Hi everyone and welcome back to the north of England and to Hartlepool United. It was now crunch time and time to see if we were able to get enough points on the board to keep us in this league for another season. With 10 games left of the season anything was possible and I couldn’t wait to start.
March Results
V Sunderland
A great start to these final ten games saw us beat Sunderland by just the one goal. Although it was a bit fortuitous that we had won every win counts and thanks to Michael Turner we managed to pick up maximum points for the first of our final ten games.
V Liverpool
Another really good result this time we were able to pick up a point against a Liverpool side that were going for the title. A goal from Jermaine Beckford gave Hartlepool a deserved lead before Torres second half goal meant that it was a share of the points.
V Spurs
A bump back down to earth as we were convincingly beaten by Tottenham Hotspur thanks to a brilliant hat-trick from Llorente. It was small setback as I wasn’t really going to win this game but at this stage of the season anything that I can grab out of a game should be grasped win both hands.
V Man Utd
The final game of March was an exciting visit from Manchester United and these were the sort of games that I was so looking forward to in our first season in the Premier League. In front of a home crowd could be produce a magical result. In the end Manchester United class shone through and it was easy to see why they are one of the best teams in the league even if they were having a bit of an off season. A goal apiece from Nani and Hernandez won the game for the Red Devils.
April + May Results
V West Brom
The first of the big games that were going to determine the league I was going to play. The game started brilliantly with Zavon Hines putting the Pools ahead after 10 minutes at the Hawthorns. Unfortunately West Brom got an equaliser in the second half and meant that the game ended in a draw and that’s was no good for either side.
V West Ham
We were on our travels again this time were arrived in London more specifically to Upson Park to face West Ham in another important match as West Ham were also hovering above the relegation places. Like the West Brom game before we were undone by our inability to finish off a game from a winning position. He took the lead from loanee Lee Foyle but a tap in from Carlton Cole just a few minutes later proved to be costly as we dropped another two points.
V Leicester
We were now back at home at Victoria Park and for this televised game we were against a side that we were just outside the relegation spot and in a similar position to us. A win here would be huge. For the third game in a row we took the lead through N’Diaye with a header from a Craig Gardner corner. This time we were able to hold onto this lead and we were able to claim a massive three points and we were that closer to survival although it would all be pointless if weren’t able to repeat this result against Fulham in the next game.
V Fulham
In the most important game of the season where we could secure our place for next season came our best performance. We were absolutely brilliant and we steamrolled Fulham and won in a convincing fashion with a 3-0 scoreline. Jermaine Beckford will be the two goal hero and take the plaudits for the win but special praise has to go to Ben Watson who was superb. WE HAD SURVIVED AND WOULD BE STAYING THE PREMIERSHIP FOR ANOTHER SEASON.
The final two games ended in defeat with a 5-1 loss against Aston Villa and a 1-0 defeat against the mighty Magpies of Newcastle United ( there was no 4-0 defiect to try and win by)
Performance of Part 3
V Fulham
This was always going to win the performance of part three as It was probably performance of the whole season. The pressure that was building on our players before the game to win this match was huge and they showed no feat and deservedly came out victorious with a 3-0 win.
Table
So theres the confirmation of the finishing table this season. I ended in 16th place just three points above the relegation spots. I was proud of the players for keeping the faith and belief that we could stay in the league. At the start of the season I deemed staying in this league would be an achievement and I am delighted to say that we were able to achieve this feat.
Thanks for reading
Warren
Sears
6 февраля, 2011 at 19:13
I’ve been anticipating the arrival of this post for some time and I’m delighted to congratulate you on keeping Hartlepool in the Premier League. It was one hell of a ride but you did it. With some new additions during pre season hopefully you can finish around mid table next campaign. It was a magnificent achievement to stay up, especially when you’ve been in a relegation battle all season and your teams morale was low. Well done Warren!
warren
6 февраля, 2011 at 21:09
Hi Sears
I am so proud that my players have been able to stay in this league as it must have been hard to them to stay positive and not winning very regularly. I agree that as long as I get some quality players in the summer then I should have a more pleasureable season next year.
