkshire before signing for Pools for an undisclosed fee.
Blessed with awe-inspiring pace, there was real hope among Pools fans that Folarin would prove to be a shrewd bit of business after sealing a permanent move to Victoria Park. So far at least, however, it's been tough going for the attacker, who can operate through the middle or out on the flank. While his pace is without doubt a huge asset, his lack of composure in the final third meant he failed to make much of an impact in the second half of last season, scoring once in 16 appearances. Indeed, despite heading home an added time winner against Ebbsfleet, which Pools fans hoped might prove to be the spark needed to ignite the attacker's time in the North East, Folarin has made just two starts in the nine months since he signed for the club. The forward showed one or two flashes of what he can do in pre-season but appears to have failed to convince manager Simon Grayson, making three substitute appearances in the opening weeks of the campaign before dropping out of the squad following the signing of experienced frontman Vadaine Oliver earlier this month.