Pools beaten by Form Newcastle
18 July 2007
Attendance 6,030
Newcastle 3 Hartlepool 1
Well, here we go again – new season upon us so early!
First proper match of the season and we lose to Newcastle 3-1.
On paper these games look easy for the premiership clubs but, truth be known, it is hard time for them.
Pools took the lead five minutes after the break when substitute Brown volleyed across Steve Harper from 12 yards after good work from Richie Barker and Ian Moore, but their lead was short-lived when Ameobi, scored in the 55th minute, and Michael Owen, tapped home two minutes later. Ameobi added his second after 75 minutes.
Danny Wilson's League One men stole the show in the first half. Loan signing Godwin Antwi had a good performance at the heart of the defence and the returning Joel Porter showed several great touches to remind the home crowd just what they missed during his long absence last term.
Pools who showed the initiative in the early stages of the game, Sweeney picking up a loose passes from Martins advanced 30 yards before unleashing a shot from 25 yards Shay Given dealt with comfortably. Porter went close on the quarter hour with a header and Ali Gibb was another to take a pot-shot from distance.
Newcastle hit back with Andy Carroll having an effort at the back post saved by Barrett, before the Pools keeper superbly turned over a chip from Martins.
The Pools keeper then made a superb double save - pushing Carroll's 22 yard effort away before dragging himself up to stop Barton's follow up header, to give the Pools boss some food for thought about who will be his number one next term.
Both sides made large-scale changes at the but it was Pools who drew first blood when Cramlington born Brown volleyed home. The Magpies levelled in the 55th minute, however, when Dyer, United's best player, slipped the ball through to Ameobi, who rounded substitute goalkeeper Jan Budtz.
Dyer then played architect two minutes later when he threaded another sublime ball through to James Troisi. The Australian cut back to Owen who had a simple tap in.
Pools thought they had levelled in the 62nd minute when Ben Clark headed home from Robbie Elliott's corner but the referee ruled foul.
Ameobi increased the Magpies' lead when Troisi pulled a ball back on the edge of the area and Pools keeper Jan Budtz allowed a soft shot to slip though his arms in the 73rd minute.
Hartlepool: Lee-Barrett (Budz 45m), McCunnie, Clark, Antwi, Robson (Monkhouse 64m), Gibb (Brown 45m), Sweeney (Bullock 68m), Liddle (Turnbull 85m), Humphreys (Elliott 45m), Porter (Barker 45m), Mackay (Moore 45m). Subs not used: Foley, Barron.
Newcastle: Given (Harper 45m), Carr (Lough 75m), Rozehnal (Troisi 45m), Ramage (Francis 90m), Huntington, Dyer (Pattison 64m), Barton (LuaLua 75m), Butt (Solano 45m),N'Zogbia (Bertram 80m), Martins (Ameobi 45m), Carroll (Owen 45m)
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