Nicke Kabamba scored a first half treble as Pools enjoyed a comfortable friendly win over Carlisle United at Victoria Park on Tuesday afternoon.
Craig Hignett named a strong line-up for the game, which saw a number of players given the opportunity to put their cases for a place in the First Team - and many of them took it.
The game was only seven minutes old when Pools went in front, Josh Hawkes doing well to find room to shoot on the right edge of the area only for it to be saved but Kabamba was there to stab home the rebound.
Five minutes later it was 2-0 as Pools continued to produce
some slick passing football. Again Hawkes was involved, this time swinging a
cross in from the left which was nodded in by Kabamba at the far post.Chances kept on coming for Pools and Gavan Holohan burst forwardmenacingly to the edge of the box before steering a left-footed shot just wide.
However, it was 3-0 just before half-time as Kabamba completed
his hat-trick. More good work from Holohan fed the front man and, after deceiving
the defender with a stepover, he finished neatly past the keeper.There was a similar tone to the game after half-time withPools making the majority of the running and creating almost all of the better chances.
However, they had to wait until 12 minutes from time to add
to their tally when Hawkes slipped an incisive ball through to Holohan and the
Irishman drilled a low finish across the keeper and in to the bottom corner of
the net.Niko Muir almost crowned his comeback from a hamstring
injury with a goal when he got on the end of a Hawkes corner but could only
find the keeper, while Luke James fired just over as Pools continued to press.Loan keeper Zach Hemming had to be alert near the end to
come out and smother at a Carlisle striker's feet after some hesitant defending
from Pools but that was the most the visitors mustered.Full Time: Pools 4 Carlisle United 0
Pools: Hemming, Miller, Richardson, Crichlow-Noble, Holohan, Featherstone (Willoughby 78), Bale, Shepherd (Webster 46), Hawkes, Kabamba (Muir 67), James.
Subs not used: Young, Fox, Thompson, Leonard.
Image: Frank Reid (Hartlepool Mail)