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Sunday, 23rd Feb 2003 00:00

ic Newcastle Report - Hartlepool 4 Swansea 0

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Match Report taken from ic Newcastle

Hartlepool Utd 4, Swansea C 0 Feb 23 2003

By The Sunday Sun

Pool are 14 points clear at the top of the Third Division . . . and the title is now looking like a formality.

If only they could play at their best for a full 90 minutes. They lost their way for a spell in the second half of this one-sided victory and better finishing would surely have seen them surpass last season's seven-goal haul against the Welshmen.

But boss Mike Newell isn't complaining too much. "I was a bit worried at half-time that we hadn't turned a good ratio of our chances into goals," he admitted

"But we were always comfortable. Then in the second half we lost our way for a spell, but it came good in the end.

"With better finishing we would have won by more, but we can't complain.

"We needed to win, and that's what we did. We'll continue to take each game as it comes for the rest of the season."

Richie Humphreys was the hero of this latest win with an impressive hat-trick, but strikers Adam Boyd and Eifion Williams might have matched him.

Their skill and pace frightened Swansea to death from the start, and there's no doubt it was this that made the gaps for Humphreys to steal the glory.

His first came on 10 minutes, running from halfway and finishing with a low drive from the edge of the area that went in off the base of a post.

Swansea had striker Marc Richards sent off on 36 minutes for an awful challenge on Mickey Barron, and three minutes later it got worse for them.

Humphreys struck again , this time an easier finish after Boyd and Williams carved open the City defence.

His hat-trick arrived on 68 minutes, an impressive far post header after Barron's probing right-wing cross, and seconds later there was yet another blow for Swansea when keeper Roger Freestone limped off with a back injury.

With no keeper on the bench, Alan Tate had to go in goal, and two minutes later he was picking the ball out of the net as Tommy Widdrington ended another sweeping Pool move with his first goal of the season.

Tate would have been beaten several more times as Pool finished the game sweeping forward non-stop, but his luck held and the home side had to be happy with four.

Pool's next match is at Darlington next weekend and they have never gone into the all-important derby game in better form

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