Hartlepool United

Former boss Turner back at Pools
Hartlepool have brought former manager Chris Turner back to the club as director of sport and confirmed Paul Stephenson as boss until the summer. Turner, who managed Pools between 1999 and 2002, had widely been tipped to take over the manager's position. However, the 47-year-old will not be involved in first-team affairs. Stephenson took over as caretaker boss after Martin Scott left the club by mutual consent, and has won one and drawn two of his three games in charge. A new permanent manager will not now be named until the end of the season, club owners Increased Oil Recovery (IOR) have confirmed. Turner will also be involved with negotiations over the future of the club, after the local council rejected an offer from IOR to buy the lease of Victoria Park last month. He will also assist IOR with "the club's overseas participation in football tournaments, pre-season planning, conferences and Football League issues," according to the club website. Turner had left Pools in 2002 to take over at Sheffield Wednesday, where he spent just under two years, and also managed Stockport between December 2004 and December 2005.

Hartlepool 3-1 Huddersfield
Huddersfield's challenge for automatic promotion was dented after a surprise defeat at lowly Hartlepool. In an exciting match, the home side went ahead through Adam Boyd, who shot home from 12 yards after being set up by Richie Humphreys. David Graham curled in a shot to level only for Pool's Michael Maidens to better his effort with a similar strike which went in off the post. Joel Porter lashed in Pool's third after Chris Llewellyn's cross. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hartlepool: Konstantopoulos, Darren Williams, Nelson, Clark, Humphreys, Maidens (Robson 70), Bullock, Turnbull, Llewellyn, Eifion Williams (Porter 75), Boyd (Foley 88). Subs Not Used: Provett, Tinkler. Booked: Llewellyn. Goals: Boyd 10, Maidens 53, Porter 82. Huddersfield: Senior, Mirfin (Holdsworth 75), Nathan Clarke, McIntosh, Adams, Brandon, Worthington, Hudson (McAliskey 75), Schofield, Graham, Booth. Subs Not Used: Rachubka, Taylor-Fletcher, Collins. Booked: Schofield. Goals: Graham 22. Att: 5,468 Ref: M Jones (W Yorkshire).

Hartlepool v Barnsley
Hartlepool are expected to stick with the same team that went down 2-0 at Scunthorpe in midweek. Thomas Butler continues to struggle with a hamstring problem while midfield Gavin Strachan remains an absentee with a broken leg. Barnsley boss Andy Ritchie has no fresh injury worries following last week's defeat against Brentford. Defender Bobby Hassell is still missing with a rib injury he picked up in the recent draw at Bournemouth.

Boss feels Pools deserved better
Boss Paul Stephenson feels Hartlepool deserved more than just a point after they were held to a 1-1 draw by Barnsley at Victoria Park. "I thought we limited then to very few chances - and we had the better, clear-cut opportunities," he said. "The performance shows me that the players are well up for the fight - once again, a top six side has come, and we've been the better side. "We had a couple of shaky periods, but we came through and finished strongly."

Hartlepool 1-1 Barnsley
Anthony Kay cancelled out Joel Porter's opener to keep Barnsley's play-off challenge on track. In a game of many chances, but few takers, Porter flicked the hosts ahead on nine minutes with a neat shot after Michael Nelson headed down a corner. But Barnsley levelled after 36 minutes when Kay met Paul Heckingbottom's cross with a diving header. Chris Shuker, Kay and Brian Howard went close to putting the Tykes 2-1 up while Adam Boyd threatened for the hosts. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hartlepool: Konstantopoulos, Darren Williams, Nelson, Clark, Humphreys, Maidens (Robson 65), Bullock, Turnbull, Llewellyn, Boyd (Eifion Williams 73), Porter (Foley 84). Subs Not Used: Davison, Tinkler. Goals: Porter 9. Barnsley: Colgan, Austin, Carbon, Reid, Heckingbottom, Shuker (McParland 63), McPhail, Howard, Kay, Richards, Wright (Hayes 70). Subs Not Used: Flinders, Wroe, Williams. Booked: Carbon, Wright, Austin. Goals: Kay 36. Att: 5,122 Ref: G Laws (Tyne & Wear).

