Would a new year bring new hope to Pool? well if not the new year then all the new faces should have.
Flying Freddie
The first game of the season at Bloomfield Road saw the visit of high flyers Southend United. Ian Morris was now eligible to play after signing on loan for the rest of the season. Morris started on the bench for the Southend match which still saw Mark McGregor filling in at left-back.
Southend got a first half lead thanks to a goal soft goal from Bentley, but the Seasiders managed to rally and Keigan Parker got an equaliser in the second half, but once again a late goal was conceded, substitute Freddie Eastwood firing past Jones at his near post on 89 minutes.
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Go Go Gobern
In the run up to the re-arranged Oldham match Simon Grayson was able to bring in another two new faces, Dean Gordon signed on a month to month contract and Marc Joseph signed till the end of the season from Championship side Hull. Lewis Gobern who had had limited opportunities was also signed up for a further month on loan from Wolves.
And it was to be Gobern who would steal the show in the re-arranged North-West derby, his long range left footed shot in the second half was enough to get the first three points of 2006.
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Busy busy busy
Things were still busy at Bloomfield Road, Grayson was given the managers job till the end of the season, Rory Predergast turned down a permanent mover to Halifax and returned from his loan spell at the Shay, Liam Fortaine turned down a move to us and decided to sign for Bristol City. Mark McGregor left for Port Vale, John Doolan left for Rochdale, Neil Wood signed from Coventry on loan, David Fox signed from Manchester United, Marcus Bean signed till the end of the season from Q.P.R and we lost at Huddersfield 2-0, the less said about that result the better, phew, that was a lot to take in.
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Just a point
With a much changed squad Pool went in to the Bristol City match with a much needed win, Wood, Joseph started the match and David Fox managed a place on the bench. Marcus Bean didn’t catch the early train so wasn’t ready in time to play.
Pool took the lead in the match, John Murphy rounding the keeper and fireing in on 5 minute. But a cleaver freekick found Steve Brooker who slotted past Jones to share the points.
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Doncaster done over
In the fourth and final home game of January Pool managed to put on a great show beating Doncaster 4-2. Even with an unfamiliar midfield that included Prendergast, Wood, Bean and Morris, Doncaster were easily beaten with goals from Butler, Morris, Parker and Clarke. So after all the changes to the squad things were looking up once again.
Before the match Simon Grayson made his eight dip into the transfer market bring in young defender Sean Talyor in on loan from Sunderland.
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The Keigan Parker Show
Last match of the month was an away trip to Hartlepool, Wilcox had made his loan move from Leicester permanent signing till the end of the season. No changes were match to the starting eleven than defeated Doncaster, and it worked as Pool stormed to their second win on the trot beating ten man Hartlepool 3-0.
The match didn’t start to well when on 10 minutes Neil Wood was sent of for a bad tackle on Strachen. But pool held on and on 27 minutes Mickey Barron was sent off for a professional foul on Keigan Parker. Clarke put away the penalty to give the lead to the away side. Clarke put his second penalty away in the second half when Parker was fouled in the box again. Parker then rounded things of nicely with a goal of his own.
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Summary
January had been a month of transition with players coming in and out of the club. Grayson was now firmly in charge and was started to set out his team as he liked it. And the results were coming and it made an impact of the position in the league. The Seasiders now stood in 16th place, but this was only two points away from the relegation zone. Things were tight down at the bottom and the February to come wasn’t going to help.
P.S. If there are any spelling mistakes in this I’m sorry i had to write it at Uni in a plain text document, as for some reason the biggest University in Europe don’t have Microsoft Word on the library computers.
