Daz the Imp

The first of September saw us entertain Mansfield at home, so long our challengers last season. A Fortune-West strike saw us lead at half-time and Mansfield rarely threatened to level it, Corazzin scoring a second to secure another three points in a two-nil win. The return leg of the League Cup first round was next up and Notts County brought a one-nil lead to Victoria Park. A superb game ensued and goals from Fortune-West and Corazzin saw this lead overturned in twenty-five minutes but County then scored an away goal. Clark and Fortune-West made it four-one to us by half-time though, and no further goals meant that we won four-one on the night and four-two on aggregate.

After this superb win, the return to league action was a disappointment. We travelled to Swindon and found ourselves two-nil down at half-time. We came out in the second half and completely dominated but found the Swindon keeper in superb form. Fortune-West did manage pull one back but we had to settle for nothing in a two-one defeat. Before our next match, I brought in Robert Martin from Middlesbrough on loan for the rest of the season. We were without Corazzin due to international duty as a near capacity crowd turned out for our midweek game at home to Brentford. They saw us lead early through Fortune-West before our visitors levelled, but Clark made sure we were still leading at half-time when he scored out second. Brentford were stronger than us in the second half though, and they scored two goals in the final fifteen minutes to defeat us three-two.

Corazzin returned for our next game which saw us take a trip to Rotherham. A goal from Clark made sure that it was one-all at half-time after Rotherham had taken the lead but Rotherham snatched all three points as we lost two-one, Rotherham converting a dubious last-minute penalty. We were defeated by two goals to one but we had deserved at least a point. A trip to Premiership West Ham was up next in the first leg of the League Cup second round. Two early goals saw the home side leading at half-time, and for the entire game, but they relaxed and allowed us to snatch a goal through Corazzin late on. We had come away with a two-one defeat but the away goal could prove to be crucial if we are to advance.

A third away game in a row was up next as we travelled to Burnley in the league. Fortune-West scored after we had fallen behind early on but at half-time we found ourselves four-one and one man down as Westwood had been sent off. Fortune-West got his, and our, second in the second half to make the score-line slightly more respectable but we still ended up losing four-two. The first of three home games in row was our next game as we faced the return leg of the second round League Cup against West Ham. We dominated the game but couldn’t hit the target and we ended up getting a one-all draw. West Ham took the lead with two minutes remaining and then Corazzin equalised in injury time. This meant we were defeated three-two on aggregate.

Despite the recent dip in form, the decision to turn down Portsmouth’s offer to be their new manager was an easy one. I remained at Hartlepool and we continued our league campaign as we welcomed Oxford to Victoria Park. We completely dominated them, as we had West Ham, but this time we had not trouble hitting the target. Martin and Fortune-West goals had us two up at half-time and Corazzin added a third in the second half for a three-nil victory. This result made sure we stayed in tenth as the month drew to a close.

Daz the Imp

Due to international call-ups we were allowed a two week break, which was welcomed at the start of October. Also welcomed was Corazzin’s award for player of the month. We finally got to our game at home Wigan and Quayle scored his first of the season to put us ahead by half-time. We totally dominated proceedings but we were made to pay for missed chances when Wigan grabbed a point through a last-minute equaliser in a one-all draw. We didn’t even get a point out of our next game, a trip to Reading, as we slumped to a four-one defeat. Our goal came from Martin but we had goalkeeper Harper sent off.

Next up for us was a game at home to Millwall as we looked to get back to winning ways. Two goals from Carlo Corazzin meant we were two-nil up at half-time and he completed his hat-trick in the second half. Two goals from Millwall in the last five minutes made it look a closed run thing but we cantered to an easy three-two win. This was followed quickly by a midweek match away to Notts County, a place we already lost this season, albeit in the cup. We were defeated two-one on this occasion with Corazzin scoring our consolation.

A home game against Preston followed and we were two goals ahead at half-time thanks to strikes from Keith Brown and Steve Brown. Both goals were their first goals for the club and Keith’s was his first professional goal. Preston got a goal back through a dubious penalty very early in the second half but we replied to that with three more of our own. Steve Robinson got two, one a penalty and the other also his first for the club, and Sheridan got the other as we powered to a five-one win. Our re-arranged game away at Swansea was next and we were without Harper through suspension and Corazzin through injury. We were two-nil down at half-time and we could only pull one goal back through Robinson in the second half. This meant we lost two-one and ended the month in fourteenth.

Peacemaker7

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Brian of Nazareth:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Peacemaker7:
Yeah well done Daz. Getting the Derby job isnt going to be easy I fear I got knocked back for it, Leeds and Forest.

Good luck in the new season <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Are you blind? it was Steve Bruce who took over Derby ffs <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Who rattled your cage FFS.

I was talking about in the future try and keep up if you can. And tbh I dont see that I was talking to you anyway.

Anyway back to the story

Daz the Imp

Yes, back to the story...

