Big Ben - pen

By Clarence Rode
March 4 2009

Referes come in for more than their share of criticism in football, but Hartlepool won't hear a word against them after officials helped them pull in a healthy return in two of their last three games. A last-minute penalty winner at Swindon and another late spot kick at home to Tranmere have turned two points into six, and the outlook looks a lot brighter.

At Swindon Pools were awarded a last-minute penner which, let's be honest here, was NOT a penner ... but Ben Clark accepted the gift and one point was turned into three.
Then a week later at home to Tranmere, both sides would probably have settled for a point in awful conditions after both scored within a minute midway through the second half.
But this time Carl Boyeson, who has never been on Pools Christmas card list, gave a pen when Lewis Guy went down in the area under a challenge from Paul Henry.
Chris Turner claimed he couldn't see the incident, Tranmere boss Ronnie Moore said it was never a pen, from the Mill House Stand it looked dubious, but from the CK Stand it was apparently a deffo pen.
Then, to complicate matters, our colleagues on the SN Tranmere site say it was outside the area.
Big Ben stepped forward and scored again to give Pools three points and just a week and a half and seven points after that humiliating home flop againt Leyton Orient, Pools are looking a lot more comfortable in mid-table.
The wind ruined most of the Tranmere game, but Michael Nelson scored a cracking goal to give Pools the lead only for Ben Chorley to head Rovers level a minute later.
It was not a great performance, but the three points were important and it certainly wasn't a bad one. Peterborough at home on Saturday will be a toughie, but Pools can go into it with a lot more confidence, and hopefully the wind won't be blowing.
we'd better watch out fo the ref as well - these deicisons won't go our way for ever.