Why Hartlepool United didn't make changes during Exeter City draw – Dave Challinor's detailed explanation

As the game wore on, Exeter made a change, then another, and another while Pools remained stubborn with the same line-up they started the game with.

Hartlepool manager Dave Challinor waited until the 88th-minute before making a single change as defender Reagan Ogle replaced debutant Eddy Jones at left wing-back.

With Pools’ perfect start to the league season at Victoria Park ultimately ending as the score remained at 1-1 – questions were raised as to why the hosts refrained from making any significant substitutions that could have helped them secure three points.

Challinor responded to The Mail: “It was tough because the game was even and with substitutes, you want to try and affect the game and I still thought we were capable of impacting the game with what we had out there.

"I would have loved to have had a quick time out and maybe I should be an advocate of the goalkeeper hitting the floor and telling all the outfield players ‘get over here’ and telling them what to do.

"I thought there was a way to win the game with the system we were playing and what we were doing with who we had on the field.

"I spoke to Dales [Matty Daly] at the end, I thought we needed to be a little bit braver at the back. They pushed on as a three and we still had four and needed to get Feaths [Nicky Featherstone] on the ball.

"If we couldn’t do that, one of the centre-backs could have stepped in, when they step in, their midfielder [Archie Collins] was going down Zaine [Francis-Angol’s] side and was going across which left Dales and Shelts [Mark Shelton] free in the middle of the pitch so we had a three v one in the middle if they stood still.

"We could have impacted the play by getting the ball into them but we didn’t do that enough which scuppered what we did going forward.

"We became a bit safe and just put balls into the box from too deep. We were hopeful if we could work that out and get some joy.”

At one point, strikers Mark Cullen and Will Goodwin were stripped and understood to be ready to come on for Mike Fondop and Matty Daly.

But no change was made.

"We were going to change personnel and go more attacking to try and get on the front foot with that,” Challinor added.

"Then Exeter changed their shape which straight away resulted in us being a three v one at the back and getting too many players back when we needed them forward.

"So we changed things and put Reagan higher up on the left hand side. The game got to a point where we could have made another sub but there was a minute left.

"We were going to bring Will and Culls on and if they hadn’t changed their shape, that would have happened but sometimes you have to be reactive to what other teams do and we felt it was the best way to go.”

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