Analysing the two key partnerships that helped Hartlepool United defeat Walsall on Saturday

Their victory was aided by some great forward play, complemented by the efforts of Jamie Sterry and David Ferguson who featured as wing-backs.

Set-up in their familiar 3-5-2 system by boss Dave Challinor, Hartlepool lined-up with Will Goodwin partnering Burey up-front as the pair caused all sorts of problems for the Walsall defence.

Goodwin was predominantly used as a target-man and tended to be the focal-point for any long balls.

Burey, on the other hand, was the more mobile option, often drifting into the channels and exploiting the half-spaces left by the defence.

At his best on Saturday, Burey’s movement mirrored the type of movement which Thierry Henry would regularly show-off at Arsenal.

This was complemented greatly by his partner Goodwin, whose physical presence allowed Burey freedom in attack.

Goodwin, although the stats will probably show he didn’t win many aerial duels, provided enough of a threat to keep former Premier League centre-back Stephen Ward on his toes and showed some good touches when presented with an opportunity at goal.

Carl Rushworth denied two low-drives by Goodwin in the second-half as the teenager looked to make it two goals in two games.

Alas, Goodwin was not to get himself on the scoresheet again but he left the field to a deserved standing ovation after a solid 88-minute stint in-front of a jubilant home crowd.

Both Goodwin and Burey were huge beneficiaries of solid defensive work by the whole team which laid a platform for Pools to impress in attack.

Their 3-5-2 formation gave licence for Sterry and Ferguson to attack and provide the team with great width.

Pools were not overly-reliant on their wing backs in attack, however, their threat in the attacking-third did pose questions of the Walsall defence.

Ferguson in particular looked dangerous going forward and could have scored but he saw his powerful effort blocked on the line - by Goodwin of all people.

Both players put in dangerous crosses when given the opportunity and they were also unafraid to get themselves into the box when the ball was on the opposite flank, giving the Walsall defenders an extra headache.

The pair didn’t allow their offensive play to outweigh their defensive responsibilities however and worked perfectly in tandem to ensure their defence never got overwhelmed.

When out of possession, one wing-back would press the attacker with the other falling back into the defence, creating a back four.

If the ball got shifted to the other wing, the opposite would happen and thus, allowing Hartlepool to maintain a well-balanced defence.

The result of this meant Walsall were unable to break down Pools, often resorting to efforts from outside the area which tended to be off-target or fall tamely to Ben Killip in goal.

These two sets of partnerships gave Hartlepool a great threat in attack while maintaining a solid defensive structure throughout.

Pools were good value for their 2-0 win and will hope to carry this momentum over to next weekend when they face Carlisle at Victoria Park.

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