Gateshead 0-1 Hartlepool United: Pools end winless run and banish bad memories against rivals
Hartlepool United end winless run against rivals Gateshead
Hartlepool United ended a run of six games without a win after beating rivals Gateshead 1-0 on Tuesday night.
The Gateshead International Stadium has been a notoriously unhappy hunting ground for Pools but Simon Grayson's side produced a much-improved performance to win at the GIS for the first time in almost 70 years.
Pools created a whole host of chances but the fans who made the short trip to support their side must have been getting that familiar sinking feeling when a string of fine saves from goalkeeper Tiernan Brooks, the woodwork and some heroic last ditch defending denied the visitors. It took an increasingly dominant Pools until the 74th minute to score the winner when Besart Topallaj beat Brooks with a low effort from range, ending a run of 410 minutes without a goal.
The Heed had chances of their own but in the end Pools, who had to survive a late spell of pressure, were good value for a much-needed three points.
Pools, who were looking to banish some bad memories having conceded 11 goals on their last two visits to the Gateshead International Stadium, made two changes in a bid to end their miserable recent run. Jay Benn, who started on the bench as Pools were beaten by Aldershot on Saturday, returned to the side in place of skipper Tom Parkes, who was forced off at half time in Hampshire.
Jermaine Francis, who came on at the break at the Recreation Ground before limping off late on, had recovered in time to take his place in the XI. Jamie Miley dropped to the bench and was joined by former Heed attacker Adam Campbell, who featured in the matchday squad for the first time since August 25. Pools hadn't beaten Gateshead away from home in a competitive game since 1958 and had lost the last two meetings by an aggregate score of 11-4.
There were a number of familiar names in the Gateshead line-up, meanwhile, with former Pools full-back David Ferguson, who made 236 appearances at Victoria Park before departing over the summer, and Kenton Richardson, who came through the ranks at the club, both named in the home side's back line. Hartlepool-born attacker Harry Chapman, who was linked with a move to Pools over the summer, lined up in attack in support of in-form frontman Kain Adom, who came into the game with six goals in his last 10 appearances. Pools manager Simon Grayson's son, Joe, started in the heart of the Heed defence; Simon told the Non-League Paper in the week that he'd warned Joe to expect a tough evening and said he wouldn't get a touch when father faced off against son.
Pools fashioned the first chance of the game after nine minutes when Nathan Sheron won possession back from Curtis Edwards on the edge of the Heed box and Alex Reid, looking to end a run of six games without a goal, forced a decent save from Tiernan Brooks, who had endured a challenging start to the campaign, at his near post.
The hosts responded and went close a minute later when Kyle Hurst's strike from the edge of the box was deflected just wide of Harvey Cartwright's post following good work between Connor Pani and Kain Adom. Gateshead were seeing the lion's share of the ball but Pools looked threatening when they ventured forward and Luke Charman, enjoying a run in the side, had the home side scrambling with a threatening cross after 17 minutes. Harry Chapman, perhaps determined to prove a point after being passed over by Pools in the summer, was causing the visitors a few problems in the opening stages and he made a determined forward run in the 19th minute before teeing up Kain Adom, who fired wide from 18 yards.
Luke Charman, once again looking likely, was fizzing about all across the front line and came close to an opener after 22 minutes when he turned well before firing a low shot just wide of the far post. Gateshead were playing some decent stuff with the ball but the home side looked very open at the back and Matty Daly, still waiting for his first goal since sealing a summer return to Victoria Park, flashed an effort wide after finding space on the edge of the box in the 25th minute.
At the other end, Kain Adom blazed an effort across the face of goal after a good forward ball from Curtis Edwards. The hosts went close again after 36 minutes following impressive work from goalkeeper Tiernan Brooks, who did well to claim Jay Benn's driven cross before picking out Kain Adom with a superb forward ball. Adom used his powerful frame to turn Cameron John but Pools recovered, narrowed the angle and the frontman's shot was wide.
Even so, the Heed looked to have their tails up and the influential Jacob Butterfield, making his first start since November 2024 after recovering from an anterior cruciate ligament injury, had Harvey Cartwright scrambling with a powerful effort from distance. Pools were playing some decent stuff themselves and the visitors forced a sharp save from Tiernan Brooks six minutes before the break when Matty Daly glanced an effort goalwards following a fluid move down the right flank. Pools, probably slightly the better side in the first half, were getting closer and Alex Reid went within a whisker of ending his recent barren run when his low shot went agonisingly wide after 42 minutes.
The visitors were banging on the door before the break and Joe Grayson, with his father watching on in the opposition dugout, breathed a sigh of relief when his attempted clearance cannoned into the face of Tiernan Brooks and clear of danger after Jermaine Francis worked some space on the right flank.
Pools started the second half well and had the ball in the net 10 minutes after the restart but Alex Reid's strike was ruled out after the frontman came back from an offside position. Moments later, Luke Charman stung the palms of Tiernan Brooks with an ambitious effort from range as the visitors continued to press for an opener. It was turning into an end-to-end contest and Gateshead forced a regulation save from Harvey Cartwright after 57 minutes when Kyle Hurst drilled a low strike straight at the Hull loanee.
From there, it was the home side's turn for a spell of pressure and the powerful Kain Adom, who had kept the Pools back line occupied with his determined forward runs, curled an effort wide from a promising position; the frontman might have done better, but lost his balance at the crucial moment. Pools boss Simon Grayson introduced Jamie Miley 25 minutes from time and the visitors went close again when Jermaine Francis forced a fine save from Tiernan Brooks, who was having an excellent game in-between the sticks for the Heed. Pools were beginning to turn up the heat and somehow failed to open the scoring in the 73rd minute when Cameron John's effort rebounded off the crossbar before Joe Grayson cleared Alex Reid's close range effort off the line, a remarkable bit of defending.
The visitors weren't to be denied for much longer and went ahead after 74 minutes when Besart Topallaj's low strike went through a crowd of bodies and into the bottom corner, ending a run of three games without a goal for Pools.
It was the Kosovan defender's first Pools goal. Tiernan Brooks, for all his heroics, must have been disappointed not to have kept his effort out. Pools had to survive some late Gateshead pressure and Harvey Cartwright, somewhat unconvincingly, got down to palm a low cross away from the waiting Frank Nouble, who was introduced from the bench in the closing stages. Cartwright had to be at his best to make a fine save from Kain Adom in the fifth minute of six added, getting down low to get his body behind the powerful effort after good work from Nouble in the build-up.
Pools (4-2-3-1): Cartwright; Benn, Kouogun, John, Topallaj; Walker (sub, Miley, 65), Sheron; Charman (sub, Charman, 76), Daly, Francis (sub, Ferguson, 90); Reid (sub, Oliver, 76)