Colchester United left it late once again to collect another three points on the road – making it four consecutive away league wins.
It’s the first time since the 1987/88 season that the team has achieved such a feat, but U’s fans were made to wait until the eighty-seventh minute to secure the victory.
Fiacre Kelleher bagged the opener after just five minutes of action giving the U’s a lead they would hold for almost eighty minutes.
Pressure from the home side told, when Jamie Sterry prodded home the equaliser with seven to go, but Alex Newby, a late substitution by the U’s, had the final say with a scrappy goal to seal the win.
The U’s are up to seventeenth with the win, nine clear of the drop zone.
Matt Bloomfield named a side with two changes to the eleven that started against Salford City on Tuesday evening. Tom Dallison was missing through injury, as Fiacre Kelleher came in to replace him, as he did from the bench against the Ammies.
And there was a debut for new arrival Tom Hopper; the January signing from Lincoln City went straight into the starting eleven in the place of John Akinde.
The U’s lined up in their now familiar 3-5-2 formation – Kieran O’Hara was protected by a back line of Luke Chambers, Fiacre Kelleher and Connor Hall with Junior Tchamadeu and Connor Wood on either flank.
Cole Skuse and Tuesday’s man of the match, Arthur Read, were anchoring the midfield, with Noah Chilvers in a slightly advanced position behind the attacking pair of Tom Hopper and Samson Tovide.
Colchester United started brightly, creating a chance within the opening sixty seconds of play at the Suit Direct Stadium. Samson Tovide worked the space for a cross on the left wing, delivering it deep to Tchamadeu, but the wing-back couldn’t keep his effort down, shooting well over the crossbar.
But Matt Bloomfield’s travelling U’s didn’t have to wait long before getting their noses in front. Fiacre Kelleher was on target for his second in as many games, after a good set-piece delivery from Arthur Read. The midfielder picked out Samson Tovide at the back post who was able to control before Kelleher smashed in from close range with just five minutes on the clock.
An early booking followed for the home side, with Edon Pruti shown a yellow card for a late challenge on Junior Tchamadeu. His thirteenth-minute card seemed to spark the home side, but their attacking play was broken up by an early change, as Jack Hamilton had to be substituted off with injury.
Mika Ndjoli was the man brought on to replace him, and he was involved in a good chance for the hosts. Top scorer Josh Umerah was the man to have a go at goal, but good work from the Hartlepool sub gave the striker the space and time to shoot at O’Hara.
But Kieth Curle’s side were struggling to really test the U’s, and their first half was again disrupted buy another injury. Central defender Peter Hartley picked up a knock just after half an hour of play, having to be replaced by Mo Sylla; Matty Dolan dropped in to take his place in the back three with Sylla operating in midfield.
Despite an additional six minutes of, the U’s lead never looked in doubt with Fiacre Kelleher’s strike remaining the difference at the end of the first half.
The two teams came out unchanged at the start of the second half, and there was a chance at either end in the first five minutes. Fiacre Kelleher went close to getting a second of the afternoon, flicking a header goalwards for Killip to collect.
And at the other end, Umerah and Trusty posed a threat to O’Hara’s goal with a cross from the left wing, but they couldn’t combine to get an effort on target.
Matt Bloomfield made his first change of the afternoon shortly after, with Samson Tovide withdrawn, and Matt Jay coming on to take his place. It changed the dynamic of the U’s attack slightly, with Hopper the furthest forward, Chilvers and Jay supporting in attack.
Ten minutes later, the U’s reverted back to having two players up front with Noah Chilvers making way for John Akinde. But the change could only be made after the hosts’ best chance of the game so far.
Josh Umerah was showing why he is the top scorer for the Pools this season, using his strength to hold off and turn Luke Chambers on the apex of the penalty area, before forcing a stretching save out of O’Hara.
Despite pressure at the back, the U’s still looked dangerous on the attack. Tom Hopper looked to pick out the run of John Akinde at the back post, but his pass didn’t have the desired power as the hosts regained possession.
Hopper looked to be benefitting from a second wind, and had a penalty appeal waved away with fifteen to play. The new forward appeared to be tripped in the eighteen-yard box but his, and the U’s, appeals were denied moments before Hartlepool got themselves back on level terms.
Kieth Curle’s side were piling the pressure on with time running out, and just after Kieran O’Hara had pulled off a fine save, Jamie Sterry poked the ball home to make it 1-1 with seven to play.
But Matt Bloomfield’s side weren’t done, and after two substitutions seeing Arthur Read and Tom Hopper replaced by Ossama Ashley and Alex Newby, the U’s struck to bag yet another late winner away from home.
John Akinde held off the challenge before turning to find Matt Jay in the centre of the penalty area. His initial effort was palmed away, but only to Alex Newby, with the substitute bundling home to secure his side the win.
More pressure came from the home side, but nothing that would trouble Matt Bloomfield’s side as they picked up a fourth consecutive away win since the 1987/88 season.
The valuable three points sees Matt Bloomfield’s side move up to seventeenth in the standings with thirty points from twenty-nine games – nine clear of the drop zone.
Up next for the U’s is a return to the JobServe Community Stadium, when Bloomfield’s side host ninth-placed Barrow next weekend.
Hartlepool United starting XI: Killip, Sterry, Dodds, Hartley (Sylla 35’), Pruti, Ferguson, Featherstone, Dolan (McDonald 76’), Trusty (Hastie 76’), Hamilton (Ndjoli 23’), Umerah.
Subs: Stolarczyk, Murray, Niang, Sylla, McDonald, Hastie, Ndjoli.
Colchester United starting XI: O’Hara, Chambers, Skuse, Chilvers (Akinde 65’), Kelleher, Read (Newby 83’), Tchamadeu, Wood, Hopper (Ashley 83’), Hall, Tovide (Jay 54’).
Subs: Hornby, Greenidge, Ashley, Newby, Jay, Akinde, Fevrier.
Attendance: 4,106 (196)