Airey milks the applause as Peter and Pancrate get through 80 minutes!
Posted on November 17th, 2009 | 18 Comments |
Starting off the night by heading to The Strawberry from work, I realised it had been a while since I’d been in for a pint. It might be my last for a while, judging by the funny looks I got from the regulars looking over my shoulder as I opened my IPhone to browse the blog and discovered picture after picture of naked men. ‘Summat funny about him’ the look said, so I finished off my Babycham and headed to the East Stand.
Eagerly grabbing my A4 teamsheet, I sat down to study the first eleven and realised I only knew half of the team. What happened to the reserves being for first teamers down on their luck? It’s not really ‘the stiffs’ anymore is it? Anyway, some ‘Poolies’ behind me, were inferring that it was a strong eleven that they had out, so our youngsters seemed set to face a stern test.
And in truth Hartlepool made most of the running in the early stages. Bjornsson headed over when he should have scored and was involved again when David Foley set up the Icelandic international but Alnwick made a great save, and amid a comedy of errors, somehow Leon McSweeney could only drive the ball off the bar from five yards before we managed to clear the danger.
However, there was no such good fortune when Pools took the lead not long after, as they broke down the right and the ball was whipped into the box only to ricochet off Matthew Grieve and into the back of the net. No sooner had they taken the lead though, and we were back on level terms when Fredriksen, misjudged the bounce to let Phil Airey in on the right. He pulled the ball back to Peter Lovenkrands and the Dane slid the ball into the net to make it 1-1.
By this stage, my dad had finally turned up and I went to sit in his chosen row, which was a great choice as he’d managed to sit four rows in front and yet my seats had been bone dry and his were soaking. The wind also seemed to be worse down there and was blowing a hooligan around my delicate lugs. Not literally blowing a hooligan. They were safe up in their lofty perches on the back row. Them and their junior-sized Burberry jackets and anti-Ashley chants. It was a noble effort but given that I could barely hear them twenty rows down, it was difficult to imagine the linesman could, never mind Ashley.
There was no further goalmouth action and the teams went in at level at the break. Half-time came and went, as did my £2.50 on a manky looking pie that managed to both look and taste grey, and we were back out for the second half with no change to either side. Hartlepool should have made it 2-1, early on after Leadbitter let a ball fall to Leon McSweeney but his effort was well saved by Alnwick. But it wasn’t long to wait until the next goal though as McSweeney broke down the left and dragged the ball back for Billy Greulich who slotted home.
Once again though, the goal seemed to spur Newcastle into life because we then immediately broke and after good work from Pancrate, he realeased Airey who drove into the box and slotted cooly past Cook in the Hartlepool goal for 2-2. Sammy Adjei came on for Frank Danquah and as we turned the screw, a defensive lapse allowed, Airey to sneak in at the front post and head LuaLua’s corner into the back of the net for 3-2. That was followed by some neat and tidy football and as we began to dominate, we should have gone on to score more. However, with the introduction of two new players as Lovenkrands and Pancrate made way, the game sort of fizzled out.
Overall, it’s difficult to see why the first team would be too concerned about their places. Defensively we looked a little suspect at times and weren’t great at dealing with the long balls. The keeper pulled off a couple of good saves though. In the middle, LuaLua made some penetrating runs, Donaldson looked comfortable enough without doing too much and Danquah was neat enough. Upfront Lovenkrands and Airey’s touch were poor at times though the Dane needs fitness and occasionally looked sharp and also netted. Young Airey made one and scored two so was probably man of the match. Sammy Adjei looked classy, except for the odd mistake, when he came on and he shaved the bar with a lovely effort after a great ball from Pancrate.
And so to our trialist. He looked at times like a man amongst boys, which in effect he was. He probably didn’t get enough of the ball but seemed keen to run with it when he did and was quite neat and tidy. Probably need to see more of him before deciding if he’s worth a shot on a contract though.
Wor lot – Alnwick, Leadbitter, Tozer, Grieve, Folan, Pancrate, Donaldson (c), LuaLua, Danquah, Lovenkrands, Airey
Subs – Robinson, Henderson, Taylor, Adjei, Newton
Hartlepool Stiffs – Cook, Power, Cherel, Clark, Fredriksen, McSweeney, Rowell (c), Foley, Bjornsson, Greulich
Subs – Sharples, Thomas, Mason
Att – Probably about 1500-1600.
NUFCBlog Author: bowburnmag
bowburnmag has written 234 articles on this blog.
Bowburn lad…
You should have given me a shout kid…Poor 1st half, decent 2nd. Lua Lua looked a cut above at times and Pancrate was pacey and direct. Worth a short term deal imo as he would provide pace and power down the right hand side….something which we are sadly lacking at present…