Pool get the better of Quakers in style

When his players took heed of his words and capitulated to a sad and sorry defeat, Ruud Gullit's Newcastle United employers were sharpening their knives.

For Newcastle read Darlington, for Sunderland read Hartlepool United and for Gullit read Tommy Taylor.

"For me it's simply a game against a team who are second in the League at the moment,'' he previewed in Saturday's Northern Echo Sport.

It's unfair to put Taylor's job on the line after this Victoria Park thumping, that's not in question, but with soft words coming from their boss in the build-up - and the fans won't be too pleased to hear similar Taylor tones in the aftermath - his players hardly mustered a fight in the biggest game of their season.

And that, in the eyes of Darlington supporters at least, is criminal.

For Hartlepool United, however, it's a different story.

What could be sweeter than enjoying the easiest win of the season against your bitterest rivals and going top of the table in the process?

As far as elation goes, this was Christmas coming early and all your birthdays rolling into one. Make no mistake about it, this could have easily been more than 4-1.

Even though Ian Clark - who else on his return to Victoria Park? - scored to put Quakers level, they never troubled Pool keeper Anthony Williams and instead all the play was at the other end of the field as Eifion Williams scored twice, with others coming from Ritchie Humphreys and Mark Tinkler.

Ten years back, Quakers did similar to Pool, winning 4-0 at Feethams thanks to two goals from Lee Ellison - this was every bit as one sided as that day and more.

Perhaps, for the visitors, it's just as well they couldn't sell out their full ticket allocation; at least only 826 visiting supporters were scarred for life.

"Even though it's a derby, no it's not harder to accept for me,'' reflected Taylor. "There was three points to go for. That's what I said to the boys after the game, three points were lost. We've been kicked up the backside.

"Now we go to York - you could say that's a big derby - and we've got three players who have played for them, so now we've got to make sure it's a good day for them.

"This was a bad day for Darlington and a good day for Hartlepool. We can't do anything about it now, the game is gone.

"I don't mean it like I don't care, but you can't get more than three points from this game.

"We were back in it when Clarky scored, but as soon as they scored again our heads went down a little bit. We were second best everywhere.

"We let them play round us all day, we never got into them. They deserved to win the game - and that is it.''

For opposite number Chris Turner, however, it was a different story.

"We dominated from start to finish,'' he beamed. "I thought we showed everyone what sort of team we have got here and they couldn't cope with it.

"I felt that our front players caused problems for Liddle and Clarke in the centre and both wide players got the better of the full backs. We dominated in terms of shots on target and play in and around the goals.

"In half an hour we could have been three or four up like we should have been last year. I would think that was the most fluent we have played this season, our moving the ball and changing play was good and I think one of those main reasons was having Tommy Widdrington back in the side, he keeps the ball simple.

"But we have been threatening to do that in the last two or three derby games. We've drew 1-1 through there and it could have been more. It's nice for the fans, but we won't get carried away with it.''

Three minutes into the game and Williams put the first nail in the black and white coffin.

Gordon Watson's first backheel of the day opened up the defence and his strike partner instinctivley fired across Collett.

On Tuesday against Tranmere, Williams missed an easier chance to score with barely a minute on the clock. Looks like they bring out the best in some players these derby games.

Barry Conlon could have levelled when he sent a left-foot volley wide after Neil Wainwright crossed.

But that was it as far as Conlon was concerned. A big battle was expected between him and Graeme Lee, but instead the striker went down in stature as the game went on.

Craig Liddle blocked a goalbound Watson shot and then dived in to keep out Tinkler, Simon Betts slid in to clear off the line and Williams headed against a post.

Yet a single-goal lead in a derby is a precocious one and with their first effort on target - effort in the loosest possible terms that is - Quakers levelled. Micky Barron dropped a back header short of Antony Williams and Ian Clark might have got the slightest touch to nod it into the net.

Even if he didn't touch it, no-one was suprised the ginger show pony had scored on his return to his old club.

But that was it for Clark and there was no more party pieces before he was replaced on the hour.

Not that the visiting fans were impressed, however, as his withdrawl was met with cries aimed at Taylor of "You don't know what you're doing.''

But by then the game was all but over anyway.

Williams second came thanks to another Watson flick as his one-two saw him skirt around Liddle and again shoot across Collett.

Liddle was clearly unruffled by Watson. Normally the coolest player on the derby park, the skipper - while defending as well as ever - cut an angry and frustrated figure as Pool dominated.

Williams was denied a hat-trick by Collett and the keeper denied Watson with a two-handed stop before it was 3-1.

A flowing passing move, with Widdrington at the helm, cut the Quakers' defence apart and Humphreys came in from the left and lashed his shot across and through the penalty area into the net.

Cross or shot, it doesn't matter.

While Liddle looked unhappy, his defensive partner Matt Clarke has obviously been keeping up to date with the latest football fads on TV.

But it's not a Beckham haircut, Henry T-shirt message or LuaLua celebration for the big man, instead he's been spending his time studying the class of comic Peter Kay advertising John Smith's Bitter.

He deserves credit for watching the advert closely and successfully learning the abilty to "Have it" and lump the ball aimlessly at regular intervals.

Watson was then stretchered off with a broken leg - let's hope the snide comments from the opposition after the game and pathetic messages from Darlington's internet idiots were made in the heat of the moment.

Tinkler made it four. Lee shot against the bar and still had time to lay the ball for for Humphreys to cross and the midfielder deflected in. By then, however, any away fans left in the Rink End didn't care. Let's hope the manager did.