Birdy
6 февраля, 2011 at 19:28
Great work Warren on keeping Hartlepool in the Premier League. Beckford started to play quite well and i hope you can do very well next season in bringing some more players in to the team
Good luck mate
warren
6 февраля, 2011 at 21:11
Thanks Birdy
Beckford came into form just at the right time but one interesting fact that I found out at the end of the season is that Oscar Trejo (a player that I thought would be our best striker before the season started) didn’t score a single goal. I hope that I will be able to attract some good players in the summer and have a good season.
Darren Smith
6 февраля, 2011 at 19:49
Well done mate, what an achievement!! Beckford must be a hero after that last game against Fulham. Staying up was huge and I can’t wait to see your pre-season action. Congrats again Warren.
ps What a comeback against Arsenal!! The atmosphere must have been electric!!
warren
6 февраля, 2011 at 21:15
Hi Darren
Thanks the win against Fulham was massive and I am so pleased that we put in such a good performance in for that game. I cannot wait for the new season either and hopefully this will be just as enjoyable with a few more wins.
ps. I couldn’t believe it when Tiote scored that goal it was such a brilliant strike. As for the atmosphere I can honestly say I have never seen anything like it and I have never celebrated so much in my life. One of the reason why having a season ticket is sooo good is that you will never forget moments like it
kevin
6 февраля, 2011 at 21:33
Hi Warren
Well done on avoiding relegation. You’ve had a difficult season but have managed to come up with results when it really mattered. Hopefully you can bring in some new players that will help you improve on this seasons efforts. Well done!!
warren
7 февраля, 2011 at 17:27
Hi Kevin
It was a very difficult season and I am pleased that we were able to win the games against the teams that were around us. With a few faces in the summer I feel that we will be able to have a enjoyable season and I cannot wait to see who we are able to bring in.
CsAtlantis
7 февраля, 2011 at 01:43
Good job Warren for staying up in the Premier League, as for Oscar Trejo, could you post his profile and where do you play him? You might also want to check whether he has any adaptation issues (like with players such as Neymar where they troublesome for the first 1-2 seasons while they take time to settle into their new surroundings)
warren
7 февраля, 2011 at 17:32
Hi CsAtlantis
I am so glad that I was able to stay in the premiership and I will put Trejo’s stats up on the next post but they arent that bad and he should do better then his attributes suggest that’s why I have decided to give him a second chance to prove himself.
Lye
7 февраля, 2011 at 02:43
Hi Warren,
Congratulations on staying up. It’s been tough on your first season in the Premier League. The foundation is already there and now the board has to give you money to spend on better players. Looking forward to your pre-season report. Good luck.
warren
7 февраля, 2011 at 17:36
Hi Lye
I was always going to be tough in the first season back in the Premier League. I agree and because we were taken over at the start of last season that put in an impetus of new money hopefully I will have a similar amount in the up and coming transfer budget.
Wazz
7 февраля, 2011 at 06:39
Hey Warren! Congratulations! You should be able to achieve at least mid-table finish next season with some good signings. Looking forward for your transfer activities. Good luck!
warren
7 февраля, 2011 at 17:46
Hi Wazz
I agree with that and I felt that with a bit more luck this season we could have finished higher then we did. I cannot wait to get starting again
Laxeyman
7 февраля, 2011 at 16:08
Well done Warren, great achievement keeping Hartlepool up, well done on keeping the players morale up and pulling through. Hopefully the board will give you some money in the summer then you can strengthen and finish higher up next season. Looking forward to seeing who you bring in during pre season :)
warren
7 февраля, 2011 at 17:49
Thanks Laxeyman
The morale of the team is what eventually kept the team up and I am so glad that they were able to keep the faith. If I get a similar budget to this seasons then I am sure that that will be more than enough to get a mid-table finish
Johnny Karp
7 февраля, 2011 at 17:46
Well done mate, it was a close shave but you pulled it off! That’s a good foundation to build upon for next season, good luck on the transfer market!
warren
7 февраля, 2011 at 17:51
Hi Johnny
It ended up closer than I wanted it to be I stayed in the league so I guess that’s all that really matters. I do have some good players but there are some that are very poor and will need to get rid of.