Story of the day: Hartlepool United 3-2 Harrogate Town – Pools never say die as three goals in six minutes completes comeback
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After George Thomson and a Neill Byrne own goal put the visitors two goals up at the break, a frantic six minute spell at the start of the second half saw Pools turn the game on its head with goals from David Ferguson, Mark Cullen and Matty Daly completing the comeback by the hour mark.
It’s a sixth win in seven home matches at Victoria Park so far this season.
Refresh the page and scroll through our live blog to see how events unfolded…
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FULL-TIME: Hartlepool United 3 (Ferguson 52’, Cullen 53’, Daly 58’) Harrogate Town 2 (Thomson 28’, Byrne 35’)
Key Events
- Pools XI: Mitchell; Ferguson, Byrne, Hendrie, Sterry (Ogle 33); Featherstone, Shelton (Liddle 46), Daly, Holohan; Molyneux, Cullen (Grey 72)
- Pools subs: Killip, Liddle, Ogle, Jones, Crawford, Grey, Fondop
- Pools bookings: Byrne (27)
- Harrogate XI: Oxley, Fallowfield, Page, Falkingham, Smith, Burrell, Thomson, Kerry (Power 63), Muldoon (Orsi 73), Diamond, Armstrong
- Harrogate subs: Martin, Orsi, Cracknell, Sheron, Power
- Harrogate bookings:
- Referee: Simon Mather
- Attendance: 5,807 (270 Harrogate)
The Harrogate line-up has been confirmed
Harrogate XI: Oxley, Fallowfield, Page, Falkingham, Smith, Burrell, Thomson, Kerry, Muldoon, Diamond, Armstrong
Harrogate subs: Martin, Orsi, Cracknell, Sheron, Power
Luke Armstrong discusses leaving Pools
“It was tough to leave Hartlepool and I was quite emotional when my loan spell had ended,” Armstrong told The Mail.
“It’s a club I’ll always hold close to my heart because of what the club did for me in the situation I was in.
“I’ll always say coming to Hartlepool is the most important and best decision I’ve made in my career. At the time, I saw Hartlepool as the last hope of my career really where if it didn’t work out then that would be it for me.
“I was at Salford and I didn’t enjoy it at all and I didn’t really want to play for them that really didn’t help me. But when I came to Hartlepool I got a new lease of life and I started loving football again.
“The way the season unfolded, it took me from one extreme to the other as I went from really not enjoying how things were going to absolutely loving even just going into training every day and then obviously experiencing the promotion too.
“The only shame about the majority of my time at Hartlepool was that the fans weren’t there to experience most of it with us. I think I only played in front of them twice at The Vic and then Bristol. Of course it was hard to go but that’s just the way things pan out in football sometimes.”
The latest injury news from Dave Challinor
“Whether Lidds is involved or whether we can afford to give him a bit more time, but he wants to get back in,” said the Pools boss.
“I hope he doesn’t get back in because we keep playing well and keep winning but he’s a real positive addition to have back in the squad.
“Zaine joined in training yesterday and pulled out towards the end feeling something so we’ll make a decision on him. Similarly with Lidds, we have no qualms in having to play him if we need to.”
Luke Armstrong set to return with Harrogate- here’s what Dave Challinor said about the striker
“Luke was great [for us]. I’m sure he’ll get a brilliant ovation,” said Challinor.
“People will be a little bit disappointed that he’s not still with us, but that will be more because we knew he could score the goals he’s already scored for Harrogate this year for us.
“If he’d have been in our squad he’d have at least had the goals he’s got now. The challenge for us now is to make sure that we can stop that.
“Sometimes in football you become a bit cynical and look at things a bit too much.
“The reality of it is, we brought Luke in at a time last year where, similarly to where we are now, we needed a goalscorer. We knew that if we could get him going it would benefit everybody and it did just that.
“It benefited him, it benefited us, it benefited Oatesy - because it reinvigorated him and them as a partnership were brilliant. They scored over 30 goals between the two of them which ultimately got us promoted. They helped us achieve where we are now.”
