Defensive Disasters Send Pools Into Drop Zone

Hartlepool United fell into the relegation places after defeat at fellow strugglers Colchester.

Neale Cooper made a single change as Hartlepool United headed to relegation threatened Colchester United.

Neil Austin came back into the side in place of James Poole, although the right back was handed a central midfield birth, with Jack Baldwin continuing at right back.

It was a great start for Cooper's men as Sunderland loanee Craig Lynch opened the scoring with his first professional goal. The winger took the ball past two defenders before a neat curling effort nestled in the right hand corner of the goal.

Pools looked in control of the game as they continued to test the U's, a spectacular effort from Howard narrowly going over the bar.

But a defensive lapse cost Pools the lead, as it has done far too often this season. A simple through ball between Sam Collins and Peter Hartley left the defence stood still and Gavin Massey slotted home.

Another defensive error soon saw Pools 2-1 down as Hartley attempted to head the ball back to goal, only to misjudge the ball in an awful manner and allow Jabo Ibhere to run through a score.

The second half continued much as the first ended and it was no surprise when Colchester added a third on 66 minutes.

A good ball came in from defender Michael Rose but defender as Pools' defence stood still and allowed Ibehre to tap in his second of the match.

Substitute Andy Monkhouse had a good effort fly just wide of the mark but Pools were already condemned, replacing Colchester in the drop zone.

FT: Colchester 3 Hartlepool 1 Colchester United: Cousins, Rose, Okuonghae, Eastman, Wilson, Bean, Wordsworth, Eastmond, Massey (Sears), Watt (Henderson), Ibehre
Subs not used: Pentney, Morrison, Izzet, White, Duguid

Hartlepool: Flinders, Baldwin, Collins, Hartley, Horwood, Franks, Murray (Poole 77), Austin, Lynch (Monkhouse 56), Sweeney, Howard
Subs not used: McHugh, Richards, Holden, Humphreys, James

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