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
Injury latest heading into today’s match
Tyler Burey is sidelined for 12 weeks but elsewhere in the squad, Pools are having to contend with some injury issues.
“We’re touch and go on a few but none who are long term,” Challinor said. “We’ll make decisions on a few, some have missed training through illness and have had Covid tests and hopefully they’re all negative.
“Even with in that, you make a decision regarding a player who has missed a couple days training and is feeling a little bit ill.
“Gav is more just a muscle injury, a fatigue, a tightening but it’s nothing serious. We’ll decide whether it’s worth the risk and whether he could potentially do more damage, we’re not going to put him in that position.”
Dave Challinor set to sign a new contract in the coming days
“We’re really close,” Challinor said. “As with any contract, especially a management contract it is a detailed contract and scrawling through 50 pages of a contract and everything being right takes time.
“In the main, we’re there and hopefully we’ll have some good news over the coming days, it certainly won’t be weeks.”
55-minute applause at The Vic
There will be a round of applause on the 55th minute to honour the memory of lifelong Hartlepool United fan Graham Dobson who sadly passed away recently.
Both sets of supporters at Victoria Park this afternoon are encouraged to take part.
Rest in peace Graham.
Good morning! IT’S MATCHDAY!
Welcome back to our Pools live blog ahead of today’s big game at Victoria Park.
Pools host newly relegated Bristol Rovers in League Two this afternoon (3pm kick-off).
Dave Challinor’s side have won 17 of their last 19 league matches at Victoria Park. Over the same period, Bristol Rovers haven’t won a single game away from home.
Sorry guys, someone had to say it.
Hopefully the form guide proves to be an accurate indicator this time out, though when Pools are involved that isn’t always the case.
We’ll be bringing you all the team news, build up and match updates throughout the afternoon right here in our Hartlepool Mail matchday live blog.
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