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November started with a trip to Cambridge and we had to travel without five first team regulars. Despite this, Clark’s goal meant we were level at one-all at half-time and then two quick goals from Fortune-West saw us lead early in the second half. Cambridge immediately pulled one back but then Martin restored our two goal lead. Cambridge pulled another back before the end but it didn’t matter as we held on four the four-three win. Our next game was at home to Bury, and despite complete domination of the match we failed to score and had to settle for a nil-nil draw.

A short break from the league came next as we travelled to non-league Stalybridge Celtic in the first round of the FA Cup. This was a potential banana-skin match but Mark Quayle struck early and this effectively ended the game. Fortune-West struck either side of half-time before the home side grabbed a consolation to make the final score three-one. Before our next match both Corazzin and Maddix returned from international duty and Tony Lormor departed for Rochdale for £12,ooo. Our next match was at home to Orient and we were ahead on the stroke of half-time thanks to Corazzin’s fifthteenth of the season. Martin added a second and Corazzin got another before the final whistle to make it three-nil at full-time. This lifted to thirteenth in the table.

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">Pos Team Pld Won Drn Lst For Ag Pts10th Notts C 19 9 3 7 39 31 3011th Oldham 19 9 3 7 27 25 3012th Swindon 19 9 3 7 41 40 3013th HARTLEPOOL 19 8 3 8 36 28 2714th Bury 19 6 6 7 26 30 24</pre>

OMDave

*ducks as a handbag flies past*

Not all going your way this season, but still an enjoyable read. Best of luck :thup:

Peacemaker7

Sorry Daz, I have to rant once a month or I go bald

Brian of Nazareth

not a bad start in Division 2, pretty good considering you've had the odd injury too. Good luck

*note to self, add more safety winks in future* ( )

Peacemaker7

Its ok Rod, I probably overreacted. You how I'm usually so quiet and unassuming. (A)


I hate how there's not angel smilie here

Anyway I was wrong becuase I forgot this 0102 and its easier :p

But still, looking not too bad Daz, even for a retro game

Daz the Imp

Cheers Dave, Brian and PM. 00/01 actually :p

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Robert Martin was announced young player of the month just before we travelled to face Barnsley in our next league game. At Oakwell, Fortune-West and Corazzin both scored to give us a two goal lead at half-time and then Gray scored in the second half to give us a very good three-nil win. Our next match saw the visit of Conference side Doncaster Rovers in the second round of the FA Cup. First half goals from both Fortune-West and Corazzin were enough to see us through to the third round with a two-nil win.

Progress in that competition couldn’t be matched in the Autoglass Trophy as we were defeated at Chesterfield in the Northern Section first round. Steve Robinson got our goal in a two-one defeat. A return to the league was next as we travelled to fourth placed Walsall. An early Fortune-West goal was enough to give us all three points as we defended manfully for nearly eighty-five minutes and got a one-nil win.

A third away game in a row followed this as we travelled to Oldham top of the form table. Matthews put us ahead inside ten minutes and we led one-nil at half time. Sheridan added a second and we held out for a two-nil win and a second consecutive clean sheet. Boxing Day brought with it the visit of second-bottom Bristol Rovers. After five minutes they converted a penalty which was awarded alongside the sending off of Steve Harper. They doubled their lead before Corazzin pulled one back before half-time. No goals were added in the second half and we crashed to a two-one defeat.

The last game of December, and also the year, saw us travel to Northampton. The game was a pretty dire affair, with neither team really threatened their opposition’s goal. Thankfully, though, we snatched all three points when Rob Matthews popped up to head home a winner two minutes from time in a one-nil win. This left us in eighth, just a point of a playoff place and eleven off an automatic promotion slot.

Daz the Imp

New Year’s Day 2002 saw us take on Blackpool at home in the league. A goalless first half was played out before the away side took the lead in the second half. Danny Maddix rescued a late point with his first goal for the club and we got a one-all draw from the game. Next up was our third round FA Cup match, at home to Premiership Coventry. They were fifth in the Premiership going into the game but we had beaten them over two legs last season in the League Cup. This time, unlike last time, they fielded a full strength side. We got to half-time still goalless, and to the seventy minute mark still goalless, but Bellamy eventually scored and won the game for the away side as they defeated us one-nil.

A trip to bottom placed Wycombe came next but a poor performance saw us come away with nothing as we were defeated by one goal to nil. Another poor performance, away at Brentford, saw us come away with no points again. This time we lost two-one with Mark Quayle scoring our goal. At home to Rotherham was our next game and we fell behind early on, looking like we were going to turn out another poor performance. A goal in the minute either side of half-time from Robinson and then Quayle turned the match around in our favour and we held on for a two-one win.

A midweek game at home to Wrexham followed the Rotherham win and I could welcome back Robert Martin to the team after a five week injury. Martin himself scored the opener and then he set up Corazzin for a second before half-time. It stayed at two-nil for the rest of the game and we picked up another three points. This meant we ended January in ninth place.