Swindon Town 0 - Hartlepool 1 (From Swindon Advertiser)

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Swindon Town 0 - Hartlepool 1

9:30pm Tuesday 24th February 2009 in Sport Photograph of the Author By Anthony Marshall

Referee Andy Hall justifying his penalty decision

TOWN conceded a controversial last-minute penalty as their five-game unbeaten run came to an end at home to Hartlepool tonight.

With the game just about to enter added on time, referee Andy Hall adjudged Jerel Ifil to have raised his feet in the area, and Ben Clark stepped up to squeeze the ball past Peter Brezovan from the spot.

A dour game highlighted why both sides are struggling at the wrong end of League One, as both goalkeepers were rarely tested.

Swindon looked a shadow of the side which put four past Scunthorpe at the weekend, and their only clear cut chances were an off-target first half Simon Cox header and substitute Lee Peacock's low drive which was well stopped by Pools keeper Arran Lee-Barrett.

Town created the first chance of the night on five minutes. Billy Paynter's pass failed to reach Simon Cox but made its way to Kevin Amankwaah on the right side of the box.

However, the midfielder shanked his left-footed effort and it bobbled harmlessly wide.

Former Town wideman Andy Monkhouse lashed a shot high and wide for Hartlepool on 14 minutes, and almost straight away down the other end Paynter agonisingly failed to get a touch to Amankwaah's drive across the face of goal.

Peter Brezovan was forced into action on 26 minutes, making a smart low stop to deny Daniel Nardiello as the visitors started to pose problems to a Swindon side unable to get into any sort of rhythm.

In the 34th minute Hal Robson-Kanu seized on a slip by Lewis Guy, but chose to try his luck from 30 yards instead of stride forward, and got his chipped effort horribly wrong.

It was going to take a moment of brilliance to break the deadlock and the hosts almost cracked it right on the stroke of half-time.

Michael Timlin's superb delivery to the far post found Cox in acres of space, but the 19-goal front man was unable to add to his tally as he sent a header back across goal and wide of the upright.

Town nearly took a fortuitous lead four minutes afer the restart. Timlin's inswinging free-kick evaded the diving heads of Paynter and Cox and Hartlepool keeper Arran Lee-Barrett grabbed it at the second attempt.

Nardiello curled a free-kick over the wall on 60 minutes and then seconds later the front man picked up the ball 40 yards out, drove towards the Swindon goal and fired a dipping effort just over.

Wilson made a double switch to try and lift his troops, bringing on Anthony McNamee and Lee Peacock for Kevin Amankwaah and Billy Paynter respectively, and it looked to have sparked Town into a bit of life.

Neat interplay between Peacock and Cox was only stopped by a superb tackle from Michael Nelson, while Robson-Kanu also fizzed a low drive just wide.

Peacock was next to go close, but his low effort from 10 yards was well kept out by Lee-Barrett following Cox's pull-back.

With three minutes remaining Hartlepool piled on the pressure and got their reward with seconds remaining in normal time.

Jerel Ifil challenged Pools substitute David Foley just inside the area, and as his foot went cleanly through the chest-high ball, Mr Hall amazed everyone in the County Ground by pointing to the spot.

Ben Clarke took responsibility from 12 yards and his kick, low down to Brezovan's right, squeezed just under the keeper's grasp and into the bottom corner.

TOWN (4-4-2): Peter Brezovan; Jack Smith, Jerel Ifil (c), Gordon Greer, Jamie Vincent; Kevin Amankwaah (Anthony McNamee 61), Patrick Kanyuka (Chris Allen 73), Michael Timlin, Hal Robson-Kanu; Billy Paynter (Lee Peacock 61), Simon Cox

Subs not used: Phil Smith, Sean Morrison

HARTLEPOOL (4-4-2): Arran Lee-Barrett; Antony Sweeney, Michael Nelson (c), Sam Collins, Ritchie Humphreys; Lewis Guy, Gary Liddle, Ben Clark, Andy Monkhouse; Michael Mackay (David Foley 82), Daniel Nardiello (Liam Henderson 80)

Subs: Mark Cook, Joe Tait, Jonny Rowell

Comments(45)

amadeus says...
9:48pm Tue 24 Feb 09

diabolical 2nd half, why give away so many free kicks in a dangerous position, hartlepool must have been in double figures on these free kicks, and ifell what a stupid error high foot in the penalty area, a wasted 3 pts gone when we were the better side in the 1st half, i am not a happy chappy