Pools Held To Draw At Horden
Pools were held to a 1-1 draw in the final friendly of pre season but they had to come from behind at Horden CW.
Colin West led the side at Welfare Park and once again named a number of trialists for the game.
A quiet opening period wasn't much of a spectacle for the decent crowd which had gathered and good chances were few and far between.
Jonny Rowell fired in a free-kick from long range which former Pools keeper James Winter held, while Alan Power's effort from the edge of the box was also too close to the Horden shot-stopper.
At the other end Horden's most threatening move came when Craig Hubbard drove forward from midfield and fired on goal but Mathias Esterhazy palmed the shot away, while the Hungarian trialist also reacted quickly to turn away a low shot from Andy Jennings.
Billy Greulich upped the tempo after the break and had a couple of half chances early in the second half but just couldn't find the target; Hubbard had a chance to put the hosts in front minutes later but rushed his effort over the bar.
The first goal did arrive when a long ball forward was flicked on in to the path of Dave Atkinson who kept his composure to jink inside the box and fire high past Esterhazy and in to the net.
However, Horden's lead couldn't last and Pools were level when three trialists combined to create a wonderful equaliser. Powerful full-back Jeremy Bossekota swept a searching ball to the left hand side for Willy Dyer who took a great first touch before whipping a cross in to Greulich who volleyed neatly in to the top corner at the near post.
Power had a half chance to win the game for Pools when he burst forward purposefully before being crowded out inside the home penalty area.
And Horden finished the game with ten men after substitute Kevin Devine was given his marching orders for a nasty tackle on Bossekota.
Full Time: Horden CW 1 Pools 1
Horden: Winter, Kegans, Scott, Pearson, Stephenson, Beeston, Brightwell, Hubbard, I'Anson, Jennings, D Atkinson.
Subs: P Atkinson, Shields, Taylor, Appleby, Devine, O'Riordan, Pounder, Snowdon.
Pools: Esterhazy, Bossekota, Smith, Rowell, Harvey, McArdle, Richards, Power, Greulich (Hassan 82), Tymon (Wakefield 65), Lamplough (Dyer 46).
Subs not used: Sharples, Cook.















