Matt Gattiss’ side played their first pre-season friendly on Sunday afternoon, travelling to Harrogate Town Women from the division above.

The game saw two new recruits in action for the first time in Hartlepool colours, with both Maddy Hillyer and Libbie Trainor starting.

The visitors were two goals up inside the opening 30 minutes. Morgan Johnson found the back of the net with two neat finishes to put Pools into the ascendancy.

Harrogate came out stronger in the second half and a flurry of chances meant the friendly finished 5-2 to the hosts.

“Pre-season is all about getting minutes in the legs for the players,” stated Pools Women manager Matt Gattiss.

“It’s also about the work that we’ve been doing in training and implementing that into a game, so it’s a good start in that regard.

“Although the scoreline is what it is, we were two goals up at half-time, and a lot of the work that we’ve been putting in on the training ground was on show.

“A change in shape disrupted our rhythm in the second half, and Harrogate certainly stepped up a gear or two as you’d expect from a team in the league above, but we have plenty to learn from to move forward.

“A special mention must go to the younger players in Maddy Hillyer, Libbie Trainor and Morgan Johnson who all excelled in their roles and can look forward to an exciting future ahead.”

Hartlepool’s next test is a home fixture against Bishop Auckland Ladies next Sunday – their opening game at Metcalfe Park. The league season will commence on Sunday 1st September.