Report: Hartlepool United 0-0 Magpies

Maidenhead United earned a well-deserved point at Victoria Park following a 0-0 draw with Hartlepool United. 

 

The game got off to a slow start, with little in the way of chances for the first 20 minutes. A coming together between Shawn McCoulsky and Luke Waterfall saw a potential penalty appeal waved away by referee Richard Aspinall as the match heated up with a quarter of it played. 

 

Hartlepool’s approach would be to target the flanks, with Reyes Cleary creating chances at the expense of Miles Welch-Hayes. While the left-winger was threatening the United defence, the Pools’ best opportunity would come from the right, when Mani Dieseruvwe hammered towards Craig Ross' goal. A quick reaction from the Maidenhead ‘keeper denied an opener, and the two sides entered the break level. 

 

 

The combination of Hartlepool’s attacking trio and Maidenhead’s five-at-the-back formation would dictate proceedings for much of the second half. While defensively solid throughout, the Magpies’ defensive strategy invited pressure from their hosts in County Durham. 

 

Hartlepool’s first opportunity to score in the second half came courtesy of Luke Charman. The winger whipped a cross into the path of Dieseruvwe, but the under-pressure striker was unable to connect. 

 

Minutes later, Will de Havilland denied Hartlepool as a header towards goal was blocked by last weekend’s goalscorer. The goalbound effort resulted in a corner - one which was dealt with well by the Maidenhead defence. 

 

While the hosts had the majority of the chances, it’s not to say that Maidenhead were reluctant to attack. A heavy touch in the penalty box by Gary Madine led to an excellent counterattack by Shawn McCoulsky, and his pitch-long run was not rewarded with the goal it deserved as the striker fired wide. 

 

In what some may consider as his strongest performance of the season, Casey Pettit was agonisingly denied by the crossbar with 15 minutes of the game to go. His half-volley as a result of a good piece of build-up play by the Magpies cruelly struck the crossbar, and Hartlepool cleared the danger on the rebound. 

 

Craig Ross performed well in the United uprights, and a flurry of saves with ten minutes to go - helped by the outstretched leg of Kevin Lokko on one occasion - kept the Magpies playing for a well-earned point. 

 

Despite a fantastic performance in between the sticks, the save of the game would go to Lokko rather than Ross. With the game now in its 99th minute, Lokko got himself in the way of Louis Stephenson’s strike with the Maidenhead ‘keeper off his line. Another five minutes passed before the final whistle, but, despite a stressful end to the game, Maidenhead United departed Hartlepool with a hard-fought point. 

 

 

After the game, assistant manager Ryan Peters reflected on a tough battle in the North East. 

 

“I suppose if you were sat there watching it, it wasn’t a very entertaining game,” said Peters. “But, for us, we haven’t been particularly good on the road. We showed resilience, we showed a desire, we showed some togetherness. I think we deserved a point today. 

 

“Look, we rode our luck at times - we had a few that were cleared off the line, of course. Casey hit the bar - he’s missed the target, but I’m being harsh - but we needed more and more performances like today. We’ve been very good at home, but our away performances haven’t been so good. We had a lot of travelling fans; they were in good spirits, and I thought we gave them a [good] performance.” 

 

Hartlepool United: A. Smith, D. Ferguson, Waterfall ©, Hunter, Madine, Campbell (Sloggett, 90+4’), Charman (Stephenson, 74’), Featherstone, Miley (Folarin, 62’), Cleary, Dieseruvwe 

 

Magpies: Ross, de Havilland, Lokko, Latty-Fairweather (Cochrane, 90+11’), N. Ferguson (Johnson, 46’), McCoulsky (Sho-Silva, 94’), Ferdinand, Pettit, Welch-Hayes, Abrahams (R. Smith, 79’), Massey ©