What did we learn from Hartlepool United's defeat to Blackburn Rovers

Jack Vale scored the only goal of the game as Paul Hartley’s side gave an encouraging display against the Championship side.

Things might have been different had Jake Hastie’s effort been an inch lower when the winger hit the bar.

But here is what we learned from Pools’ defeat.

Mouhamed Niang continues to impress

For much of pre-season, owing to the number of injuries and lack of personnel within Hartley’s squad at times, Niang has been utilised in the heart of the defence alongside Alex Lacey.

And for the most part, the 22-year-old has filled in well - particularly against Lincoln City where he looked unfazed against League One opposition.

But signed as a midfielder, Hartley has only had chance to cast an eye over him in that role once for Pools in their opening friendly against Hibernian in Portugal.

But here against Blackburn, after the arrival of Rollin Menayese on loan from Walsall, Niang was deployed as part of the double pivot in the Pools midfield alongside Callum Cooke.

But despite the change in position, Niang continued to impress.

The midfielder was strong in the tackle to set the tone on John Buckley in the opening exchanges before tidying up after Cooke lost possession moments later.

And Niang played a key role in the best chance of the first half when winning the ball back with from Jake Garrett with an excellent challenge in the final third before finding Hastie who rattled the bar.

Niang may be a new signing at the Suit Direct Stadium but he is putting himself into a strong position when it comes to being considered for selection in the opening game of the season whether it be in midfield or in defence.

Squad starting to take shape

We may be closing in on the start of the season but, slowly but surely, Hartley is beginning to gather the shape of his squad together.

On Saturday against Lincoln, Pools had just five substitutes - a problem which plagued them in the final few weeks of last season - whereas here that number rose to a lofty seven.

While one of those subs was a trialist in former Sunderland forward Will Harris, Hartley is nearing a number he can be satisfied with in his squad with the likes of Jamie Sterry, Euan Murray and Marcus Carver still to return from injury.

There remains work to do in the transfer window, that’s for sure. But with the arrivals of Menayese and striker Jack Hamilton in the lead up to this fixture, that adds two further bodies in much-needed positions for Hartley.

The attacking areas will remain high on the list of priorities for Hartley over the next week in the run up to the opening day of the season and beyond that up until September 1, with some deals perhaps being held up as clubs wait for their own incomings before allowing certain players to leave.

But at the very least, Pools are nearing to being someway close to what Hartley wants in terms of his squad size.

Shape and organisation

The step in calibre of opponents was evident here against Rovers.

Where Pools have enjoyed plenty of the ball in some of their pre-season games, this might have been one to focus on their strengths without the ball as Blackburn dominated the early stages.

But Hartley’s 4-2-3-1 showed its effectiveness with Pools well drilled for much of the game.

Niang and Cooke complemented each other well in the sitting midfield role as Josh Umerah worked the channels well again when leading the line.

Pools never seemed to break their structure and held firm against a competitive Blackburn side for much of the evening and even displayed their versatility when switching to a back three.

First start for Menayese

Menayese is another new signing at the Suit Direct Stadium having arrived on loan for the season from Walsall and was immediately handed a start alongside Lacey in defence.

Menayese made 39 appearances for the Saddlers last season so is more than familiar with the league and provides a natural fit at centre-back alongside Lacey as Murray continues his recovery.

And up against a tricky customer in Sam Gallagher, Menayese did pretty well.

The 24-year-old is a presence at the back but already seems like he will fit into Hartley’s style by demonstrating his confidence with the ball at his feet.

There were one or two let offs in the first half when missing a challenge and giving possession away cheaply to Vale, but it was a solid enough start against a Championship side.

Positive news on the injury front?

After striker Carver revealed he had suffered an injury ahead of the weekend draw with Lincoln, the main standout from Hartley’s team selection was the absence of full-back Jamie Sterry.

Hartley would reveal Sterry had suffered a setback in training having initially been in contention for a return to action.

The Pools boss said Sterry would undergo a scan on his groin this week to assess the extent of the injury but the 26-year-old could once again be seen completing a fitness routine ahead of the game with Blackburn at the Suit Direct Stadium.

And Sterry was not the only one as Carver, too, could be seen performing some running exercises on the pitch.

Carver, it was suggested, would be out for between two and three weeks meaning his chances of being in contention for the opening game of the season at Walsall were slim.

But with Carver back on his feet and running, that timescale may come down as he looks to quickly get back involved within Hartley’s plans.

Euan Murray was also being put through his paces ahead of the game - a much more rigorous process than Carver and Sterry, with the defender likely to make his return in Monday’s friendly with Sunderland.