Hartlepool United

7:45pm

11/02/2025

Victoria Park

Tamworth

Hartlepool United

Results

2-2

Tamworth

Hartlepool United missed the opportunity to move to within a point of the National League play-offs when they were held 2-2 by Tamworth.

The first of three games on the bounce at the Prestige Group Stadium ended in a 13th draw of the season which saw Pools move up to ninth, three points behind Altrincham in seventh.

Head coach Anthony Limbrick will be hoping for better when Pools take on Maidenhead United this Saturday.

The first half was an open affair with chances galore at both ends of the ground.

It could easily have ended 5-5 with Pools dominating the first half of the opening period and Tamworth coming on strong after their goal led a charmed life.

Cleary shot over with his right foot after a dangerous home attack on four minutes and two minutes later there was a gilt-edge chance after Nicky Featherstone played in Mani Dieseruvwe but the top scorer put his effort wide of the keeper’s right post.

There was a poignant moment on nine minutes, when both teams and referee stopped play to pay tribute to Riley Bains who sadly passed after a brave fight against illness, aged only nine. All sides of the Prestige Group Stadium and those on the pitch took part in a full minute of applause.

When play resumed, Dieseruvwe skied an even better chance which was put on a plate to him by Charman in the six-yard box.

Tamworth threatened when Enoru got ink behind the home defence before his attempt skimmed the crossbar.

Lifted by that let-off, Pools went up the other end to take the lead. Madine fed Cleary on the left and the loan man cut in onto his right and curled a superb finish intro Singh’s left corner.

It needed a tremendous save from Adam Smith to keep out Ponticelli, but the majority of openings continued to be at the Rink End.

Campbell dragged one horribly wide after good work by Charman, while Jas Singh saved low from Cleary.

Pools then went off the boil, losing their edge going forward and being wasteful at the back.

There was a warning shot when Tom McGlinchey’s rasping drive went narrowly wide, but Pools did not heed the threat from the Lambs and conceded twice inside three minutes.

Tamworth levelled in the 44th minute when Matt Curley whipped in a cracking low cross with Ponticelli converting from six yards at the Town End.

Having conceded on the cusp of half-time, Pools were rocked when they leaked another goal in the first added minute.

A cross from Cockerill-Mollett found McGlinchey who knocked the ball down to Enoru, who blasted home.

Tamworth almost put through their own goal in the opening minute of a second half which was dominated by Pools.

Neither Campbell nor Dieseruvwe could get clean connections in the away box when they had Tamworth on the ropes.

But Pools deserved their equaliser on the hour when Dieseruvwe got in behind the defence, kept his cool and took the ball around Singh and slid his shot into the empty Town End net.

With 30 minutes to go, the prospects looked good for Pools pushing on for maximum points.

Unfortunately, they could not translate almost constant pressure to any rewards.

The best two chances came Mani’s way.

Tamworth somehow blocked an 82nd-minute shot for a corner eight minutes from time and then did the same in stoppage time when he looked certain to find the winner.

Pools: Smith, Dodds (Hunter 46), Waterfall (Ferguson 86), Parkes, Charman, Featherstone (Folarin 79), Campbell, Sheron, Cleary, Madine, Dieseruvwe.

Subs (not used): Foster, Sass-Davies, Miley, Robinson