What we learned from Hartlepool United's win over Billingham Synthonia as ex-Rangers man opens his account

While we’re still at the stage of these pre-season contests being ‘minutes in the tank’ for players, it was, nevertheless, encouraging to see Pools put on a something of a show for what was a decent turnout at the Stokesley Sports Club.

There was a distinct chasm between the two sides, but with that comes a little bit of pressure in that Hartley’s side were expected to be dominant both on the field and on the scoreboard.

But the first 45 minutes demonstrated the levels between the League Two and Northern League side as Pools cruised to a five goal advantage at the break.

Alex Lacey capitalised on a mistake from goalkeeper Jan Yaakub to loop a header in at the back post from a corner before Jake Hastie fired an emphatic second from range midway through the first half.

Marcus Carver grabbed his first goals in a Pools shirt in as many minutes when twice reacting quickest in the area before Tom Crawford added a fifth when tapping in from close range.

Hartley made five changes at the break and one of those, Joe Grey, added a sixth when capping a swift counter-attack from close range to seal a comfortable afternoon for Pools.

And here is what we learned from Pools’ victory.

Luke who?

Ok, it’s early days and there is context to be had in terms of the opposition, but Hastie once again displayed flashes of his ability during his 45 minute spell including a fine goal - one which Luke Molyneux would be proud of.

Much is hoped and expected of Hastie this season after the winger’s arrival from Rangers, with the hope being he can fill the void left by Molyneux following his exit to Doncaster Rovers.

Against Hibs, Hastie showed flashes of his pace and how that will be a big asset for Pools this season but here against the Synners, he added in some end product to complement it.

Midway through the first half Hastie picked up the ball on the inside right channel before cutting in onto his left and unleashing a fierce strike into the corner.

It was the kind of strike we became accustomed to from Molyneux last season, the hope is it will be the kind of strike we will continue to see this season.

But not only was it Hastie’s goal which grabbed the attention, it was the fact defenders seemed to gravitate towards him - even when out of possession. And that could be something for Pools to focus on in that his threat attracts attention.

Versatile Niang

Mouhamed Niang’s reputation at Pools, currently, goes little further than supporters watching clips of the Senegalese on loop of crunching tackles during his time in Scotland.

But having featured in both of Pools’ pre-season games so far, the 22-year-old has shown what is proving to be key for Hartley when it comes to recruitment and that is versatility.

Against Hibs, Niang was deployed as a No.6 in midfield whereas here, he dropped back into the defence alongside Lacey and looked assured.

Again, it is with context given that Niang will be expected to come up against sterner opposition over the coming weeks and months, but he transitioned into the back four well in place of the injured Euan Murray and retained Hartley’s remit of bringing the ball out from the back.

4-3-3 the preferred choice?

Although Hartley was short on numbers for the friendly with Hibernian out in Portugal, by hook or by crook the Pools boss went with a 4-3-3 as Hastie and Joe Grey flanked impromptu striker Crawford.

When Crawford went off it was up to Mark Shelton to fill in at the false nine position in the Algarve whereas here against Billingham Synthonia, Hartley was able to start with an out-and-out striker in Carver.

Carver missed the trip to Portugal through illness but represented a focal point for Pools at Stokesely.

And while there were a handful of changes at the break, including the introduction of new signing Callum Cooke, Hartley stuck with the 4-3-3 formation as Cooke tucked in alongside Shelton and Crawford in the centre of midfield for the second half while Grey flanked Carver.

Carver notches

When Carver joined Pools in January he arrived with plenty of pressure upon his shoulders in that he was tasked with firing the goals to ensure Pools’ safety.

Unfortunately for the former Southport striker things never quite materialised after an encouraging debut at Bristol Rovers.

Carver would suffer an injury three days later at Carlisle United and then struggled to find his fitness and form as Pools’ season ran out of steam entirely.

But with the sales of Molyneux and Omar Bogle, suddenly Carver finds himself as ‘it’ when it comes to Hartley’s striking options and finding the back of the net here will undoubtedly boost the 28-year-old’s confidence.

Sterry absence

The most notable absentee for Pools was undoubtedly full-back Jamie Sterry who did not feature.

In his place, Reghan Tumilty operated at right back in the first half while Reagan Ogle filled in for the second half.

Hartley had suggested Sterry had taken a knock, and indeed the ex-Newcastle United man was forced off late in the defeat to Hibs last month, and supporters will be hoping it’s nothing too serious for the 26-year-old.

With that said, Tumilty offered an interesting option when paired with Hastie on the right. The full-back spent the majority of his 45 minutes inside the Billingham half providing a decent overlap for Hastie and it was his initial blocked effort which allowed Carver to grab his second of the game.

Ogle replaced the Scotsman at the break and enjoyed a comfortable second half, but the onus will be on Sterry’s return to fitness.

Hartlepool United XI first half: Killip, Tumilty, Niang, Lacey, Ferguson, Shelton, Featherstone, Crawford, Hastie, Trialist, Carver

Hartlepool United XI second half: Letheren, Ogle, Niang, Lacey, Paterson, Cooke, Shelton, Crawford, Grey, Trialist, Carver