Match Preview: Hartlepool United

16 August 2022

After claiming our first Sky Bet League Two win of the season last time out, Micky Mellon’s side now face a trip to the North-East to face Hartlepool United on Tuesday night.

The first win of the season came in emphatic style as goals from Elliot Nevitt, Ethan Bristow and Josh Dacres-Cogley sealed a 3-0 win over Gillingham who was relegated from the third tier last campaign.

With a fine dominant display following on from a penalty shootout victory earlier that week against League One opposition in Accrington Stanley, Micky will be hoping this is the beginning of a good run of form after picking up defeats in the first two league games of the season.

As for the hosts’, Hartlepool were promoted from the National League in 2020/21 and spent last year back in the fourth tier for the first time in four years.

With a respectable finish of 17^th from a promoted side, United caused a number of upsets over the course of the season and will be hoping to be another tough side to face again this campaign.

However, they haven’t had the best of starts in terms of results after they were battered 4-0 by Walsall on the opening day, followed by a 0-0 home draw with Wimbledon, another 4-0 battering in the Carabao Cup to Blackburn Rovers and then a narrow defeat to AFC Wimbledon at the weekend.

Team News:

Lee O'Connor and Luke Robinson missed Saturday's game and will be assessed to see how long they will be out for.

Jordan Turnbull came through his first 90 minutes unscathed and Joel Mumbongo got some more minutes under his belt coming on as a second half substitute.

Tom Davies, Kieron Morris and Charlie Jolley all remain sidelined

One to Watch: Callum Cooke

Born in the North-East, Cooke’s recent move to Hartlepool was a move back home after featuring up and down the EFL.

He came through at Middlesborough whilst never making a professional appearance and endured two loans spells whilst on the books at Boro with Crewe Alexandra and Blackpool respectively.

He then spent three years at Bradford City, one of which was a loan spell from parent club Peterborough United. But following his departure from Valley Parade, Cooke joined up with Hartlepool and has played every Sky Bet League Two minute so far.

After a poor start to the season for the Pools, Cooke, 25, is the type of figure with EFL experience that the squad will look to as they still search for their first win of the season.

Manager: Paul Hartley

Having only managed in Scotland, Hartley moved south of the border this summer to take over at Hartlepool after three years at Cove Rangers.

He had a 17-year long professional career as a player, featuring heavily for the likes of St Johnstone, Heart of Midlothian, Celtic as well as spending a year towards the end of this career at Bristol City before finishing up at Aberdeen.

He also earned 25 caps for his national team, being a regular pick in Midfield during Scotland’s EUFA Euro 2008 qualifying campaign.

He took his first managerial job at Alloa Athletic, a role which lasted three years and a spell which saw him win the Scottish Third Division and Scottish First Division play-off winner in 2012/13.

Hartley then won the Championship with Dundee before declining a move to the EFL Championship with Cardiff City and followed his success up in his next few jobs with two promotions in three seasons at Cove Rangers which was his final club before taking over at Hartlepool.

With a poor start, Hartley certainly has the credentials to turn the form around, but the threat of dropping back into the National League is one all Hartlepool fans will be desperate to avoid by as big of a margin as possible.

Match Coverage:

Tuesday's game will be streamed live on iFollow in both the UK and abroad! Click here to get your match pass now for just £10

You can also follow the action through our social media channels below, with full text coverage during the fixture, followed by a match report.

Twitter: @tranmererovers

Facebook: @trfcofficial

Instagram: @tranmererovers

Match reaction from Micky Mellon and a player will follow on our website and YouTube channel.

Match Previews

Match Reports

Hartlepool United 0-0 Tranmere Rovers

16 August 2022

Tranmere Rovers picked up a hard earned point following a goalless draw against Hartlepool United on Tuesday night.

Neither side could break the deadlock at a blustery Suit Direct stadium despite Rovers having the better of the chances.

The opening exchanges were fairly cagey. McAlear released Lewis down the left who looked to pick out Nevitt in the box but he lost his footing at the vital moment as he went to cross.

The home side applied some pressure themselves with a series of corners into dangerous areas but Jameson stood tall to clear away with his head.

Hartlepool were close to shooting themselves in the foot in the 15th minute. A short back pass was nearly pounced upon by Hemmings as he slid in on the keeper and got a touch to the ball but it ricocheted into the air and Killip caught it.

Rovers’ high press was starting to cause Pools some problems as Merrie picked the pocket of Lacey before Nevitt’s shot from the edge of the box was blocked by Menayese.

Nevitt had another chance not long after. He played a neat one two with Kane Hemmings but his left footed shot from inside the box was sliced wide.

Reece McAlear was next up to try his luck. Again linking up with Hemmings, his half volley was well caught by Killip before it could reach the top corner.

On the 28th minute, Hartlepool had their best chance of the game through Ryan Hastie. He ran through on goal with just Doohan to beat but the Rovers stopper spread himself to deny him with his chest.

Just before half time, Jordan Turnbull turned inside the box and volley into the roof of the net however the linesman had his flag up for a clear offside.

The hosts started the second half brighter and had a half chance through McDonald. He dropped his shoulder to create space in the box before firing a shot high and wide from inside the box.

Tranmere responded with a good chance of their own. Dacres-Cogley paced past his man into the box before forcing Killip to palm around his post from his left footed strike.

Again, Pool were caught with a sloppy pass at the back. This time Elliott Nevitt was presented an opportunity to get a strike away at goal but he hesitated and eventually sliced his shot wide of the target.

Past the hour mark, Bristow paced down the left and was very close to finding the head of Nevitt in the box. He kept the ball in and laid it off to McAlear on the edge of the box but he couldn’t keep his effort on target.

Second half substitute Josh Hawkes was next to test Killip. He got into the box and forced Killip to beat away a powerful front post strike.

The final chance of the game fell to Hawkes. Dacres-Cogley got to the byline and clipped a cross into the box which fell to Hawkes but his snapshot was blocked by Lacey and cleared.

Both sides had to settle for a point which sees Rovers pick up four points in the space of two games and will face another long journey on Saturday to face Newport County.

Tranmere team: Doohan, Dacres-Cogley, Byrne, Turnbull (Hawkes 64’), Jameson, Bristow, Merrie, Lewis, McAlear, Nevitt (Mumbongo 74’), Hemmings