Hartlepool United in 2020: A year in review

Even at the best of times, things are far from straight forward at Victoria Park – but the past 12-months have proven particularly testing on and off the field.

Promising start

Pools started 2020 sitting 16th in the National League table with new manager Dave Challinor still finding his feet in the north east.

And after a 4-1 defeat at Oxford United in the third round of the FA Cup, Hartlepool saw their fortunes turn.

Challinor highlighted problem areas and was allowed to strengthen his squad with the return of fan favourite Gary Liddle on loan along with Timi Odusina, Mark Shelton and Macauley Southam-Hales.

From that point, the side started developing a clear identity as a fit, hard-working side playing with a high-pressing 4-3-3 set-up. Results followed as Pools became one of the in form sides in the league and moved into play-off contention.

Four straight home wins between January and February got that feel good factor back in the stands at Victoria Park.

Challinor was building something, the players believed in it, and so did the fans. But 2020 had other plans.

Shutdown

Pools were within touching distance of the play-off places with momentum behind them following a 1-0 win at Solihull Moors at the start of March. Aidan Keena’s late winner at Damson Park is up there with one of Pools’ best moments of 2020.

In typical Pools’ fashion, the club would experience one of their low points of the year that following weekend. The final match Pools fans were able to attend at Victoria Park in 2020 left an incredibly bitter taste as the side were beaten 1-0 by relegation threatened Ebbsfleet United.

Challinor was shown a straight red card in the aftermath and unfounded allegations of racist abuse were thrown about in what proved to be a particularly unsavoury afternoon.

It would prove to be the least of Pools’ problems as the lingering threat of coronavirus was starting to come to the fore and the National League season was thrown into uncertainty.

The fifth tier inexplicably fought on for another game week with Pools drawing 1-1 at Sutton United before the 2019-20 season finally succumbed to the pandemic.

Pools finished 12th based on a points per game format, the club’s first top half finish in any division in 13-years.

By Pools’ incredibly low standards, it was a positive season with plenty of encouraging signs going into the new campaign, whenever it would start.

In the dark

April to September saw most National League clubs enter a footballess void as attention turned to off the field matters.

With Pools facing another year in the fifth tier, budgets were going to be cut pandemic or not. But they became particularly ruthless with several redundancies behind the scenes reducing the backroom staff to the bare bones.

Raj Singh’s significantly reduced investment was geared firmly towards keeping the club afloat and Challinor’s playing budget as the Pools boss looked to assemble a competitive squad for the new season.

Liddle, Odusina and Shelton returned on permanent deals while key players such as Gavan Holohan and Nicky Featherstone signed new contracts to give Pools a solid core to work with ahead of the October 3 restart.

Back in action

Pools’ new look squad enjoyed a perfect start to the season with three straight wins sending them top of the National League table for the first time since their relegation in 2017.

A 6-0 FA Cup win at Ilkeston Town also proved to be a record breaking outing as the club’s biggest win in the competition as well as 17-year-old Joe Grey becoming the side’s youngest ever FA Cup goalscorer.

But things started to take a bit of a downward turn from there as the side went on to win just one of their next eight league games as they dropped into the bottom half of the table with a 5-0 defeat at home to Torquay United proving to be a particularly low point.

Questions were starting to be asked regarding the manager and his players as Pools stared down the barrel of another year struggling in non-league purgatory.

End on a high

By the start of December, Pools’ strikers had just one league goal between them. It was a serious issue that needed addressing.

And it was a case of better late than never as Pools were able to push the boat out and secure a proven goalscorer in Luke Armstrong on loan from Salford City.

The 24-year-old made an immediate impact with a match-winning brace on his debut. With flowing blonde locks and poachers instincts, you’d be forgiven for thinking it was the second coming of Joe Allon at Victoria Park.

Pools are still a work in progress but in Armstrong they finally have a persistent threat up front to build the team around.

But a 3-0 defeat at Woking and being knocked out of the FA Trophy at Halifax Town meant it was back to the drawing board for Challinor.

Pools switched to a 3-5-2 formation with Armstrong partnering Rhys Oates up front in what proved to be an inspired tactical reshuffle.

The side ended 2020 with three straight wins against play-off rivals in the space of six days, taking them from 13th to second in the league table.

Those six days may end up papering over some cracks, but on paper it means 2020 is one of Pools’ best years in some time.

That may not be saying much but it’s the highest position Pools have ended a calendar year in since 2002 and means only high-flying Torquay United have picked up more National League points in 2020 than Hartlepool. 46 points from 28 games is a solid return.

And looking at the table, it’s hard not to feel a sense of hope and optimism heading into 2021 – hopefully it’s not short lived.

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