Hartlepool United manager Dave Challinor reveals the choice players were given ahead of Sutton United match amid coronavirus suspensions

The game at Gander Green Lane went ahead as planned as Gavan Holohan cancelled out Isaac Olaofe’s early opener as the match ended 1-1.

But with other National League matches being postponed and many leagues across Europe being suspended due to the coronavirus outbreak, the Pools players were given a choice ahead of the match.

“We spoke to the players on Friday night and gave them the opportunity where if they didn’t feel comfortable in playing then they could come and tell us,” said Hartlepool manager Dave Challinor.

“It’s hard because as much as you have to manage the situation, there will be people in there who have an opinion that the game shouldn’t be played, some will have an opinion that it should be played and then there will be some who haven’t got an opinion and don’t care either way.

“There have been individual cases where clubs have had people who have had symptoms or issues so on an individual basis you have to cancel things but that wasn’t the case for us.

“You need to be led by what people are saying and there is that much speculation and that much rumour but we’ve just come and done what we were told to do and played a game of football.

“What we’d been told by the National League was that unless the government stepped in and said that all sporting events would be cancelled, as has happened in other countries, then they’d do everything they could to play.

“That then becomes a little bit tougher when the Premier League and Football League cancel all their games.

“Then all of a sudden, people are cancelling games everywhere in every league and the National League has stuck to their guns.

“There are bigger issues further down the line but it’s been a strange 48-hours.

“I’m sure the next weeks will be very strange as well in terms of how things pan out.

“Everyone is in the dark in terms of what happens next – we’ll just have to wait and see.”