Ten-man Hartlepool United battle back superbly to beat Hornchurch

In the wake of Hartlepool United’s sobering FA Cup defeat at the hands of Marine last weekend, Pete Wild spoke of “home truths” and a “harsh reality”. If Saturday’s 2-1 comeback win with Hornchurch is anything to go by, his squad might just be starting to take his words to heart for the better.

A grey and sodden afternoon at Victoria Park provided the backdrop to a battling display in which Angelo Balanta’s second-half tap-in was cancelled out by a Ryan Inniss own goal equaliser shortly after Neo Eccleston saw red for a third time this season. But despite their numerical disadvantage, the hosts kicked on again in style courtesy of a sublime Luke Charman strike to earn a vital three points.

It would take until the 11th minute for the first notable attempt of the contest, with a promising break from Jordan Hugill and Will Harris eventually falling into the path of Max Clark, whose driven effort from distance was beaten away comfortably by visiting goalkeeper Arthur Nasta.

As the half wore on, however, clear-cut chances remained at a premium, and aside from a sustained period of pressure from the home side that resulted in a Reiss McNally header on target from a Jamie Miley corner, Pools struggled to create much of note, despite their endeavour.

The half-hour mark brought with it a new intensity to both the downpour punishing The Vic, and the hosts’ efforts to turn the screw on their visitors - Cole Deeming dragging a shot wide from distance, and a series of set-pieces in encouraging positions coming and going - but still Nasta in the Hornchurch goal remained untroubled, even as Harris turned a volley goalwards following fine work from Nathan Sherron.

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After the interval, with the wind at their backs, Hornchurch came out swinging, and took an immediate lead. Max Merrick failed to read the flight of a deep corner, and Balanta was on hand to tap in at the back stick.

Undeterred, Pools might swiftly have restored parity, but for Harris to inexplicably hit the post from point blank range after neat and incisive interplay from Eccleston and Hugill. The striker then had the ball in the back of the net shortly after, only for the strike to be ruled out for handball.

Things looked to heading from bad to worse for Pools in the 67th minute when Eccleston was dismissed for a second bookable offence after a clumsy challenge, but against all expectations, the ten-man hosts would equalise just minutes later when Inniss met a Nathan Sheron cross, inadvertently diverting into his own bottom corner and bringing the home side level.

Sheron would be involved again not long after, grafting admirably to lay the ball into the path of substitute Charman, whose composed, curling shot found the top corner emphatically to give his side an improbable lead.

As the contest entered its final, fraught stretch, Pools defended valiantly, and might even have extended their lead further when Sheron flashed a strike wide of the upright, but ultimately a one-goal advantage was enough to seal a memorable and well-deserved victory.

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