Pools boss Bates hails Hartlepool’s resolve

Posted Sunday, November 11, 2018 by PA

Hartlepool boss Matthew Bates hailed his side’s defensive resolve after they dug deep to earn a replay against Gillingham and keep alive their hopes of reaching the second round of the FA Cup.

Pools captain Liam Noble wasted the best chance to put his side into round two for the fourth time in six years, shooting straight at Gills goalkeeper Tomas Holy from 12 yards when unmarked in the box.

But despite the frustration of not completing an unlikely smash-and-grab raid in Kent, Bates was more than satisfied with the shift his side had put in.

“We set up to frustrate them with our shape and it worked,” said Bates. “The lads were magnificent.

“To come away to a League One side, a team who have won two of their last three games 3-0 and 4-0, to limit them and then have the best chance of the game is very pleasing.

“We felt fairly comfortable today. Shape and organisation get you over the line in these games and the lads have listened this week, they took on what we taught them in training.

“The pleasing thing was our discipline; they plugged away, kept their shape and caught them on the break a few times. On another day we would have come here and got the win. It’s a well-deserved replay.

“If we play like we did here in front of our fans, there’s no reason why we can’t beat them.

“But Gillingham are a good side. We may have caught them on an off day or caused them to have an off day. It’s probably the second one, but we’ll be wary of them when they come to our place.”

The Gills’ best chance came 15 seconds after the break but Brandon Hanlan’s low attempt flew inches past the post.

Manager Steve Lovell said: “They did their jobs better than we did ours today; that sums up the game.

“They’ve come down here wanting to get a 0-0 and they got that. It’s hard to break teams down who put 10 men behind the ball. They didn’t want to win the game today, but they will want to win the replay, so it will be an open game. I think that will suit us better.

“I’m very disappointed with what we did with the ball when we had it. They sat behind the ball and dictated how they wanted us to play.

“They won that battle of wit, if you like. They stopped our players doing what they do normally. Our players will learn from that.

“We were a lot better in the second half, but it was still a long way off what we have been doing. We didn’t use our strengths; we didn’t get in behind them. They defended well against us, so we’ve got to give them credit.”