A first Saturday home league game since 29 October 2022 brought the visit of lowly Hartlepool to the Eco-Power Stadium.
Still, something seemed to be missing from this game, and that something turned out to be a distinct lack of any real quality. Both sides struggled to impose themselves on the game, with few chances of note in the first half.
There was a slight improvement after the break, with a couple of good chances around the hour mark in the only spell of the game Rovers looked remotely like scoring. It took a well taken finish by Dan Dodds, and very poor Rovers defending, with two minutes remaining to take three points back up north and send the 1,000 Pools fans into raptures. This result means a third of Hartlepool’s wins this season have come courtesy of Rovers.
Rovers looked completely devoid of ideas throughout the game, with the lack of movement all the more telling with Hartlepool liable to leave plenty of room across the park at times. Alas, the centre back pairing of Williams and Anderson leaves a lot to be desired. Loanee Ben Nelson seemed to be shoring up the defensive line, as it looked considerably more rocky after his departure.
With the current negativity around the club, a turn in fortunes is needed. Unfortunately, if this performance is anything to go by, that doesn’t seem to be around the corner.
word and image by Adam Bates
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