Red cards, alleged racism controversy and a 1-0 defeat – analysis of bad day for Hartlepool United against Ebbsfleet United

Dave Challinor’s side went into the game against a relegation-threatened Ebbsfleet United on the back of four straight wins at Victoria Park.

Pools’ biggest home crowd of the season arrived with a sense of optimism and positivity that has been sorely lacking in recent years.

But things didn’t pan out as anyone would have hoped as, with a sense of familiar disappointment, Pools were brought back down to earth.

Gozie Ugwu’s 78th-minute penalty was the difference as Ebbsfleet snatched a 1-0 win.

But that was far from the full story as the club found itself back in the centre of alleged racism controversy.

Manager Dave Challinor and Ebbsfleet’s Ayo Obileye also saw red for a coming together following the full-time whistle as referee Aaron Jackson had a day to forget.

Challinor made two changes from the side that beat Solihull Moors as striker Rob Harker and the injured Macauley Southam-Hales made way for Gavan Holohan and Tuesday’s match-winner, Aidan Keena.

Straight from kick-off, Ebbsfleet caused a scare as Ugwu’s close-range effort crashed off the crossbar.

That proved to be the Fleet’s only real opportunity of the first half as Pools started to take control without testing goalkeeper Jordan Holmes.

What became clear as early as the opening half-hour was that Ebbsfleet were attempting to waste as much time as they could.

As a team fighting for their lives coming away to one of the division’s in-form sides, you almost expect it and it’s up to the referee to keep things under control.

To say Jackson failed to do that would be something of an understatement.

Still, Hartlepool should have gone ahead on the stroke of half-time as Luke Molyneux’s goal-bound header was blocked by Keena before it could find the net.

As the sides went in goalless at the break, it looked like it was going to be one of those afternoons for Pools.

After the restart, Mark Shelton, Keena and Ryan Donaldson all saw chances go begging as Ebbsfleet’s obvious tactic to frustrate was proving effective.

And when Gime Toure fouled Josh Umerah inside the penalty area with 15-minutes to play, the visitors seized their opportunity.

Ugwu dispatched his penalty with aplomb before being cautioned for taking the best part of two minutes to get back into his half to allow Hartlepool to restart.

Although it was happening throughout the match, this was the first yellow card any Ebbsfleet player had received for time-wasting and it set things up for an unsavoury end to the game.

Despite a few half chances for Pools, the visitors were able to see things out and claim three points. It’s a result that puts a dent into Hartlepool’s play-off hopes – which should have been the most disappointing part of the afternoon.

During the match, play stopped on two separate occasions following allegations being made by the Ebbsfleet players.

Ugwu’s penalty was delayed by around four minutes as Fleet goalkeeper Jordan Holmes claimed that a xenophobic comment was made from the Town End.

In a separate incident, Ebbsfleet midfielder Jermaine McGlashan was ordered to go to the sidelines by the referee after going down injured. Given how things had unfolded, the Pools fans felt this was just another opportunity to run down the clock.

As fans in the Mill House terrace directed their displeasure at McGlashan, the player turned to the crowd, cupping his ear before making a complaint to the linesman.

McGlashan made an allegation of racial abuse and the appropriate protocol was followed. A PA announcement condemning such abuse was silenced by an uproar of boos from the home supporters in objection to the allegations being made.

It’s the second time this season that Hartlepool have been subject to racism controversy. The events against Dover have been dealt with and the club have been charged.

This match hit all the same beats of that ill-fated day back in September. A controversial penalty, alleged racism, a fan invading the pitch, a referee losing all semblance of control – yet this time the aftermath is completely different.

Following Dover, it quickly became clear what had happened with both clubs and the police acting efficiently. This time, a day after the alleged incidents took place, we’re still no further forward.

This is largely down to the fact that no manager, match officials, stewards, fans or the nearby Ebbsfleet physio heard what was alleged to have been said.

As of Sunday morning, there has been no official statement from Ebbsfleet which is quite unusual given the seriousness of the alleged incidents. All we have at the moment is a tweet from McGlashan himself – it’s difficult to prove what exactly happened.

It’s a no-win situation for Pools – they’ve been found guilty once and now any allegations of racism just bring that back to the fore even if they’re proven innocent.

Unfortunately, the controversy didn’t stop there either as tensions resurfaced following the full-time whistle.

The behaviour of the Ebbsfleet players has to be called into question as their players provoked the visibly angry Pools supporters.

Challinor intervened with the main antagonist, Obileye, as did H’Angus the Monkey. If you’ve won a game, your priority should be to go over and thank your travelling supporters rather than making a ‘volatile situation worse,’ as Challinor put it.

Both the Hartlepool manager and Obileye were sent off for their conduct though it’s understood both will appeal the decision.

That concluded a disappointingly eventful day at Victoria Park. It’s a set-back for Pools in their play-off push but they have the chance to get back on track at Sutton United next weekend.