Hartlepool United manager Dave Challinor assesses potential attacking issues despite side sitting top of the National League

Pools have scored eight goals in their opening four National League games though none of them have been notched by a recognised striker or forward player.

Midfielder Gavan Holohan and defender Ryan Johnson each have two goals so far while winger Claudio Ofosu and Nicky Featherstone have also found the net in the opening matches. The side have also twice benefitted from own goals being scored by their opponents.

Challinor’s side currently sit top of the table with 10 points from their opening four matches. The impressive start has perhaps clouded over a potential problem in attack for Pools.

Mason Bloomfield, Rhys Oates, Joe Grey, David Parkhouse and Ryan Donaldson have all been deployed in attacking areas so far this season yet none of them have registered a shot on target.

"We have to improve, there will be question marks about all of our forward players and their goalscoring records,” Challinor admitted.

“What we’ve said is you’ve just got to get into those areas because they’re good players. There may be a little bit of a fear factor if you like but there’s no reason why any of them can’t score 10 to 15 goals from a wide area or from the middle, especially with the delivery we’ve got.

"You’ve just got to look at what Gav did in terms of getting into the box and getting himself in the right areas, if you keep doing it then you’ll get the goals.”

Mason Bloomfield, Rhys Oates, Joe Grey, David Parkhouse and Ryan Donaldson have all been deployed in attacking areas so far this season yet none of them have registered a shot on target across the opening four matches.

But as long as Pools continue creating chances through the likes of David Ferguson, who has attempted more crosses than any other player in the National League so far this season, Challinor isn’t overly concerned.

“David Ferguson, from a forward’s perspective, is an absolute dream because you know he’s going to put the balls in there and teams will try and stop us,” he added.

“If he can reproduce the type of service he showed on Tuesday night then we’ll get goals, that’s for sure.

“I can be critical and point fingers in terms of missing chances but you miss chances and if people didn’t, without being disrespectful, they wouldn’t be at Hartlepool United.

“With creating chances comes expectation and pressure and the lads up the top end of the pitch need to be scoring goals.

“When you’ve got Fergie putting in the balls he is, you’ve got to gamble. In terms of Oatesy, Mols and Ryan and Joe and Mason, who will have question marks over their scoring, they have to get into the area and they’ll be fine.

"They’re good players with good ability so when good balls are coming in then hopefully they’ll put them away and that will be the case on Saturday against Barnet.”

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