Hartlepool United: Cancellation will affect Leeds trip
Frustrated Chris Turner today admitted Hartlepool United's postponed reserve game will have implications for Leeds United's trip to Victoria Park.
Pools' second string were due to take on Rotherham United on Wednesday where the likes of Adam Boyd, Ritchie Jones and Jon-Andre Fredriksen would have had the chance to impress Turner.
But the game fell victim to a frozen pitch with the win over Leeds reserves 10 days ago, the only game the second string have played in 2010.
Boyd is expected to be handed his first start in five tomorrow anyway, probably at the expense of Denis Behan, to add some much-needed finishing prowess to the Pools attack.
But that is likely to be the only change with Turner admitting the current reserve schedule is not allowing those on the fringes to sufficiently show what the first team is missing.
Director of sport Turner said: "I would have liked the reserve game to go ahead just to have a look at a couple of players to see what they're doing. But there is a problem in the reserve league. You only play a game once every couple of weeks.
"We played well against Leeds 10 days ago but then you have to wait for the next one. They're not getting into the rhythm of a run of games and it's annoying.
"In any position you're wanting to impress and do well and get match fitness. You just want to be playing football through the week."
Turner knows his defence will have to keep nemesis Jermaine Beckford quiet tomorrow with the striker scoring seven goals in five games against Pools.
But Beckford is far from the only danger man with Robert Snodgrass, a player who attracted serious attention from Pools when he was at Livingston, also attracting the attention of Premier League scouts.
"We had Snodgrass watched at Livingston and the reports were good on him," said Turner. "But Leeds took him so end of story!
"Beckford's got a tremendous record against us. But I suppose he will have against most of the clubs in this division. He has been the difference between Hartlepool and Leeds United over the last three seasons.
"You know on Saturday that he is the danger. It's amazing that he's still playing at this level."
"If he had been playing for anyone else in this division, he wouldn't still be there.
"But he's playing for a massive club with great expectations so he's getting everything he would get for a Championship club."
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Weather for Sunderland
Friday 10 February 2012
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Temperature: -3 C to 2 C
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