retired_amirebn

I forgot the League Cup had 2 legged ties in the first two round back then...

mrsevans7177

Good start m8, have a feeling we're gunna be seeing a lot of these soon :o

enjikari

Cheers Lads

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The start of November, aside from rejecting numerous bids for numerous players, looked to be the toughest match we had faced in the league so far as we welcomed second-placed Mansfield to Victoria Park. Despite our blistering start, Mansfield had kept the pace as well and had won all seven of their away games so far. We were, however, unbeaten at home and this looked like it would remain the same when we took the lead early through Fortune-West’s fifteenth goal of the season. Mansfield showed why they were level with us at the top of the league though, and Boulding drew them level just before half-time. They searched for a winner in the second half but found Williams in inspired form in goal. It was us who did manage to score a winner when Westwood headed home after Clark had hit the bar. This goal gave us the two-one win and finally gave us a small gap at the top of the table.

Whilst the press continued to throw superlatives at us as we ‘steamrollered’ the division, we prepared for a break from the league as we travelled to Premiership Bradford City in the fourth round in the League Cup. Unlike our previous top flight opponents, Bradford opted to play a full first team and it took them just three minutes to open the scoring through Dean Saunders. By half-time, however, we had shown we were more than a match for the home side and we had actually taken the lead thanks to goals from strikers Fortune-West and Sheridan. We led until the hour mark when Carbone equalised, our cup run brought to an end by Wetherhall’s late header in a three-two defeat.

Before our game away at play-off chasing Blackpool, there was a slight change in goalkeeping-personnel. Q.P.R offered £375,ooo for Martin Hollund, which I quickly accepted. He also quickly accepted their offer and I used £4o,ooo of the transfer fee to bring in a replacement in the shape of Tommy Evans from Scunthorpe. Despite not directly affecting the starting eleven, it still seemed to have an effect on the team as Blackpool tore us to pieces. We found ourselves three goals behind after just 25 minutes, although Fortune-West did manage to pull one back before half-time. It was not to be the start of any great comeback though and Blackpool added a fourth before the whistle went to defeat us four-one.

I bought another player before our next match, this time buying Eric Van Kessel from Bristol Rovers for £5o,ooo. He went straight into the team for our FA Cup first round tie at home to Carlisle, whom we had already beaten at home in the league. If it had been a league game it would have been top v bottom and it was top that took the lead when Sheridan fired us ahead. It stayed like that until after half-time when the visitors equalised to make it one all. We still cruised to victory despite this with a goal from Midgley and another form Sheridan giving us a three-one win and a passage into the next round. A round which would see us host Division Two leaders Bristol City.

Having rejected bids from quite a few clubs for him, Tommy Miller had been getting upset about not being allowed to move clubs. So when Aston Villa offered £5oo,ooo for him, I decided it was time to allow him to leave and he was gone by the time we faced York in our game in hand. Despite his loss, and the loss of both Fortune-West and his replacement Henderson to injury early in the first half, we still won rather easily. Stephenson put us ahead, an own goal made it two and Sheridan wrapped it up when he got the third late on after York had pulled one back to give us a three-one victory.

Without Fortune-West and Henderson, we travelled to third-placed Lincoln for our latest league match. We looked destined to lose as soon as they converted their dubious third minute penalty. Indeed, after just eleven minute we found ourselves three goals behind. It stayed like that until the seventieth when Lormor pulled one back having come on from the bench to make his first ever appearance for the club. Clark then pulled another one back, and it looked as thought we might pull off an unlikely come back, but Gordon completed a hat-trick for the home side as we slumped to a four-two defeat. Despite this defeat we still found ourselves top of the table, now with a two point gap on second-placed Mansfield.

enjikari

December started with a home game against fourth-placed Kidderminster. Kidderminster were going strong in the league and took the lead just before the half-hour mark. Van Kessel’s first goal since arriving levelled things before half-time but the away side found themselves in front again after an own goal from Strodder. I sent Sperrevik on as the game headed into the last ten minutes and he headed us level with just six minutes remaining. It looked to be heading for a draw when we were awarded an injury-time penalty. Villain turned hero when Strodder stepped up to convert and give us three points with his first ever goal for the club for a three-two win.

Before our next game I recruited a new midfielder to bolster the squad. Stuart Gray joined from Reading, where he had fallen out of favour, for £12o,ooo. He was cup-tied as we faced Division Two leaders Bristol City in the second round of the FA Cup at Victoria Park. I had rejected a bid for Paul Stephenson just hours before the match from our opponents, so it was kind of ironic when we headed into the break two goals up thanks to two strikes from Stephenson. The second half brought no chance to the score line and we had easily dispatched ‘better’ opposition by two goals to nil for a place in round three, where we would travel to First Division Watford.

