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.
Welcome back! It’s EFL time!
Oh it feels good to have Hartlepool United back in the Football League.
After a difficult 18 months for everyone, today’s the day where fans will return in their droves to Victoria Park to see Pools take on Crawley Town in League Two.
Just over six weeks since the dramatic National League promotion final win over Torquay United, Dave Challinor has assembled a squad at a frantic pace in order to be ready for the new season.
The sense of hope, optimism and just a tad of anxiety is in the air going into the new season as who knows what it about to unfold over the next nine months?
Hopefully for Pools, it will be far better than any of their recent League Two ventures! Either way, we’ll have it all covered here at The Hartlepool Mail.
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