Hartlepool United 0-0 Bristol Rovers LIVE: Team news, build-up and match updates from Victoria Park
and live on Freeview channel 276
Pools will be looking to continue their perfect start to the League Two season on home turf against a side who haven’t won a game on the road in 2021.
Dave Challinor’s side are without top scorer Tyler Burey after the Millwall loanee tore his hamstring during last weekend’s 1-0 defeat at Tranmere Rovers. The 20-year-old is now facing 12 weeks on the sidelines.
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Hide AdGavan Holohan – who has scored the winning goal in two of Pools’ three victories at The Vic so far this season – is also a doubt with a muscle injury.
Pools sit seventh in the table going into the game while Rovers find themselves in 16th having won two of their opening six games since dropping into the fourth tier.
But without their top two scorers, they will be turning to someone else to step up and provide the goals this afternoon.
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FULL-TIME: Hartlepool United 1 (Sterry 70’) Bristol Rovers 0
Key Events
- Pools XI: Killip; Molyneux (Smith 87), Francis-Angol, Liddle, Byrne, Sterry; Featherstone, Shelton, Daly; Olomola (Grey 83), Goodwin (Ogle 75)
- Pools subs: Cullen, Mitchell, Odusina, Jones
- Pools bookings: Byrne (11), Sterry (88)
- Bristol Rovers XI: Belsahw; Grant, Finley, Hughes, Clarke (Pitman 41), Anderton, Taylor Anderson, Evans, Saunders (Brown 73), Whelan
- Bristol Rovers subs: Ward, Coutts, Kilgour, Spence, Collins
- Bristol Rovers bookings: Finley (87)
- Referee: Rebecca Welch
- Attendance: 5,193
41: First change of the afternoon - Leon Clarke is replaced by Brett Pitman
The Bristol Rovers man went down injured shortly before leaving the field.
25: CHANCE!
The ball falls nicely to Mark Shelton on the edge of the area and the Pools midfielder’s half-volleyed effort is parried awkwardly by Rovers goalkeeper James Belshaw.
8: Harvey Saunders smashes the ball into the sound netting
The former Pools loan striker’s first opportunity of the afternoon sees him shoot just wide of the left post.