We were back in cup action next as we had another home game, this time against Mansfield in the first round of the Northern Section of the Autoglass Trophy. It was top versus second in terms of league placing and we had recently beaten them at home in the league. Gray came in to make his debut, but only lasted 52 minutes before picking up a knock, and Fortune-West returned to action having fully recovered. As it was the game was a pretty forgetful encounter, but Stephenson’s goal on the hour gave us a one-nil win. The return to league action brought with it a fourth home game in a row as we welcomed struggling Barnet. Twynham gave us an early lead but Barnet equalised within minutes of falling behind. We took total control after that and, despite still being level when we came out for the second half, goals from Henderson, Clark and Henderson again gave us an easy four-one win.

We travelled to Cheltenham for our first away game in just under a month. A goal from Fortune-West on the stroke of half-time gave us the lead but we couldn’t hold it for long in the second half and we returned to Hartlepool, having had to settle for just one point after a one-all draw. This result meant we dropped to second behind Mansfield, both having scored fifty but having conceded one more. Boxing Day brought the relatively short trip to Darlington and also brought a late Christmas present as we picked up all three points. Goals in either half from Henderson and Van Kessel brought us a two-nil victory.

The last game of the year saw us welcome Exeter to Victoria Park. A good ‘holiday-season’ crowd had come to see a victory and we didn’t disappoint. Stephenson put us ahead and, after an equalised from the visiting side, Clark’s header and a Van Kessel penalty gave us a three-one win to end the year the best way possible. More good news came later on as we returned to the top of the league as Mansfield lost. Let’s hope we stay there throughout the rest of the season in 2001.

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">Pos Team Pld Won Drn Lst For Ag Pts----------------------------------------------------------1st HARTLEPOOL 24 19 2 3 55 24 592nd Mansfield 25 18 3 4 53 23 573rd Lincoln 24 15 6 3 50 29 51----------------------------------------------------------4th Blackpool 24 16 3 5 40 23 515th Kidderminster 24 14 2 8 34 23 446th Hull 24 11 7 6 22 18 407th Macclesfield 24 12 4 8 39 32 40----------------------------------------------------------8th Plymouth 24 12 3 9 42 37 39</pre>

retired_embartl

How are you doing this

Good luck to continuing fortunes btw

enjikari

Cheers Brian...I think!

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January and New Years Day brought a long trip down to Leyton Orient. And it brought with it a fourth league defeat of the season. A goal from Clark saw us go into the half-time break level at one-all but, despite a tenth goal of the season from substitute Henderson, we went down by three goals to two. We only had to wait two days for the opportunity to return to winning ways as we welcomed bottom-of-the-league Scunthorpe. Westwood headed us into the lead in the first half and a late goal from Stephenson wrapped up a two-nil victory, a win which extended Scunthorpe’s winless streak to nineteen games.

The third round trip to First Division Watford in the FA Cup was next, and we travelled to Vicarage Road quietly confident. Watford were in second place in Division One and they showed why when they dominated the first half. We were two goals behind before half-time and found ourselves three down not long after the restart. Watford then took their foot of the gas and we managed to register on the score-sheet when Clark pulled back a late consolation for a three-one defeat. Concentrate on the league etc.

Back to the league we went, and we faced Hull at home in our next game. Stephenson fired us ahead before the visitors scored to make the score one-all at half-time. Stephenson and Fortune-West had goals disallowed early in the second half and then Hull took the lead with fifteen minutes to go. Stephenson got his second of the game with eight minutes left to pull us level and then we had our third goal of the game ruled out, this time from Sheridan. It looked to be heading for a draw but Stephenson completed his hat-trick with just a minute left to give us the three-two win.

Another home game followed next, but before that I negotiated the sale of reserve striker Adam Boyd. Stockport paid £2o,ooo for him and I let him go to play in their reserve team. Our visitors for the next league game were Torquay and two goals from Fortune-West saw us two up before the away side pulled back one before half-time. They levelled the game midway through the second half but Fortune-West gave us the points when he completed his hat-trick with five minutes remaining on the clock. A three-two victory was sealed, a second in succession, with one player scoring all of our goals again.

We travelled to Carlisle next for our second round match in the Northern Section of the Autoglass trophy. Travelling with us was new signing Rob Matthews from Stockport. Stockport gave us him and £21o,ooo for Paul Stephenson, whom I had sold because his contract was up at the end of the season and we couldn’t re-negotiate another. Matthews filled the gap Stephenson left for the game against Carlisle but we lost him to injury after twelve minutes. And after forty-five minutes, we conceded the goal that lost us the game as we went down to a one-nil defeat.

