Wealdstone 7 – 0 Hartlepool Utd

Man of the Match  

Micah Obiero

Wealdstone 7-0 Hartlepool United:

Pools suffer one of their heaviest defeats in entire history at spirited Stones

Hartlepool United suffered one of their heaviest defeats in the club’s entire history, losing 7-0 at Wealdstone on Tuesday evening.

In a woeful first half, a 22-minute hat-trick from Micah Obiero as well as goals from Dylan Kadji and Anthony Georgiou saw Pools, who needed to win to keep themselves in National League play-off contention, trail 5-0 at half time.

Despite making all five changes at the break, things got even worse for the visitors, who fell further behind through strikes from captain Enzio Boldewijn and former Pools man Olufela Olomola.

Pools, who named an unchanged team from last week’s dramatic win over relegation-threatened Morecambe, endured a nightmarish start to the evening and went behind inside three minutes when goalkeeper Dante Baptiste unleashed Obiero, who drove past the retreating Jay Benn before blasting beyond Nick Hayes to make it 1-0.

Wealdstone, who came into the game having lost their last three National League matches without scoring but booked their place in the FA Trophy final after edging past sixth tier Marine at the weekend, continued to press forward and doubled their lead three minutes later when the excellent Anthony Georgiou picked out Kadji, who tapped home from close range.

Pools thought they’d pulled one back in the 18th minute when Alex Reid, who scored 16 goals in 30 league games during a productive loan spell at Grosvenor Vale last season, powered home, only for the goal to be ruled out after referee Aaron Farmer – in consultation with assistant Isabel Chaplin – adjudged that his effort had deflected off Charlie Caton, who was in an offside position.

Things went from bad to worse for the visitors after 22 minutes when Obiero, who scored a 90th minute winner to fire his side into the FA Trophy final at the weekend, added his second after goalkeeper Nick Hayes, who should have done better, parried the influential Nathan Tshikuna’s low strike into his path.

A shell shocked Pools fell further behind in the 25th minute when Obiero completed his hat-trick, rounding Hayes, who was stranded in no man’s land, after latching onto Tshikuna’s incisive through ball.

Wealdstone added a fifth after 33 minutes when Georgiou capitalised on some statuesque Pools defending, turning Tshikuna’s cross home from close range after the visitors had left him free inside the area.

Having made all five changes at the break, things showed few signs of improving for Nicky Featherstone’s side and the hosts came close to a sixth in the 53rd minute when Hayes made a fine save to thwart Georgiou before Tshikuna fired over from a tight angle.

The home side didn’t have to wait too much longer before inflicting more misery on listless Pools, with skipper Boldewijn getting in on the action, driving in from the flank and into the area before his effort deflected wickedly past Hayes.

Pools finally managed a shot on target four minutes from time when Baptiste saved well from substitute Brad Walker’s venomous free-kick.

The visitors were dealt a final blow when former Pools man Olomola added a seventh in the 87th minute, driving forward and firing an effort off the inside of the post and into the bottom corner.

Pools will have to dust themselves off ahead of a testing Easter weekend which sees them travel to promotion-chasing Scunthorpe United on Good Friday before entertaining league leaders Rochdale on Easter Monday.

Pools (4-1-3-2): Hayes; Benn, Kouogun, Hunter, John (sub, Okike, 45); Sheron (c); Daly (sub, Folarin, 45), Miley (sub, Walker, 45), Sinclair (sub, Campbell, 45); Reid, Caton (sub, Oliver, 45)