Hartlepool United 1 Crawley Town 0: Story of the day as Pools start with a win thanks to Gavan Holohan 89th minute winner
and live on Freeview channel 276
After four years in the National League, Pools are finally back in League Two action following their dramatic play-off promotion earlier this summer.
It’s been a frantic turnaround for Dave Challinor’s side since June 20 with nine new arrivals coming in. A disjointed pre-season is now in the past for Pools as they can look forward to what will hopefully be a positive season back in the EFL.
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Hide AdVictoria Park will be full for the first time since March 2020 for Pools’ return after the coronavirus pandemic caused almost the entirety of the 2020-21 campaign to be played behind closed doors.
Today’s opponents Crawley Town finished 12th in League Two last season but Pools head into the game with a virtually fully-fit squad of players to choose from.
Holohan popped up in the 89th minute with the winner, recap the action below.
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LIVE: Hartlepool United 1 Crawley Town 0
Key Events
- Hartlepool United mark their return to EFL action against Crawley Town at Victoria Park this afternoon.
- It’s been over four years since Pools’ last League Two match.
- Pools doubts: Mark Cullen (hamstring)
- Pools outs: Joe Grey (back), Tom Crawford (illness)
- Pools: Killip, Sterry, Ferguson, Liddle, Odusina, Bryne, Shelton, Featherstone (C), Holohan, Molyneux, Olomola. Pools subs: Mitchell, Smith, Ogle, Daly, Francis-Angol, Cullen.
- Crawley: Morris, Davies, Gallacher, Craig (C), Powell, Nadesan, Frost, Tunnicliffe, Matthews, Payne, Hessenthaler. Crawley subs: Tilley, Francillette, Ferry, Ashford, Khaleel, Nria Noukey, Dallison.
Injury latest from Pools
“There’s only Joe Grey really,” Challinor said. “Obviously Joe has come back and we’re still being a little bit careful with him.
“He’s the only one that’s anything significant and you can say he’s definitely not going to be involved in the game.
“Apart from that, I think everyone will want to play. It’s a special day for the football club, especially for the supporters and a day that every single player would want to be walking out of that tunnel with a starting shirt on their backs in order to go and hopefully perform and make it a special day for us in terms of coming away with three points.”
Challinor on Crawley Town
The Pools boss said: “Crawley will undoubtedly provide a tough test for us as will every game this season but it’s the same thing as I said in the National League.
“The thing at the start of the season is you go into it a little bit less prepared because you don’t have many games to go off and personnel can change quite a bit during pre-season.
“You can have ideas but what we’ve seen of Crawley is minimal and the information we’ll be giving players is probably less than what you will later in the season.
“You have to trust in the players’ abilities to make good decisions on the pitch and get answers on the pitch.
“We can help from the side and what we think will happen but the reality of what happens on a Saturday can be very different so it’s important our players are able to recognise the way to win the game and open the opposition up. Hopefully that will be the case.”
Luke Molyneux ready to be adaptable in order to get games at Pools
Molyneux was a bit part player in Pools’ promotion season but is ready to play wherever he’s needed in order to get on the pitch regularly.
“In pre-season I’ve been in quite a few different positions,” he said. “I’ve been up front, centre-mid, played in a 10.
“I’ve been all over the place but I’m quite an adaptable player, I just like to get on the ball and I’m comfortable on the ball wherever I am on the pitch so wherever the gaffer wants me, I’m ready to play in those positions.
“I’m comfortable anywhere but as long as I have one set position I can play week-in, week-out then it’ll be fine for me. Still if I need to do a job somewhere else, I’ll do it.”
THREE HOURS UNTIL KICK-OFF
How are the nerves?
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Challinor discusses targets ahead of the new season
“You always want to push and compete at the top end of the table but as a consequence of that, staying up becomes the first thing you do,” said the Hartlepool manager.
“It goes without saying that if you target 70 points then you need to get to 10, 20, 30 points first and that’s no different this season.
“With everything that has gone on, we’ve become a Football League club and our first priority is to make sure we remain a Football League club.
“We’d love that to be secured by January but if we have to wait until later then so be it.
“That has to be the first thing we tick off because it gives us a platform to go and achieve whatever is above that.”
Pools’ new arrivals - it’s been a busy summer!
Pools have signed nine players over the past month in preparation for the new season.
Goalkeeper: Jonny Mitchell (Derby County)
Defenders: Neill Byrne (Halifax Town), Reagan Ogle (Accrington Stanley), Jake Lawlor (Harrogate Town)
Midfielders: Martin Smith (Chesterfield), Tyler Burey (Millwall, loan), Matty Daly (Huddersfield Town, loan)
Forwards: Fela Olomola (Scunthorpe United), Mark Cullen (Port Vale)