A trip to Plymouth saw out return to league action in our next game. Gray, back from the injury he picked up on his debut, fired us ahead but the home side levelled affairs before half-time. The game was very close in the second half, but two late goals sent the home fans into raptures as they defeated us by three goals to one. This was the first time we had suffered consecutive defeats this season but, despite this loss, we still sat top of the table, clear of second-placed Mansfield by three points.

enjikari

The players were well rested for our next league game, as we had a two week break due to the FA Cup. The first game in February was at home to Chesterfield, who sat tenth in the league. They took the lead midway through the first half, but Gray equalised a minute later. Fortune-West put us into the lead right after half-time and we held on for the two-one win, which would have been three if another Fortune-West effort had not been ruled out for offside. A trip to the Shay to face Halifax followed and, again, we fell behind. We were still behind on the hour mark, but two goals in ten minutes from Clark and Sheridan put us into the lead. We couldn’t hold on though and Halifax got an equaliser to make the score two-all at the final whistle.

We faced Rochdale, who were second from bottom in the table, at home next in the league. It took us until the second half too eventually break the deadlock when Sheridan fired us ahead, but we were left to settle for a one-all draw when Rochdale snatched a last-minute equaliser. The games continued to come as we next travelled to a struggling Southend side. It was another game where we found ourselves a goal down at half-time and this time we stayed behind until the last ten minutes. Fortune-West headed us level and then Midgley, on as a substitute, got a ninety-second minute winner to give us a two-victory.

Next up were Brighton as they travelled to Victoria Park in a similar league position to previous opponents Southend. Despite losing Shilton to an injury early on, we managed to lead at half-time through a goal from Sheridan. With Zamora having an off day, Brighton offered little in the way of a second-half comeback and Twynham made sure of the points when he scored the second in a two-nil. This win continues our run at the top of the league, but Mansfield still continue to push us as they only trail by three points still.

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">Pos Team Pld Won Drn Lst For Ag Pts----------------------------------------------------------1st HARTLEPOOL 34 25 4 5 75 39 792nd Mansfield 34 23 7 4 70 33 763rd Lincoln 34 18 9 7 63 48 63----------------------------------------------------------4th Orient 34 19 6 9 53 41 635th Blackpool 33 19 5 9 46 31 626th Cardiff 33 16 12 5 48 27 607th Hull 34 16 11 7 46 30 59----------------------------------------------------------8th Kidderminster 33 18 4 11 61 44 58</pre>

shannon2007

Looks like the first bits achieved, how close is the Derby job to opening?

retired_embartl

I imagine the Derby job won't be too long in coming actually, assuming Derby are doing as bad in your game as mine. The bald eagle will fly soon enough

Anyway looks like you overcame losing Paul Stephenson pretty well - just got to finish the job off now. Good luck

enjikari

Derby currently sit bottom of the Premiership and Jim Smith's job is insecure. But since you mentioned they have won two out of two and are only a point of safety, darn you!

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March started with a trip to Carlisle, a team we had already faced three times previously this season due to our two cup games. We had lost our visit to Brunton Park last time and we fell behind early on in this game, like we had when we were defeated. We got back into the game just after the hour mark when Twynham levelled things and it didn’t take us long to take the lead. Knowles got the second goal and this was the goal that ended up clinching the two-one victory. A midweek game at home to lowly Shrewsbury followed the win at Carlisle. Midgley put us ahead in the first half and a goal from Fortune-West in the second secured a pretty easy two-nil win. One bad note from the game, however, was the late dismissal of Gary Strodder for two yellows cards.

Our next match was a trip to Macclesfield, who had been in poor form of late. Goals from Sheridan and Midgley meant we found ourselves two-nil up after twenty minutes but two mistakes from ‘keeper Williams allowed the home side to come into the break back on level terms. Sheridan got his second of the game early on in the second half and that made it three-two. Matthews came off the bench to score his first goal for the club with his very first touch and that goal secured a four-two victory. Following this game we received fantastic news when we were told that we were now guaranteed a play-off place with 9 games of the season remaining.

The first of two home games followed after a ten day break, as we welcomed mid-table York. The first-half was a complete non-event, but the second began with Fortune-West headed us into the lead with his 25th of the season. Substitute Henderson made certain of the victory with a late goal but Fortune-West still found time to make doubly sure with the third in a three-nil win. The second game of the two home games brought third-placed Lincoln to Victoria Park. Despite Sheridan giving us an early lead, like they had done at Sincil Bank, Lincoln turned us over. They scored two goals before half-time and one more in the second half to give us our first home defeat of the season as we went down by three goals to one.

Having just played, and lost to, third we travelled to Mansfield, the team lying behind us in second. We lost Fortune-West in the warm-up, so Henderson took his place upfront. We found ourselves behind early on because of Boulding’s opener, but Henderson fired home to make sure we all square at half-time. The second half turned into a defensive encounter, with neither team wanting to lose the game, but one team did. And it was the home side as Ian Clark headed home in the 86th minute to give us the two-one victory. First beat second for the second time in the season.