By Albatross
July 22 2003

As the 2002/3 season reached it's climax, the tension mounted: would Hartlepool United finally pick up their first piece of serious silverware?

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Although we were still in pole position at the start of the final six games, the optimism was fading badly for Pools fans. Already virtually promoted - we'd have to have lost every game to give the other teams a chance of catching us - attention now switched to the title, and Pools were bang out of form at just the wrong time. The game at Kidderminster didn't give much cause for hope either; Pools were 2-0 down at half time, second best for long spells, and when Watson was taken off to be replaced by the (dropped) Eifion Williams, chants of "You don't know what you're doing" came from the travelling support, who thought that Henderson - who'd been having a nightmare - should have been the one to make way. Clarke pulled us back into the match, and an injury-time goal from Eifion - his first in 11 games - earned us a draw that had seemed highly unlikely with an hour gone. A win for Rushden at Bristol Rovers meant the gap was now just a solitary point.

The home game against Leyton Orient provided Pools with some easy opposition in the next game though, and a comfortable 4-1 win gave us hope of staying ahead of Rushden, who also won to remain just a point behind. Four games to go, and promotion was almost secure; the chances were that at the end of the Scunthorpe game we'd be celebrating promotion. A draw would be enough. However, to stay in pole position for the title, only a win would do.

Scunny however had reasons of their own for winning the match; they needed the points for their playoff challenge. 1-0 up at half time, they extended the lead to 4-0 in the last 20 minutes, as Pools again lacked lustre. Bournemouth lost at Hull to ensure Pools would be playing in Division 2, but there was very little to celebrate in most supporters eyes: Rushden's win at Carlisle had promoted them and also sent them two points ahead of Pools. The title that had looked so secure at the end of February was slipping from our grasp.

The Easter Monday game against Rochdale also turned out to be something of a damp squib. The title was still in our hands, but wins were essential; Rochdale were secure and going nowhere. Someone wasn't reading the script though, and Grand put Rochdale ahead. Widdrington equalised, but then a defensive lapse allowed McEvilly to send Dale into the break ahead. Pools weren't looking like a team competing for the title, and the news from Rushden wasn't calming the fans fears either: they were ahead at home to Macclesfield. Widds scored a second equaliser, but then limped off in what proved to be his last appearance; and no-one else was able to break the deadlock. With Rushden winning 3-0, the gap was now 4 points and it was out of our hands.

The club did their best to make the final home game, against Shrewbury, a celebration; and at long last the team responded. The Shrews were struggling against relegation, and were expected to be fighting all the way; instead, it was almost all one way traffic as Watson finally looked the part again and inspired Pools to a 3-0 win - though he failed to score himself, he had a hand in a couple of the goals, and showed some great passing skills. And to add to the growing euphoria, news came through that Rushden had suprisingly failed to beat Orient; it would all go down to the final game after all. Could Pools snatch Victory from the jaws of defeat after all?

The answer turned out to be "no", but Pools didn't fall short by much. 1-0 down to a Paul Hall goal, and with Watson having to be subbed at half time, Pools battled back and went close on a number of occasions before Chris Westwood levelled the game at the end of normal time. Rushden survived a frantic period of added time, and both teams and sets of fans celebrated after a fitting climax to an eventful season. Promotion, second place, and the promise of Division 2 football: after three seasons of playoff misery, we'd finally made it.