Hartlepool V Colchester at Victoria Park : Match Preview

18 January 2013 15:01
Hartlepool V Colchester - view commentary, squad, and statistics of the game live.


Hughes unlikely to make changes

Hartlepool manager John Hughes could name an unchanged starting line-up for the third game running in the home clash with fellow strugglers Colchester.

Hughes has a full-strength squad to choose from as npower League One's bottom club chase only their third win of the season.

Charlie Wyke, on loan from Middlesbrough, scored his first league goal to earn Pools a point at Shrewsbury last week and is expected to continue alongside Steve Howard up front.

Hughes has plenty of options, with strikers James Poole and Luke James, winger Andy Monkhouse, plus defenders Neil Austin, Jack Baldwin and Darren Holden all pushing for recalls to the starting line-up.

Goalkeeper Andy Rafferty, continuing his rehabilitation following summer knee surgery, is the only first-team squad member currently injured as Hughes' side look to secure their first home win since a 2-0 success over Scunthorpe on September 1.

Sam Walker is in line for his debut for Colchester's crunch trip.

The Chelsea goalkeeper arrived on loan this week as the U's desperately look to stop the rot and end a run of nine successive league defeats.

Boss Joe Dunne will be in the dugout at Victoria Park having been given a vote of confidence by chairman Robbie Cowling, coming after he admitted he was considering his future following last Saturday's 2-1 home reverse to Scunthorpe.

However, another defeat against a bottom-of-the-table Pools side who have won only league two games out of 26 all season could make his position untenable.

Anthony Wordsworth serves the final game of his two-match ban for accruing 10 yellow cards.

Fellow midfielder Kem Izzet is doubtful having also missed out last weekend with a badly twisted ankle, as is winger Jack Compton (knock).

Source: PA