It's another Marvellous March for Hartlepool United after Wimbledon win

Four wins last year as good as kept Pools in the Football League; five games unbeaten this time around and they are all but safe.

Friday's 1-0 win over AFC Wimbledon at Victoria Park means it’s five-game unbeaten for Craig Hignett’s rejuvenated side.

Luke James in action. Picture: TOM BANKS

In making it 11 points from a possible 15 they moved two points further ahead of second-bottom York, increasing their advantage to a healthy 11 points, a far superior goal difference and still with two games in hand.

Surely the gap is too much now for a team that has only won six games all season?

And so now, Hignett looks up. They are only two points from the heady heights of 17th.

“There’s nothing below us I worry about, we have games in hand, two points behind Newport in 16th/17th and I want to get as high as we can,’’ he said.

“We aren’t safe yet, because it’s not mathematical yet. How things are going for us, I think York have to win four games to get where we are now and that’s without us winning another point.

“Realistically, we aren’t involved in that now.

“There’s a good gap between us and the relegation places now, but I’ve said before I’ve never looked downwards.

Billy Paynter and Ryan Sweeney. Picture: TOM BANKS

“I understand if supporters were tetchy and nervous, and players get like that too. We had a couple of games early on, not long after I took over, when we got nervous.

“But looking at the Notts County game now, and the Luton game, we would not have lost them. This game was hard and I’m pleased with how the lads have responded to what we are trying to do here.

“No-one else can play that way like Wimbledon today, they have some big lads and are a handful, but we coped really well.’’

And he’s right – no-one can play football the Wimbledon way quite like Wimbledon.

This was a throwback to the 80s as they packed the penalty area with big lads, lumped the ball forward and hoped for the best.

Matthew Bates and Adam Jackson were impeccable at the back as they, and plenty of other blue shirts, repelled the threat.

Pools’ keeper Trevor Carson only really had one second-half shot to save, going down low to push out a shot from Ade Azeez.

Jake Gray and Andy Barcham. Picture: TOM BANKS

The game’s first incident came when Jackson headed home. The tireless Luke James tried an acrobatic overhead kick, but it wasn’t heading for goal, instead it landed nicely for Jackson and he steered his header home.

Goalkeeper Kelle Roos was guarding one side of his net, Jackson expertly picked out the other. He’s now got three goals in eight appearances for Hignett.

Carson got a touch to push away a dangerous ball in the area, before James went close to breaking his Pools duck.

Without a goal since returning to the club on loan in January, he took a pass from Billy Paynter, turned and fired against the foot of the post.

How he deserves a goal, a reward for his workrate and honesty.

Pools could have signed Rhys Murphy from Oldham in January, but he didn’t want to move to the North-East.

Instead he signed for Wimbledon and had a fruitless afternoon at Victoria Park. When he wasn’t twisting at referee Darren Deadman, he flung himself at an Andy Barcham cross but was nowhere near it.

Carson, who made an overnight drive from Cardiff where he was an unused substitute for Northern Ireland on Thursday night, smartly dived to his right to push out a Taylor bouncer.

Pools now defended well and defended deep. The organisation installed in the team in recent weeks was to the fore.

The long-ball bombardment continued, Pools played on the counter-attack, but lacked the drive to offer much support. Tiredness, as Hignett admitted, played its part following a busy schedule.

In injury time there was still a chance for the visitors. The ball fell to Jake Reeves.

Against York last weekend he struck a fine volley into the top corner from a similar position.

He had another go this time – and found the car park behind the Rink End.

Hignett concluded: “I was disappointed the way we played with the ball, the third game I’ve kept the same team and a lot of travelling, but they are in are good place right now and hard to beat and we were today.

“We probably ground it out, Batesy and Jacko were immense, but I don’t want to single players out.

“We want to be better in the ball and dominate teams more, but we have to be pleased.

“If you see the dressing room you can see the spirit and how pleased they are together.’’