Ratings.

[Dohnut]

Clay was outstanding. He's a player with massive limitations but his ability to press does make us a higher intensity team. Apart from the first one, all of our goals yesterday came from closing down well high up the pitch, which is what we did so well at the beginning of the season.

Second half we played probably the best football we have all season, albeit against a weirdly disjointed and passive Hartlepool team who didn't seem to have done any homework on us.

Drinan is an odd one. He looks like an ungainly workhorse a lot of the time but his first two goal were genuinely quality.

Probably Kemp's best performance for us. Still worry he'll get bullied in too many games to be completely reliable but found space brilliantly today and meant that we could build from the middle and not just the wings.

I've never had a problem with Drinans ungainly, unorthodox style/ demeanour. That's what makes him a good fit in this side. Something a bit different, off the cuff. I'm not suggesting he's a first name on the team sheet, but he didn't deserve to be dropped for as many games as he was. Always presents a danger to defences.

Probably more to do with giving Ruel a go than wanting to drop Drinan. Which at the time was a fair thing. But the normal pecking order has been restored.

[Ronnie Hotdogs]

Clay was outstanding. He's a player with massive limitations but his ability to press does make us a higher intensity team. Apart from the first one, all of our goals yesterday came from closing down well high up the pitch, which is what we did so well at the beginning of the season.

Second half we played probably the best football we have all season, albeit against a weirdly disjointed and passive Hartlepool team who didn't seem to have done any homework on us.

Drinan is an odd one. He looks like an ungainly workhorse a lot of the time but his first two goal were genuinely quality.

Probably Kemp's best performance for us. Still worry he'll get bullied in too many games to be completely reliable but found space brilliantly today and meant that we could build from the middle and not just the wings.

I've never had a problem with Drinans ungainly, unorthodox style/ demeanour. That's what makes him a good fit in this side. Something a bit different, off the cuff. I'm not suggesting he's a first name on the team sheet, but he didn't deserve to be dropped for as many games as he was. Always presents a danger to defences.

Agreed entirely.

I’m still convinced jacketts first choice pairing was Smith and Smyth, with Drinnan as back up to Smith, but the way Drinnan was left out for so many weeks whilst Smith wasn’t really firing either didn’t make sense.

Glad Aaron is back and in form. (And Smith looks like he enjoyed having company on Saturday as well).

[Petrov788]

That first goal was such high quality, Smith with the clever hold up and lay off, Drinan saw where he needed to be, made the run before his marker could clock it - and helped make Smith's mind up. We've got to utilise Smith's physicality and not just his height. I'd like to see him work more on holding the ball up and linking up play, laying it off wide and actually getting in the box where he's at his most dangerous.

[Ronnie Hotdogs]

That first goal was such high quality, Smith with the clever hold up and lay off, Drinan saw where he needed to be, made the run before his marker could clock it - and helped make Smith's mind up. We've got to utilise Smith's physicality and not just his height. I'd like to see him work more on holding the ball up and linking up play, laying it off wide and actually getting in the box where he's at his most dangerous.

Watch the ‘closer look’ highlights and it’s even better, we put together 20 passes before it goes in the net. And yeah, Smith can do that but needs people around him to link up with. That’s been the problem of late.

Don’t mean to be grinch but that’s crap execution from Clay, he bobbled it in between Smith and Drinnan. Good old Craigy

[WilliamTell]

Pools manager leaves to manage NL Stockport. Drama continues.

[RedDwarf 1881]

Clay was outstanding. He's a player with massive limitations but his ability to press does make us a higher intensity team. Apart from the first one, all of our goals yesterday came from closing down well high up the pitch, which is what we did so well at the beginning of the season.

Second half we played probably the best football we have all season, albeit against a weirdly disjointed and passive Hartlepool team who didn't seem to have done any homework on us.

Drinan is an odd one. He looks like an ungainly workhorse a lot of the time but his first two goal were genuinely quality.

Probably Kemp's best performance for us. Still worry he'll get bullied in too many games to be completely reliable but found space brilliantly today and meant that we could build from the middle and not just the wings.

I've never had a problem with Drinans ungainly, unorthodox style/ demeanour. That's what makes him a good fit in this side. Something a bit different, off the cuff. I'm not suggesting he's a first name on the team sheet, but he didn't deserve to be dropped for as many games as he was. Always presents a danger to defences.

Agreed entirely.

I’m still convinced jacketts first choice pairing was Smith and Smyth, with Drinnan as back up to Smith, but the way Drinnan was left out for so many weeks whilst Smith wasn’t really firing either didn’t make sense.

Glad Aaron is back and in form. (And Smith looks like he enjoyed having company on Saturday as well).

Although Smyth is a really good player sadly it looks like we won’t be seeing much of him during his stay with us . He has a history of getting easily injured at QPR and it looks to be continuing with us . It’s a shame because I highly rate him . Basically we should just keep the front line as it is and use Smyth only as a substitute

[Dohnut]

That first goal was such high quality, Smith with the clever hold up and lay off, Drinan saw where he needed to be, made the run before his marker could clock it - and helped make Smith's mind up. We've got to utilise Smith's physicality and not just his height. I'd like to see him work more on holding the ball up and linking up play, laying it off wide and actually getting in the box where he's at his most dangerous.

I agree. I didn’t realise how good until the highlights.