Keith Curle: Dan Kemp’s free-kick gave Hartlepool momentum to claim point

Posted Sunday, February 12, 2023 by PA

Keith Curle felt Dan Kemp’s stunning free-kick gave Hartlepool the boost they needed to go on and earn a much-needed point against 10-man Sutton.

The visitors were in control after David Ajiboye and Lee Angol had secured a two-goal cushion after 31 minutes.

Ajiboye’s 18th-minute volley from Sam Hart’s excellent cross put them in front before the scorer laid on the second for Angol to chip goalkeeper Jakub Stolarczyk.

But Pools made the most of Craig Eastmond’s dismissal eight minutes before half-time to claim a point.

Kemp curled in a beautiful free-kick in the 43rd minute before defender Dan Dodds struck a left-foot volley thunderbolt to level in the third minute of first-half stoppage-time.

Hartlepool boss Curle said: “The free-kick from Dan Kemp created the momentum, that is quality. The goal from Dan Dodds is quality. We need to build play up and find a creative pass after that, and be more progressive. We did create a few chances but not enough.

“There’s slight frustration that at 2-2 we didn’t create as many chances against 10 men as we would have hoped. But to be 2-0 down at home and come back to 2-2 is a point gained.

“We didn’t start the game well. Sutton are a physical team, they get the numbers right, they jump early and have the willingness to find an extra inch. We weren’t aggressive enough in the first stages of the game.

“We didn’t do the basics in the first 20 minutes. We have to give credit to Sutton because you have to earn the right to play against them.”

Sutton boss Matt Gray knew his side were in the box-seat before Eastmond’s dismissal and were ready to turn up the heat on the play-off places.

He had no complaints about the red card shown by referee Andy Haines, just his captain’s decision to commit a foul on Kemp in the centre of the pitch.

Gray, whose side could have won it late on but sit four points from seventh place, said: “Definitely frustrated we didn’t claim three points. I’d have taken a point at half-time wherever you are on the road beforehand, and this is a tough place to go, it’s a bobbly pitch, the crowd on top of you and is ferocious and loud.

“But until the sending-off it was complete and utter domination, a top performance. It should have been game over and out of sight.

“I wasn’t disappointed with the second yellow because Craig slips and it is a second yellow. I am disappointed with the first. We have to make sure our focus on that period was keeping doing what we were doing.

“The sending-off changed the game. We just had to get to half-time and the lad bends in a top-corner free-kick and the centre-half volleys into the far corner with his weaker foot. Two worldy goals and it is 2-2 at half-time.

“I thought the second goal looked offside for me when Lee was played through. Irrelevant of that, the amount of chances we had, we were outstanding and it was a shame we didn’t create more. It should be three points.”