'We got everything we wanted' - Craig Hignett reflects on Hartlepool United's pre-season opener

Craig Hignett felt Hartlepool United ‘got everything’ they wanted from their pre-season opener at Billingham Town on Tuesday night.
Hartlepool United manager Craig Hignett was pleased with his side's pre-season opener.Hartlepool United manager Craig Hignett was pleased with his side's pre-season opener.
Hartlepool United manager Craig Hignett was pleased with his side's pre-season opener.

Pools ran out as 4-0 winners at Bedford Terrace with goals coming from Luke Molyneux, Gavan Holohan, Luke James and Liam Noble.

And with 22 of his players featuring on the evening, Hignett hailed the match as the best pre-season opener he’s seen during his time at the club.

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“There were a lot of positives,” said the Hartlepool manager.

“I thought the new lads looked good, the keeper was really comfortable and he’s integrated well into the group. Gime (Toure) showed good flashes of what we can expect to see from him.

“Luke Molyneux is a handful so we’re a real threat going forward, I’ve just got to find a way of playing as many of the forward thinking players in without leaving ourselves open at the back.

“There were still little bits of sloppiness. I would have liked us to move the ball and get into positions a bit quicker from time to time but it’s pre-season and I don’t expect us to be bang at it right away.

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“Since I’ve been here, that’s been the best first game we’ve played, the way we looked sharp and it was a competitive game, Billingham wanted to win the and we kept the ball well and frustrated them which is a good sign for us.

“I was really pleased, you could see some of the stuff we’ve been working on in training but it’s all about fitness really.

“To ask the lads to do what they did for 90-minutes, two 45s, both of them were really pleasing and I thought there was some really good stuff.

“Four goals, a clean sheet and a really good work out.

“It’s a fitness one but I want us to win every game that we’re playing in pre-season, I want that mindset. I want us to go into games expecting to win.

“It was a competitive game as well to say the least and we got everything we wanted out of it.”