Full time Saturday February 3rd (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Full time Saturday February 3rd

6:36pm Saturday 3rd February 2007 in Football By Dave Wallis

Match report from Swindon Town

Coca Cola League Two

Swindon Town 0 Hartlepool United 1

Paul Sturrock had the newly signed French defender Patrick Noubissie to chose from but decided to leave him from the squad. Andy Nicholas recovered from a bout of concussion at Peterborough to take his place in the starting line-up at left back.

Hartlepool manager Danny Wilson had a striker problem with Richie Barker suspended but Eifion Williams overcame an ongoing calf problem to start.

The game started with the bright sun in the eyes of the Town team.

Sofienne Zaabooub made a 60-yard run down the left in the sixth minute and squared to Lee Peacock, but he managed to screw the ball just wide of the right hand post from six yards for the best chance over the opening exchanges.

Then a great cross from Shakes caused panic and produced a corner that came to nothing.

Swindon were looking second best for most of the balls in midfield and some of the visitors passing movement was leaving Town chasing the shadows that the low sun was casting.

Then Michael Pook played in Shakes on the right and he cut inside to strike directly at keeper Dimi Konstantopolous from 12 yards.

On 14 minutes a delightful ball from Jack Smith found a running Michael Timlin, but his shot was collected by the keeper, and then at the other end a terrible ball from Timlin found James Brown who struck well, but high and wide.

Too often Town were losing possession unnecessarily and Hartlepool looked well capable of capitalising.

Then a sustained spell of pressure in the shadow of the Town End produced the best moment of the match so far after 35 minutes. A Zaaaboub shot was blocked by defender Michael Nelson before the ball fell to Nicholas. His thunderous shot from 20 yards crashed against the woodwork and rebounded to safety.

Then the ball ran to the other end where James Brown's shot was smothered by Phil Smith before being cleared.

A Hartlepool free kick five yards outside the area was fired high by Nelson as the game swung from end to end.

Halftime Swindon Town 0 Hartlepool United 0

The game sprang into life right at the start of the second period. A corner for the away team after two minutes of the restart was fired over by Richie Barker and Andy Monkhouse rose unchallenged at the far post to plant a firm header past Smith to open the scoring against his old club.

Four minutes later Christian Roberts skipped past several tackles to find himself one on one with the keeper but Konstantopolous dived at his feet as he tried to round him to take the ball off his foot.

A great run by Zaaboub and a reverse ball to Roberts saw a low hard ball into the box cleared for a corner and from the scramble that ensued Pook fired narrowly wide of the top right hand corner of the goal.

On the hour Blair Sturrock replaced Shakes, who had started well but faded, with Roberts going wide to fill the space.

Peacock was getting little change from the centre of the Hartlepool defence with Michael Nelson having a colossal game for the visitors as Town tried to carry the game to the visitors.

On 70 minutes, Curtis Weston came on for Nicholas with Zaaboub switching to defensive duties at left back, then Roberts cantered down the right and forced a corner on 72 minutes which produced a long spell of pressure with Town packing the box, but ultimately no final product.

The last throw of Town's substitution dice was made with 15 minutes to go when Jutkiewicz replaced Pook, as Sturrock threw caution to the wind.

Town lived dangerously when a free kick after 85 minutes was allowed to drift through the box where any one of three Hartlepool players could have connected to seal the game, then a jinking run by James Brown saw him screw a shot past Smith's far post.

With the fourth official showing a blank board, supporters were left guessing how many minutes were to be added, then Blair Sturrock turned and blasted over from ten yards in what was the best chance of the second half.

Town pressed for the equaliser, but a Timlin cross was allowed to meander around the box without a Town striker finding a finishing touch and there was still time for Sturrock to fail to apply a telling connection from six yards

The result added to ex-Town midfielder Andy Monkhouse's incredible record of 22 games without finishing on a losing side and left Town second in the League Two table on 60 points, with Hartlepool moving up to third, two points behind.

Attendance 6,841