Scunthorpe United v Hartlepool

Tuesday, August 14, 2007

Football League Cup

Scunthorpe United :
Lillis, Byrne, Crosby, Iriekpen (Butler 89), Williams, Taylor (Forte 80), Sparrow (Goodwin 81), Youga, Hurst, Hayes, Paterson
Subs not used:
Mulligan, Baraclough

Hartlepool :
Budtz, McCunnie (Gibb 61), Nelson, Antwi, Robson, Brown, Boland, Liddle, Sweeney, Barker (Porter 77), Moore (Foley 62)
Subs not used:
Lee-Barrett, Clark

SULSESC REPORT

by Jon Dunn at Glanford Park

WHAT a difference three days can make!

Saturday, glorious sunshine, the sights and sounds of London, 23,000 supporters creating a cracking atmosphere and a team producing a great performance and a well earned draw against one of the favourites to go up to the Premiership.

Tonight it was wet, the only neon lights were on KFC and Frankie and Bennies, fewer than 3,000 fans turned up, the atmosphere was crap, the team turned in a good first-half performance followed by an indifferent second-half performance and managed to throw away a one-goal lead against a ten-man team from the division below us. It was just like the old days!

Nige made a number of changes to the starting line-up with Lillis, Youga, Sparrow and Paterson all starting and from the outset we set about Hartlepool as if we wanted the contest over by half-time.

After 15 minutes, however, the ref awarded Hartlepool a penalty when Lillis dived at the feet of Ian Moore as he raced into the box. Lillis protested his innocence and eventually the referee consulted his linesman. He then promptly reversed his decision and booked Moore for diving!

United continued to dominate and peppered the Hartlepool goal with shots but couldn’t put the ball in the net.

The second-half continued in much the same vein and in the 50th minute Cleveland put in a pinpoint cross for Paterson to put a bullet header past Budtz. That’s it, I thought, and thoughts drifted towards a glamour tie in the next round.

Hartlepool pushed hard to try and make more of a game of it but in the 66th minute substitute Gibb, who had only been on the pitch a few minutes, received a straight red card for an awful looking lunge at Kevan Hurst, who was only about 12 yards from his own goalline!

That should have been it. Some things never change, however, and our inability to beat 10-man teams was evident again. Foley, who had only been on the pitch a few minutes, got Hartlepool’s first shot on target when the ball reached him on the edge of the 18-yard box and it evaded Lillis’ dive low to his left.

This should have spurred us on but Hartlepool took great confidence and made more of a game of it. Just when the talk was of extra-time and penalties, Foley popped up again and, in almost similar fashion, beat Lillis low to his left again. I wouldn’t blame Lillis for either goal but did wonder whether Murphy would have kept them out.

Before the game a friend remarked that he wasn’t bothered if we lost as it was more important to stay in the Championship. In a way, I agreed with him, but the manner of the defeat was a little worrying.