Salford City 2-0 Hartlepool United: Defensive inexperience and Pools' win or bust situation - key takeaways from away defeat

Hartlepool looked sluggish as Salford eased to a 2-0 success at the Peninsula Stadium with first half goals from Matt Smith and Louie Barry.

Smith headed in from Liam Shephard’s cross before Barry fired into the corner from the edge of the area to leave Hartlepool three points from safety with just three games remaining.

And here are some of the key takeaways from a forgetful night.

Defensive inexperience

Having switched his formation to a back four against Newport County, to no avail, Askey reverted to type at Salford with a back three and wing-backs with Jamie Sterry returning to the side from injury.

But despite a return to the system in which Askey believes best suits his squad, there was an alarming lack of experience to the heart of the defence.

Although in Sterry and opposite wing-back David Ferguson there was plenty of experience, Askey’s three centre-backs of Dan Dodds, 22, Taylor Foran, 19, and Edon Pruti 21 had just 42 league games worth of experience between them heading into the contest, all of which have come since January.

And while these are good learning experiences for these players, it’s coming at a time in which Hartlepool cannot really afford for them.

Up against the experienced Smith, who has a plethora of Championship experience on his CV with the likes of Leeds United, Fulham and Millwall, it was something of a mismatch.

Smith won eight aerial duels, more than any other player on the field, including when rising above Dodds to head in the opening goal.

The strikers’ presence caused alarm amongst the Pools defence who were often left scrambling to clear their lines.

But it wasn’t just Smith.

With both Ferguson and Sterry trying to contribute further forward as well, it left spaces for the likes of Shephard and Luke Bolton to capitalise in as they sent in a number of inviting crosses while Barry was able to drift between the lines.

And it was Barry who doubled the lead when getting the better of Dodds to cut inside and find the far corner.

It feels harsh to criticise these players given that they are coming into their first real taste of the Football League and are being tasked with dealing with Football League veterans.

They are in desperate need of leadership alongside them, somebody to cajole them here or there.

But with Euan Murray potentially set to miss the rest of the season and Peter Hartley similar, there is little option for Askey.

“We’ve got young lads in there who are giving their best and they’re going to make mistakes,” said Askey.

“Usually in league football you’ve got more experienced players but all we can do is keep working hard.

“It’s difficult for them,” he added to The Mail.

“That’s how you learn. The problem is we can’t afford for them to be learning. I’m sure they get frustrated, I get frustrated, but I know they're having a go and they’re giving their best and we’ve just got to keep encouraging them and keep trying to work with them.

“It’s not only the back three. You have to look at the side as a whole. Can we defend better? Can we be less open when we lose the ball?

“It’s something that obviously isn’t happening but it’s not through lack of trying.”

Too many off nights for Hartlepool United

Askey was right to suggest his side should look at themselves as a whole given that there were too many who had an off night.

Asked what disappointed him the most, Askey was considerably blunt: “A lot of things. We lacked a lot.”

One of those was Ferguson who had one of those games where nothing seemed to go right for him. But he wasn’t the only one.

Throughout the spine of the team, Hartlepool were too soft and were easily brushed over.

Askey noted his disappointment in the manner of the defeat at Newport and he will have been feeling similar here.

Where we have seen plenty of fight and desire prior to these two away games, here we saw a fragile side who, almost, look resigned to their fate.

They have given up far too many opportunities in these two away fixtures and looked toothless at the other end at the absolute worst time to be combining those traits.

“Obviously if it was the start of the season you’d be getting into one or two of them, but I don’t think now is the time,” Askey told The Mail.

“Everyone knows the situation and it’s a time when we need to lift everybody and encourage them and they need to do that themselves as well.

“It’s no use pointing fingers saying this is not right or that’s not right. They’ve all got to stick together and do their own jobs, that’s the most important thing. If they do their own jobs then it help the others as well.”

Josh Umerah out of sorts

As mentioned, there were several players who had off nights for Hartlepool but Josh Umerah was right up there with, perhaps, the most glaring.

The striker found himself ensconced in a battle with the savvy Adrian Mariappa who had Umerah dancing to his tune for most of the night while Theo Vassell also ruffled the strikers’ feathers.

Umerah cut a frustrated figure and that battle resulted in him being shown a yellow card as he offered very little in an attacking sense before he was subbed off as opposed to being sent off.

But it was in this moment where there was even greater frustration.

At 2-0 down, when Umerah’s number was shown, he simply ambled his way towards the dugout, again in frustration.

Eventually he was ushered off by Sterry who was demanding his team-mate speed up so Hartlepool could get back to trying to find a way back into the game.

“He couldn’t get in the rhythm and then he got booked as well with his frustration and it wasn’t his night,” said Askey.

“He was getting caught offside and giving fouls away. But I’ve said to them; look at yourselves and ask could you have done more?

“But we’ve got to forget it and put everything into this next game coming. We can’t dwell on anything, it’s pointless. It’s all about the next game.”

Umerah has had games like this before this season and bounced back. Hopefully he can do so again against Crawley.

Hartlepool United’s win or bust situation

It leaves Hartlepool now without any wriggle room if they are to beat the drop.

Askey was quick to turn focus to the weekend showdown with Crawley and pulled no punches when discussing its magnitude.

It’s must win for Hartlepool. Simple as that.

Beyond that they will need to follow it up with a win over Barrow and then hope Walsall, a side who have won just two of their last 21 league games, can do them a favour.

Even then, Crawley would still have a sniff in terms of goal difference heading into the final weekend of the season.

Hartlepool are almost out of lives as they stare back towards the non-league abyss.