Dave Challinor enjoyed a dream debut in the dugout as Pools
ran riot at Yeovil Town on Tuesday night to storm in to the Second Round of the
The Pools boss couldn't have failed to be impressed as he
watched his new side roar back from the setback of conceding an early goal to
run out 4-1 winners with a sensational Somerset showing.Challinor opted to name an unchanged line-up for his first
game in charge, though he was boosted by the return of Gime Toure to the
substitutes' bench following a hand operation.It was an awful start for Pools as the home side went in front
with little over two minutes on the clock – the visitors caught cold as a cross
from the right was only partially cleared and Lawson D'Ath rammed home a low
drive beyond Ben Killip.However, if any Yeovil fans were expecting it to be easy against
a Pools side who had spent the majority of the day on a coach then they were
soon put right because Challinor's men were level within three minutes.A free-kick from the halfway line was driven forward by Gus
Mafuta and it ricocheted kindly for James just inside the area and the front
man seized on the loose ball, ramming a clinical finish across keeper Stuart
Nelson and in off the far post.The Glovers immediately streamed forward again and Jimmy
Smith's cross found Rhys Murphy in space in the middle but he directed his
first time finish just wide.Killip then had to be at his best as the hosts looked set to
go back in front when a deep cross to the far post found Smith and his firm
header was brilliantly clawed away by the Pools stopper.It proved a vital moment because on 20 minutes Pools hit the
front. A wonderful clipped ball from Fraser Kerr dropped on to the foot of
James who exquisitely controlled before spinning to tee up the arriving Holohan
and the Irishman drilled a beautiful finish in to the top corner for 2-1.It could have been 3-1 five minutes later when an inswinging
corner from the right was met by Michael Raynes but his header fell just wide
of the far post.There was an even better opportunity for Nicke Kabamba just
before the half-hour when Mark Kitching's whipped free-kick from the right
found the striker but he headed just past the post.Rhys Murphy nicked the ball from Pools on the halfway line
to run through on goal and pull the trigger but Killip again stood tall to pull
of a superb save and protect the lead.Ryan Donaldson fizzed a low ball across the goal which
Kabamba just couldn't connect with before there was another chance for the
front man just before the break but his shot was blocked.Town came out with the bit between their teeth at the start
of the second period as they looked for a route back in to the game but Pools
continued to carry a threat on the break and almost made it 3-1 on 54 minutes
only for Donaldson to hit the keeper with his shot.At the other end Murphy came close to a spectacular leveller
when the ball sat up nicely for him twenty yards out but the front man volleyed
just too high.Challinor responded by throwing Luke Williams in to the fray
and he was involved as Pools swept forward to score their third of the night. The
ball was worked right to Donaldson who laid it back to Peter Kioso and his brilliant
whipped cross picked out Kabamba at the far post who headed it back across the
keeper and in to the corner of the net.Donaldson and Kabamba could then both have notched a fourth,
while Town substitute Courtney Duffus fired over from the edge of the box as
the home side pressed forward.However, their odds became larger on 69 minutes when centre-back
Luke Wilkinson lunged in on James as he scampered clear on the break – the defender
was practically down the tunnel before the referee could dig out the second
yellow card and the hosts were down to ten.There was an extraordinary moment ten minutes from time when
Murphy drilled a shot across goal and Duffus somehow managed to spoon it up and
over the bar from no more than a yard out.Pools made the most of the let-off and extended their lead minutes
later when substitute Gime Toure raced clear and jinked around keeper Nelson
who brought him down – the Frenchman leapt back to his feet and converted the
penalty to make it 4-1.Dreamland for Challinor and for the 101 travelling Pools fans
to whom this win surely belongs after many of them made a costly quick-fire return
trip to Somerset to cheer the lads to victory.Full Time: Yeovil Town 1 Pools 4
Yeovil Town: Nelson, Hippolyte, Collins, Wilkinson, Hutton, Lee, D'Ath, Worthington (Tilley 60), Smith (Omatayo 82), Dagnall (Duffus 60), Murphy.
Subs not used: Rogers, Skendi, Bradbury, McCoy.
Booked: Hippolyte, D'Ath, Tilley.
Sent-off: Wilkinson.
Pools: Killip, Kioso, Kerr, Raynes, Kitching (Richardson 90+2), Mafuta, Featherstone, Holohan (Williams 56), Donaldson, James, Kabamba (Toure 70).
Subs not used: Cunningham, Kennedy, Hawkes, Muir.
Booked: Holohan, Featherstone, Toure.
Attendance: 2,361 (101 Poolies).
Referee: C Brook.