does end of the season mean end of the regular 42 game season or will it include the play offs up to the final if pools can manage that. whilst the bennett 28 day loan seems odd hopefully with him in the side we can make the best of his 5 games we have him in the side. at least it will not disrupt the side too much when he does go back as unlike armstrong he,s not been with us long enough for that to happen.

think the change in the game happened when ben went off, bennett coming on and oates going in goal. prior to that apart from holohans goal we really looked second best. they seem to dominate pools in every department and some of our lads hardly got into the game at all. looked proper new age pools once the substitution was made and bossed the game from then onwards. once the equaliser went in there was only going to be one winner. if the ref had grown a pair the penalty could have given a deserved 3 points.

In his post-match interview on the OS Challinor says he was very unhappy with the first half performance because the team were overconfident and not at it like they usually are. After going behind again and losing the keeper I thought Pools were hanging on a bit till the end of the half, but came out for the second 45 in a totally different frame of mind.

If football was like boxing Pools would win a points decision in practically every game they play. but goals decide the real points and we just don't score enough to put teams away. Not getting these penalty decisions is really hurting our chances - Pools have only had 1 penalty in the NL and that was on the first day of the season!

lots of teams do not get penalty kicks for the reason they do not spend much time in the oppositions penalty area. this is certainly not pools case. possibly they spend too long in it without getting a shot away on target. with my referees hat on and not my pools one i,d have given the one yesterday as well as 2 against dagenhams one on friday. usually teams at or near the top get all the 50/50 decisions. this certainly aint happening to pools.

Bennet almost certainly going back by the end of April though. A deal I still can’t wrap my head around.

Let's hope we're not playing Stockport in the play offs..as Bennet will have us sussed, as to set up and play.

I dont get it either.........Trojan horse?

Stockport seem to have about half a dozen message boards. Their fans think it's an odd decision too but none seem to think it's a cunning plan. In fact, after they drew 0-0 at home on Saturday and Bennett rescued an away point for Pools, they're pretty hacked off:
"Indefensible decision to let him go to a playoff rival. Can’t convince me otherwise." (https://theyellowboard.boards.net/thread/4939/bennett)

There's a chance we'll end up facing Stockport in the play offs but more chances that we won't. And anyway, 30 odd games into the season, the way Pools set up and play is no big surprise to any team in this league. It's not like Dave Challinor is a tinkerman type of manager.

just like the rest of the teams in this league. most have smallish squads on a tight budget without players on the bench to really change the game. when subs are made early its usually a like for like anyway with a slight tweek in formation. when teams are winning the sub is usually put on to tighten things up to see out a game. pools are no different than the other 21 sides apart from having donaldson on the bench.