Swindon Town 2-1 Hartlepool United: Pools remain bottom despite Nicky Featherstone return

Featherstone has been out of action for over a month with Pools dropping to the foot of the League Two table and being eliminated from the Papa Johns Trophy in that time. But the 34-year-old’s reintroduction to the side from his lay-off could do little to spark their season into life at the County Ground.

Jonny Williams and Luke Jephcott scored within six first half minutes of each other to hand Swindon the advantage with Clarke Oduor’s first goal for Hartlepool not enough to help Curle’s side avoid defeat in Wiltshire.

Williams found himself unmarked at the back post to put the home side ahead inside 12 minutes before Jephcott grabbed his third goal of the season when heading in six minutes later. Oduor reduced the deficit going into the break but Pools were unable to really threaten Sol Brynn in the Swindon goal as they remain bottom of the League Two table.

Curle had no alternative but to ring the changes from Tuesday’s Papa Johns Trophy debacle against Everton under-21s with the interim boss scathing in his assessment of the 6-0 defeat. And the headline change was the return of captain Featherstone who was back in the starting XI following an ankle ligament injury picked up in the 1-1 draw with Colchester United seven weeks ago. Curle suggested Featherstone had taken part in his first full training session in the week and that was enough to merit a return to the line-up.

Featherstone was one of eight changes from midweek with Ben Killip, Oduor, David Ferguson, Mark Shelton, Tom Crawford, Callum Cooke and seven-goal striker Josh Umerah returning to the fold.

After a fairly slow start from both teams it was Hartlepool who had the first real attempt of the game when Cooke was able to dispossess Ben Gladwin to allow Oduor to advance down the right where he cut inside to fire at goal forcing Middlesbrough loanee Brynn into an uncomfortable save as he fumbled out for a corner.

But just two minutes later and Pools had that all too familiar sinking feeling as Williams poked the home side in front. Robins captain Gladwin was afforded too much time on the right to cut back onto his left foot and deliver a cross to the back post where former Sunderland man Williams had ghosted in unmarked to convert from inside the six-yard box as the Pools defence stood and awaited an offside flag which did not come.

Featherstone could be seen trying to gee up his team having fallen a goal behind but it was to little avail as the home side soon doubled their lead through Jephcott.

The Plymouth Argyle loan striker was on hand to guide Remeao Hutton’s cross from the right into the top corner beyond a rooted Killip - Hutton, like Gladwin, afforded too much time to deliver his cross.

At that point you feared the worst for a fragile Pools who were forced into an early change as Shelton was taken off with an injury. It was the kind of scenario which Curle has challenged his side to find a reaction in. Would they stay down for the count, or would they pick themselves up?

Well, 10 minutes later and we found something of an answer as Oduor grabbed his first goal for the club since his loan move from Barnsley on transfer deadline day.

The enthusiastic work of Mouhamed Niang forced a throw-in deep in the Swindon half before he would also capitalise on a mistake in defence to drive into the area and pick out Oduor who made no mistake in beating Brynn first time to reduce the deficit.

Pools were given a let off when Euan Murray and Ferguson collided at the back-post under pressure from Jacob Wakeling as Murray’s clearance then cannoned off Wakeling landing just wide of Killip’s post.

Curle was then dealt another blow as Niang was forced off with an injury before Cooke was caught in two minds in the Swindon area after capitalising on Matthieu Baudry’s mistake, allowing Brynn to smother.

Williams might have restored the two-goal lead for Swindon on the stroke of half-time as he latched onto a clever scooped ball by Baudry before dragging wide of Killip’s post despite having more time.

Pools came close to an equaliser early in the second half when Umerah pinched the ball away from Tom Clayton before finding Reghan Tumilty who saw his teasing cross diverted narrowly over his own bar by Baudry under pressure from Cooke.

But although Pools stymied some of the Swindon threat in the early stages of the second half they were unable to really test Brynn in goal with Gladwin soon firing off target for the Robins.

And as the game headed towards its final 20 minutes, the threat from Hutton came again as he twice was within inches of finding Jephcott at the back post before the chance for Pools to draw level arrived 10 minutes from time.

Cooke and Crawford exchanged well in midfield with Cooke spreading wide to Tumilty and his low cross landed at the feet of substitute Mohamad Sylla, who had time from 12 yards, but he never looked comfortable with his left-foot strike parried away low by Brynn.

With Pools pressing, Killip was called into action to make a double save to first thwart teammate Alex Lacey’s interception and then Saidou Khan’s rebound as Pools slumped to their eighth defeat of the season to remain at the foot of the table.

Swindon Town XI: Brynn, Hutton, Baudry, Clayton, Blake-Tracey, Darcy (Aguiar ‘90), Khan, Gladwin ©, Wakeling, Jephcott (Iandolo ‘75), Williams (Shade ‘68)

Subs: Brann, Reed, Roberts, Brennan

Hartlepool United XI: Killip, Niang (Paterson ‘35), Murray, Lacey, Ferguson, Featherstone (Sylla ‘77), Shelton (Tumilty ‘26), Crawford, Cooke, Oduor (McDonald ‘77), Umerah (Robinson ‘77)

Subs: Letheren, Taylor

Yellow cards: Hutton, Darcy, Murray

Referee: Darren Drysdale

Attendance: 8,527 (123 Hartlepool)