Southend 3-0 Hartlepool
Freddy Eastwood scored twice as Southend maintained their promotion push by brushing Hartlepool aside. Thomas Butler almost gave struggling Pools the lead but his effort was saved by Darryl Flahavan and Luke Guttridge fed Mark Gower to net within a minute. Dimitrios Konstantopoulos spilled the ball straight to Eastwood soon after the break and he made no mistake. It was all over when Kevin Maher's free-kick was rolled to Eastwood, who hit a fantastic shot from 25 yards. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Southend: Flahavan, Jupp, Sodje, Barrett, Wilson, Bradbury, Guttridge (Hunt 79), Maher (Bentley 80), Gower (Gray 83), Goater, Eastwood. Subs Not Used: Pettefer, Lawson. Booked: Maher, Bradbury. Goals: Gower 1, Eastwood 51, 71. Hartlepool: Konstantopoulos, Darren Williams, Nelson, Clark, Humphreys, Butler, Turnbull, Bullock, Robson (Boyd 65), Proctor, Porter (Eifion Williams 73). Subs Not Used: Barron, Davison, Maidens. Booked: Turnbull. Att: 8,496 Ref: J Singh (Middlesex).

Brown close to Hartlepool return
Hartlepool striker James Brown could soon be in first team contention, after missing most of the season with cruciate ligament damage. The 19-year-old has yet to make a competitive appearance after being injured during the League One side's pre-season tour of Scotland. "He's played for the Under-19s and had a run-out for the reserves recently," a club spokesman said. "He's hopeful he will be back playing before the end of the season."

Hartlepool 1-1 Oldham
Luke Beckett's controversial penalty earned play-off hopefuls Oldham a point against struggling Hartlepool. Pools led when Lee Bullock finished a four-man move with a low shot from the edge of the area - and almost made it 2-0 through Matty Robson's free-kick. But Oldham were handed a lifeline when Bullock was judged to have handled when a Richie Wellens shot hit him on the thigh and Beckett scored the spot-kick. Pools' Adam Boyd went close with a last-minute header but Oldham held on. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hartlepool: Konstantopoulos, Darren Williams, Nelson, Clark, Humphreys, Butler (Maidens 87), Bullock, Turnbull, Robson, Proctor (Eifion Williams 76), Porter (Boyd 36). Subs Not Used: Winter, Barron. Booked: Nelson. Goals: Bullock 9. Oldham: Grant, Forbes, Haining, Branston, Taylor (Chris Hall 76), Butcher, Hughes, Wellens, Edwards, Warne, Beckett. Subs Not Used: Day, Porter, Daniel Hall, Owen. Booked: Branston, Haining, Hughes. Goals: Beckett 45 pen. Att: 5,259 Ref: K Friend (Leicestershire).

Porter sidelined by fresh injury
Hartlepool striker Joel Porter is set for a further spell on the sidelines. A knee problem has restricted Porter to just five appearances this season and a new injury means he will now miss the next stage of Pools' survival bid. "It looks like a hamstring but we hope to get him back in a week or two," boss Paul Stephenson told the Northern Echo. Meanwhile, Pools have sent youngsters Neil Wilkinson, Andy Appleby and Jack Wilkinson on loan to Whitby Town, Blyth Spartans and Newcastle Benfield.

Swindon v Hartlepool
Swindon will be without defender Andy Gurney as he starts a two-match ban. Defender Charlie Comyn-Platt (groin) will face a late fitness test but midfielder Paul Smith (foot) misses out despite returning to training. Hartlepool are without striker Joel Porter (hamstring), so Chris Llewellyn could take his place in the squad after recovering from illness. Goalkeeper Jim Provett could return to the substitutes' bench following knee and ankle problems.

