100 club Boyd sets season’s target

WITH one milestone already in the bag, Adam Boyd has set his sights on another for Hartlepool United.

Scoring the opener in Saturday’s 3-3 draw at Brighton was the 100th career goal for the 27-year-old home-grown forward.

It put him in 11th spot in the all-time club scoring charts – and joint level on 65 strikes with Joel Porter, the former partner in crime he replaced in the summer.

It was 364 days previous that his only goal against Pool arrived, a match winning strike for Orient.

Since then – he’s also had previous spells at Boston on loan and Luton – he is back at the club where he started out in 1999 after Chris Turner shelled out £80,000 in the summer to get him back home.

Six minutes in, after Boyd had already squandered a chance, and Neil Austin foraged forward to pick out the hit man whose touch and turn was simply sublime.

“The first chance I had, I was probably still asleep but I got a nice touch on the second one and a clean finish,’’ he admitted.

“But the service we got from the right with Leon (McSweeney) and then Colin Larkin using their pace, we looked dangerous every time we went forward.

“To be honest I was glad to get the goal, because I had been in a bit of a lean patch and now I want to get on a scoring run because my target for the season is 20 goals.”

He’s now on five for the season and there’s no reason why, with fitness, form and regular football to come, he can approach his target.

But while Boyd was a threat at one end there was no doubt that Brighton had considerable firepower themselves.

After the early goal, Pools had to thank Scott Flinders for three outstanding touches to dangerous crosses all provided by Elliott Bennett – an old fashioned winger with pace to burn and a cross to die for.

The 20-year-old moved south from Wolves in the summer and gave Peter Hartley an afternoon he will do well to remember, but would probably like to forget.

Bennett was ably supported by 18-year-old Gavin Hoyte – on loan from Arsenal and showing all the usual family skills no doubt advised by his big brother, Middlesbrough defender Justin.

Hartley was often fighting a lone battle and while Andy Monkhouse did help out his real job was at the other end – as he was later to prove.

Bennett had two target men to aim for from the flanks – the 36-year-old Nicky Forster, who has been round the block a few times but still knows where the goal is, and Liam Dickinson, who was discovered by Chris Turner when he was at Stockport .

Dickinson fired in the equaliser with a wickedly deflected looping shot and when Forster rolled home a Bennett cross it looked as though the Pools dressing room at halftime would be a place to avoid.

But Boyd showed lovely control to find Monkhouse, whose neat footwork enabled him to pick his spot to level things up again.

McSweeney was substituted at this point and his replacement, Colin Larkin, repeated the treatment meted out a minute or so earlier, this time Richie Jones collecting an intelligent pass to turn and shoot past Graeme Smith from 10 yards.

Jones was substituted at half-time and within three minutes of the restart Pools were caught napping at a free kick – giving Bennett of all players the time to cross deep, causing mayhem before Forster got the final touch.

Sam Collins and Gary Liddle have never worked as hard this season to protect Flinders as the ball was put into the mix time and time again to such an extent that Collins admitted “a couple of Paracetamols would do my head a bit of good.”

Pools had chances themselves to wrap up a win with Denis Behan and Boyd having shots saved and Boyd’s touch deserting him in the last minute when a Collins freekick found him in space-but the chance went.

■ Brighton yesterday sacked manager Russell Slade following a poor start to the season.

The former Scarborough boss was relieved of his duties just hours after drawing 3-3 with Pools and eight months after replacing Micky Adams.

Assistant manager Dean White and first-team coach Bob Booker have also left the club. Dennis Wise is thought to be among the leading candidates to fill the vacancy.

Match facts>

Goals

0-1: Boyd (6, received Austin’s pass, turned and fired home);

1-1: Dickinson (27, hit a rebound that went in via a big deflection);

2-1: Forster (39, shot into centre of the goal after Bennett opened up the defence);

2-2: Monkhouse (43, drilled in from six yards);

2-3: Jones (close range effort into the bottom right hand corner);

3-3: Forster (45+2, prodded in after a penalty box scramble).

Bookings: Austin (60, foul); Behan (68, dissent)

Referee: Pat Miller (Bedford ) got the big decisions right 6

Entertainment: ✰✰✰

BRIGHTON AND HOVE ALBION (4- 4-2): Smith 6, Hoyte 7, Elphick 5 (Virgo 60,5), Tunnicliffe 6, El Abd 6; BENNETT 8, Dicker 7, Crofts 5, Davies 5 (Cox 65,5); Forster 8, Dickinson 8.

Subs (not used): Kuipers (gk), Navarro, Hart, Murray, Thornhill.

HARTLEPOOL UNITED (4-4-2):

7 Flinders: Kept his side in the game in the early stages.

6 Austin: Steady at the back and did well to set up the first goal.

8 Collins: Had lot to do but emerged with flying colours.

7 Liddle: Offered great support to big Sam Collins.

5Hartley: Chased all day but struggled to shut out Davies.

7 McSweeney: Showed pace and an eye for a pass.

7 Jones: Back to his best for half of the game in which he played.

6 Humphreys: Did the simple things well without being showy.

7 Monkhouse: Was forced to defend as well as attack.

8 BOYD: Showed superb touch and was a threat whenever near goal.

5 Behan: A disappointing afternoon when little went right for him.

Subs:

Larkin (for McSweeney 45): Had an immediate impact 6

Sweeney (for Jones 46): A solid performance 6

Greulich (for Behan 80) (not used): Cook (gk), Haslam, Fredricksen, Bjornsson.

MAN OF THE MATCH

ADAM Boyd – back to his best and a real threat given the right service.