Hartlepool are in the hat – but will have to do it all again

There was little to show for the 52 league places between Hartlepool United and Salford City tonight as the two played out a blustery draw in the FA Cup on Friday night.

Broadcast live on the BBC, the match at Moss Lane was a sell-out with all 350 away tickets available being snapped up by Pools fans in less than two hours early last week.

Hartlepool eased any early nerves, taking the lead from the penalty spot after eight minutes. Young midfielder Rhys Oates jinxed into the Salford box before being brought down by the trailing foot of Andy Dawson. The 21-year-old birthday boy brushed himself off and took the spot kick himself, drilling the ball home comprehensively into the bottom left-hand corner. It was the first time a Hartlepool striker had found the net in 478 minutes of competitive football.

But Salford responded well and got a deserved equaliser on 23 minutes. A free kick from the left channel fell kindly for defender Stephen O’Halloran ten yards out, who struck the ball through a crowd with his weaker foot to net his first goal for his new club.

Rakish Bingham came on early in the second half to replace Mikael Mandron, the Sunderland striker once again failing to impress, and nearly made an immediate impact for United. The former Mansfield man pulled the ball back to Oates from the by-line, whose shot was blocked by what looked like a hand, before a fantastic drive from loan midfielder Jake Gray forced a stunning reflex save from Jay Lynch in the Salford goal.

With twenty minutes remaining, Bingham himself had a gilt-edged chance to get on the scoresheet. A free kick delivered in by Gray was headed back across goal by captain Karl Magnay onto the head of Bingham. But the Pools’ number nine could only scoop it over the bar from 5 yards out.

Salford continued to hold their own and assured that Trevor Carson had his wits about him on 75 minutes. Captain Chris Lynch struck a pile driver from range that tossed and turned in the wind, forcing the Northern Irish keeper to back pedal and tip it over the bar.

Striker Scott Fenwick had a golden opportunity to steal the victory with less than ten minutes to go after being picked out by an excellent Oates cross, but the former Durham City man got his header completely wrong from a matter of yards out.

Hartlepool go into the 3^rd round draw alongside Sunderland and Newcastle United, but will have to do it all again in ten days’ time for the right to progress any further.