An Aaron Jackson hattrick helped FC Hartlepool dump Albion out of the County Cup at the Oldhaulage Stadium and gain some revenge for the 0-5 drubbing in the league handed out to them by RACA two weeks earlier. Despite RACA leading 2-1 at half time from goals from Dan Craggs and Louis Calvert, Pool claimed their Durham Challenge Cup last eight berth with three second half goals albeit two very late ones & two from the penalty spot & inflict Albion’s first cup defeat of the season.
Keen not to suffer a repeat of the 5-0 drubbing handed out by RACA a fortnight earlier, Hartlepool looked revved up for the game & should have taken the lead in the first minute when Joe Spalding broke right through the middle of Albion’s defence but with just goalkeeper Aaron Carr to beat, he blasted it straight at the onrushing stopper. Almost straight after that incident, it was Ryton’s turn to spurn a chance when Matty Hayton collected a ball left by a Pool defender’s fresh air shot & played a super pass to Morgan Dart who crossed to Louis Calvert running into the 6 yard box but he just couldn’t sort his legs out & the ball and the ball spun wide. Albion’s adoption of the long ball game was proving fruitless with Pool picking up the ball and immediately counter-attacking, and it was such a move that led to the game’s opening goal on 26 minutes, Spalding laying the ball to Aaron Jackson who ran between two defenders & slotted past the exposed Carr to put his side 1-0 up. RACA levelled on 32 minutes when Scott Oldfield launched a long ball that ought to have been a simple catch for Hartlepool keeper George Briggs who opted instead to push the ball out, but unfortunately for Briggs the ball landed on the head of Daniel Craggs whose looping header ended up in the Pool net. Ryton turned the game around in the 36th minute when Matty Harrison showed how the long ball game should work with a great 60 yard ball to Calvert who shrugged off his marker and slotted past Briggs to ensure the hosts went into the interval ahead
HT RACA 2 FC Hartlepool 1
Albion started the second half the brighter of the two & Dale Burrell was to test Briggs on 56 minutes when his strong tackle dispossessed Connor Gales then he went on to fire towards goal forcing the Pool keeper to dive to his left & push the ball to safety. But it was to be Hartlepool who would restore parity & from the penalty spot on 67 minutes when Harrison brought down Spalding just inside the box and the referee awarded the spot kick that Jackson despatched despite Carr guessing correctly. Barely had the dust settled from that when at the other end a mad scramble following a Ryton corner saw a pile of Pool defenders falling on their goal line to prevent a goal with vehement claims from the RACA players that an arm prevented the ball from crossing the line, but the referee was having none of it after much consultation with his assistant and half of the players. The pendulum swung back to the Teessiders in stoppage time when a fine cross from the left wing evaded the Ryton defence & reached Jackson who volleyed home to make it 3-2. As Albion pushed forwards for a late leveller, two Pool substitutes combined to seal the deal on the break, Jacob Cowan crossing to the unmarked Nathan Bayes who was clattered into by Carr & a second penalty was awarded. Bayes took the kick himself, the ball just going under Carr who guessed correctly again but with the last kick of the game it finished 4-2 to FC Hartlepool.
FT RACA 2 FC HARTLEPOOL 4 Attendance 126
RACA- Carr, Groves-Forbes, Oldfield, Craggs, Errington (Harrison 12), Caygill, Dart (Adotey 88), Burrell (Skivington 73), Calvert (Salim 57), McLeod, Hayton (Lawson 60)