Super Sam pulls plug on Pools

DAVE CHALLINOR labelled his side’s defending ‘kamikaze’ and ‘shocking’ after they suffered back-to-back defeats.

- Nick Loughlin

After 15 games without defeat, Hartlepool United have lost successive games at a time when it matters.

Pools now sit fourth and are scrapping to finish second or third in the table.

Sam Barratt made the most of Pools’ woes with a clinical hat-trick.

The Magpies, down to ten men for more than half the game, deserved the win with some organized defending and positive attacking.

Pools have three games left and Challinor said: “We are all frustrated. It’s disappointing. You can be angry and all that goes with it.

“We made really poor defensive mistakes which cost us goals and that affected confidence throughout the team.

“It’s bog-standard defending and I’ve said if you can’t defend balls like that in this league you won’t have a very good career.