00:00Robbie Stelling from the Hartlepool Mail here, just with some reflections on Saturday's National League season opener between Hartlepool United and Yeovil Town.
00:12I think given the optimism that a lot of Pools fans, certainly the 199 Pools fans who made the long, long trip to Hewish Park on Saturday,
00:23I think given some of that optimism and positivity, there was perhaps a little bit of a sense that it was an underwhelming performance from Pools at the weekend.
00:33Clearly a point is better than nothing. I think there were plenty of positives and of course a clean sheet probably foremost among them.
00:42Nonetheless, I don't think it's a Yeovil side that are going to pull up any trees.
00:46They've had some ownership issues of their own over the last couple of years and are coming into the season under new ownership after Dubai-based entrepreneur Prabhu Srinivasan bought the club from controversial owner Martin Hellyer in May.
01:01They've moved training grounds and I think that's perhaps dented their playing budget to an extent.
01:06I don't think their recruitment has been especially impressive and if I had to guess I'd probably put them somewhere around 12th to 16th this season.
01:14So perhaps a side that Pools, if they're serious about having playoff aspirations, would have hoped to beat.
01:19Nonetheless, of course, it's a long trip and as Simon Grayson was keen to point out, that opening day of the season, there's always a feeling of nervousness, tension and apprehension,
01:29particularly the players in the starting 11 who were both keen to impress but also keen not to make mistakes.
01:36There was certainly that sense from Pools, particularly in the first half.
01:40I felt Pools actually controlled large parts of the first half.
01:43They were at their best when they were brave enough to play through Jamie Minley in particular.
01:47They did create a handful of chances.
01:49Alex Reid headed wide from Jay Benz cross after 29 minutes and flashed another effort wider than near post just before the break.
01:56The Oval actually came on really strong in the second half.
01:59Manager Mark Cooper I don't think would have been impressed by what he saw in the opening 45.
02:03They were far better after the break.
02:06That's not to say that Pools didn't have chances.
02:07Both Reid and Johnson forced saves from debutant goalkeeper Jed Ward when they might well have done better.
02:14But goalkeeper for Pools, Harvey Cartwright, who just arrived on a season-long loan from Hull City on Thursday.
02:20Grayson revealed, of course, that he trained on Thursday as well as Tuesday in the week before being thrown straight in.
02:26I was a little bit surprised by that decision, but actually he rewarded his manager's faith pretty handsomely.
02:31A number of decent saves in the second half.
02:34What really impressed me was that he had the courage of his convictions to come and dominate his area, particularly in the final 15 minutes.
02:41I like the look of both wing-backs.
02:42Jay Benz and Bessert top-on-large were energetic and determined, albeit perhaps lacking a little bit of quality in the final third.
02:49They did, however, get forward really well and were certainly a nuisance.
02:53Tom Parks and Jamie Miley were solid as well.
02:55Nathan Sharon, of course, steaming into a number of trademark tackles.
02:59A little bit of work to do in the final third.
03:01That is perhaps to be expected, given that Pools named eight debutants in their starting 11.
03:06And we saw Matty Jaylee and Max Coogan make their debuts from the bench as well.
03:11So it's perhaps not altogether a surprise that things haven't quite clicked yet, particularly in the final third.
03:16Of course, it was a day when Manny Disarui marked his Rochdale debut with a brace.
03:20But I think it's important that Pools fans are patient.
03:22The goals from Alex Reid and Danny Johnson have both proven that they can score goals, certainly at this level in Reid's case.
03:28And in Johnson's case at a higher level as well, I think Pools fans have to be confident that those goals will come.
03:35Some positive signs from Jermaine Francis as well.
03:37He was lively without ever really looking like he was going to unlock.
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