Hello and welcome to my latest Blog here on the Official Website - I hope you're all well.
Last week at Brighton was a weird game, it felt like a kind of training game because every time we went up the field it looked like we were going to score and every time they went up it looked like they would.
They were a threat from set pieces, Liam Dickinson was decent but we didn't play particularly well. We defended quite well because they were on top at times but it was disappointing to score three goals away from home and not come away with the win.
They did put us under a lot of pressure in the game and they were under a lot of pressure themselves as we saw when Russell Slade was sacked the following day.
The goal that made it 3-3 was bad luck more than anything else - just the way the ball landed for Foster after Scott Flinders had made the save, it couldn't have landed any better. It was bad defending from the free kick first of all and the knock on effect after that but we'll learn from that.
The draw does make it four games without a loss and now we have to keep that little run going.
This week it is Kettering in the FA Cup and they have done well in the Conference - just last night they were 2-1 down and went on to score in the last minute and get a point.
They are definitely a team who will always keep going to the end and we definitely will not be taking it lightly. We'll put out the strongest team we have because we know they'll come up here and try to do a Tamworth on us - I've heard about that from some of the lads but we'll have to kick that one into the stand!
We're the League One side and we want to go through. I have played in plenty of cup games and in the Champions League but the FA Cup is a big competition that we hear all about in Ireland - there is a special buzz about the competition.
If you look at what Havant and Waterlooville did last year, there always seem to be so-called 'minnows' who do well in the FA Cup. The Premier League is something that the best team wins because it is all about consistency but the FA Cup is one that anyone can win on the day.
Obviously people will be looking for the bigger teams to fall so we have to play well, defend well and score goals - they are not going to give up as they proved last night. When we were travelling back from the Brighton game last week, we stopped at Woodall Services and bumped into Michael Mackay who was with the Gateshead team - they had been at Salisbury.
When we left, it wouldn't have been a surprise if Michael had got on our bus by mistake because he was telling us that when he was substituted in the game earlier that day he went and sat in the wrong dugout!
After my last Blog I am happy to say we can now take Physio James Haycock off the transfer list this week - he's been and done a course and he's working hard on his game so we won't be harsh on him this week!
My elbow is still sore though!
Hartlepool have become big back home in Cork, Limerick and Munster. My family listen to the game on the internet every week; my Father makes everyone else leave the room while he listens to the game and also watches Jeff Stelling on Sky Sports.
Gradually the whole family come back in and end up listening to games.
A lot of my friends are going to come over on the 14th November for the Leyton Orient game and then, on 19th December, the team I used to coach (Crosshaven AFC) are coming over for the game with Yeovil Town because George O'Callaghan plays for Yeovil and used to play over in Cork with me as well so they're all coming over for that game.
Twelve to fourteen of the lads are coming over so that will be a good weekend.
Hartlepool are a big thing now back at home, you can understand why Sunderland went for the Irish connection because they get a big following back home and now Hartlepool do too, which is a good thing.
This week I've had a question sent in from James Raine:
I went to my first Pool's game against Brentford on a cold, wet and windy night to watch the 0-0 draw. Just my luck. I run a kids team from Sherburn so find it hard to make pools games but i look forward to my next game hopefully with a few goals please Denis. I no you are interested in Horse racing so please can you give me some tips next time your in. Also what other hobbies do you have when not training and playing football ? James Raine I have only one tip on horse racing and that is to stay away from it! Away from football I want to get my golf clubs brought over here so I can start playing a bit of golf and me at Ritchie Jones are going to set up a snooker competition. I just do things to pass away the days and at night I'll watch a DVD or something.
Well James, I have only one tip on horse racing and that is to stay away from it!
Away from football I want to get my golf clubs brought over here so I can start playing a bit of golf and me at Ritchie Jones are going to set up a snooker competition. I just do things to pass away the days and at night I'll watch a DVD or something.
That's all for this week - if you'd like to send me a question, email it in to media@hartlepoolunited.co.uk and I'll do my best to answer it.
Denis