Swindon 1-1 Hartlepool
Lee Peacock's second-half equaliser ensured that relegation rivals Swindon and Hartlepool shared the points. Ritchie Humphreys put Hartlepool ahead with a deflected free-kick from the edge of the penalty area. Swindon missed a penalty in first-half injury time as Jamie Cureton's penalty was saved by Dimi Konstantopoulos. The Robins levelled when Jack Smith set up Peacock who headed in from six yards - and nearly took all three points when Cureton's late shot hit the crossbar. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Swindon: Evans, O'Hanlon, Jenkins, Ifil (Shakes 84), Jack Smith, Comyn-Platt, Whalley (McPhee 75), Diagouraga, Brown, Benjamin (Peacock 30), Cureton. Subs Not Used: Miglioranzi, Nicholas. Booked: Comyn-Platt. Goals: Peacock 54. Hartlepool: Konstantopoulos, Darren Williams, Humphreys, Nelson, Clark, Butler, Bullock, Turnbull (Barron 68), Robson, Proctor, Boyd (Eifion Williams 68). Subs Not Used: Provett, Foley, Maidens. Booked: Proctor, Butler, Darren Williams. Goals: Humphreys 31. Att: 5,225 Ref: K Stroud (Dorset).

Pools manager rues "unlucky" loss
Hartlepool manager Paul Stephenson felt his side deserved to take a point from their 2-0 defeat at Colchester. Pools conceded two goals in the last seven minutes and remain deep in relegation trouble. He said: "Lady Luck has deserted us but we won't stop fighting. We've got 15 points to play for and three home games and we might have to win them all. "We dug in and weathered Colchester's early pressure and I thought we had done that well."

Hartlepool 1-2 Bristol City
A dominant display by Bristol City saw them continue their impressive form with victory at Hartlepool. David Noble opened the scoring on 13 minutes as he struck home from a tight angle as Pool's defence crumbled. In the second half Alex Russell hit the ball home from close range after picking up Marc McCammon's low cross. Eifion Williams clawed one back for the home side with seven minutes left after getting on the end of Matty Robson's cross but could not find another. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hartlepool: Konstantopoulos, Barron, Robertson (Proctor 78), Nelson, Humphreys, Boyd (Brown 61), Eifion Williams, Clark, Bullock (Robson 46), Butler, Turnbull. Subs Not Used: Craddock, Provett. Goals: Eifion Williams 83. Bristol City: Basso, Carey, Cotterill, Russell, Wilkshire, Woodman, Orr, McCammon (Savage 90), Brown (Keogh 85), Fontaine, Noble. Subs Not Used: Green, Abbey, Lamb. Booked: Woodman. Goals: Noble 13, Russell 38. Att: 5,039 Ref: N Swarbrick (Lancashire)

MK Dons 2-1 Hartlepool
Scott Taylor struck a last-gasp winner to lift Milton Keynes off the bottom of League One for the first time since Christmas as they saw off Hartlepool. Taylor's 10-yard shot with seconds left cannoned in off the inside of the post to leave the visitors in dire trouble. MK Dons took a first-half lead, Aaron Wilbraham stabbing home Gary Smith's quick free-kick from close-range. Hartlepool's Michael Proctor lobbed in to level after Matt Baker appeared to have been fouled before Taylor won it. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Milton Keynes Dons: Baker, Lewington, Morgan, Partridge, Crooks, Smith, Chorley, Mitchell (McLeod 55), Morais (Edds 69), Wilbraham (Taylor 78), Platt. Subs Not Used: Harding, Webb. Booked: Partridge. Goals: Wilbraham 25, Taylor 90. Hartlepool: Konstantopoulos, Robson, Nelson, Clark, Barron (Darren Williams 69), Humphreys, Tinkler (Llewellyn 81), Turnbull (Clarke 45), Eifion Williams, Istead, Proctor. Subs Not Used: Boyd, Provett. Booked: Barron. Goals: Proctor 50. Att: 6,472 Ref: S Tanner (Somerset).

Hartlepool boss will not give up
Hartlepool boss Paul Stephenson insisted his side would not give up without a fight after losing 2-1 to relegation rivals Milton Keynes Dons. Pools could be relegated on Saturday if they lose to Nottingham Forest and four other results go against them. But Stephenson said: "It's been a devastating day, but I am not going to give this up - I am a fighter. "We have nine points to play for, and we must get as many as we can. This is tough to take but we won't give up."

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