Said pre-game I wasn't feeling the changes.
Slow, pedestrian, poor goal.conceded and I see changes for the second half.
Let's be truthful, these arent anything special but it feels very much like Portsmouth again.
A nothing half from Boro - they didn't have any intensity to trouble Wrexham, who got something of a lucky goal with the attempted block from Fry only placing it out of Brynn's reach. This is the problem for a Boro side that at the moment are struggling to create chances and are reliant on keeping a clean sheet.
Not much point in Sene being on the pitch as he's not affecting the game as he's not getting any balls so may as well replace him with Conway who could at least force the Wrexham defence into a mistake with his pressing. Sene just hasn't shown the same energy levels.
Also not sure why Browne was dropped after 2 excellent performances and Boro are missing his forward drive and reading of the game. You could also take off either Whittaker or Burgzorg and bring on Hansen and even Bangura to offer more out wide.
An early goal needed to avoid the game drifting!
Looks like it's going to be 4 HT changes!!
Going to be four Boro changes. Ayling, Browne, Silvera and Conway for Targett, Whittaker, Burgzorg and Nypan
What is missing for me is something that has been gradually eroded over the past few weeks- Ipswich game excepted- and that is our crisp midfield passing that has been the hallmark of our game over the past few years. We hardly ever had control of the ball at Pompey and at Sheffield we were outplayed in midfield by the poorest side in the division.
Today we can hardly string two or three passes together and alongside our lack of penetration on the wings we are totally lacking in penetration. Morris very poor and too slow on the ball. Nypan a peripheral figure and Burgzorg and Whittaker reverting to type.
Major changes coming in the second period surely
Boro have still only managed 1 shot in 25 minutes since HT - just not working as an attacking unit.
Hackney scores, 1-1
Has HH saved Boro's bacon? He's equalised (80th minute) with a little help from Callum Brittain! 🙂
A Hackney headed goal wasn't on my list for an equaliser!
Boro with their tails up, chasing a winner, four minutes left and some clown runs on the pitch from the home end and causes the game to be stopped.
If he thought he was going to be found funny, he wasn't. Edwards and Boro players fuming. South stand in unison tell him what he is, and it rhymes with banker.
In the end a point was all Boro deserved as they neither deserved to lose or win on what was a disjointed performance with a first half that lacked energy and guile - still lots of work needed on Boro's attacking play.
EG Boro poor today, but at least rescue a point.
What a let-off! Beeb reporting (Final Score), as suggested by Malcolm above, that we almost won it with a sucker punch. 🙁 No mention of a clown on the pitch, though... 
I thought Browne made a big difference in the second half by linking play, always making himself available, pushing forward and playing progressively in a way that had been absent in the first period. He brought out the best in Hackney, who had a much better second half and deserved his goal. In the end Boro deserved a point, though they got it only courtesy of Moore's dreadful miss after being set up with a header in front of goal by Lewis O'Brien teasing cross. I don't think there would have been any way back from 0-2 down.
Silvera, I'm afraid, was no improvement on Burgzorg or Whittaker and our lack of pace and penetration in wide areas remains our most serious concern and the main reason for our lack of goals
From EG
Sol Brynn - 7
Nothing he could do with the heavily deflected goal. Did everything else he possibly could have in the game.
Callum Brittain - 7
Didn’t stop trying in his efforts to get forward and join the attack and was rewarded when his excellent cross set up the important equaliser.
Dael Fry - 6
A tough afternoon for him. He battled as much as he could, but wasn’t as dominant as usual against Kieffer Moore. Unfortunate with the Wrexham goal.
Alfie Jones - 6
Showed signs of lethargy in a three-game week as a few players managed to skip past him a bit easier than usual. Didn’t ever give up, however.
Matt Targett - 6
One of four players axed at half-time. He didn’t do much wrong in a standard steady performance. He was more sacrificed to get a more attack-minded wing-back on.
Aidan Morris - 7
Started sloppily along with Boro in general, particularly in possession. But his persistence helped Boro earn a point. In many ways his performance typified the Boro performance overall.
Hayden Hackney - 7
Of the Boro players, he was the one throughout who was trying to drive his side forward and make something happen. He won’t score many with his head, but it encapsulated his desire to make something happen that he got in at the back post to head home the equaliser. Man of the match.
Morgan Whittaker - 4
The in-form forward couldn’t replicate his form in this one. Wrexham gave him no time on the ball and he lost it every time he touched it.
Sverre Nypan - 4
Just couldn’t get into the game at all. Couldn’t find the pockets of space, and when he did get the ball he tended to be sloppy with his passing.
Delano Burgzorg - 4
After a couple of promising performances, this was Burgzorg’s frustrating side. Sloppy in possession and making the wrong decisions when he did get into good positions. Appeared to be the man who should have closed Windass down for the goal too.
Kaly Sene - 4
Not always helped by the poor service, but he was poor whenever he did get the ball. It didn’t ever stick as he gave possession away time and again. Was lucky to survive the half-time cull, but only lasted 18 minutes longer.
Substitutions
Luke Ayling (For Targett, 46’) - 6 - Solid when he came on and ambitious in getting forward and supporting the attack. Very nearly won his side the game with an excellent effort.
Alan Browne (For Nypan, 46’) - 7 - Another really positive outing as he came on at the break and helped inspired a far better performance in the second half with his calmness in possession.
Sammy Silvera (For Burgzorg, 46’) - 6 - Though he didn’t ever find the moment, he was really bright down the left and enjoyed a couple of bright moments with his pace and skill down the wing.
Tommy Conway (For Whittaker, 46’) - 7 - His importance highlighted in his second half performance where he was lively throughout and helped Boro’s attack look far more connected and dangerous.
David Strelec (For Sene, 68’) - 6 - Didn’t quite manage to get into the game, but continued to make dangerous runs and put himself in dangerous positions to give defenders something to think about.
Hartlepool Mail player ratings - not quite in line with the Gazette's, except for the 4's....
My musings after getting back from the match
We still struggle against the low block
Our build up is still too slow
Our strikers.... well what can we say
Questions
Is Morris slowing Our build up down
Why don't we shoot more
One thing for sure we would have lost that match last season
So Edwards knows our best players now after poor first half. Conway and Browne should be nailed on starters. Sene just an impact sub. Strelec needs to play games to improve within team interplay. Morris plays too many passes backwards. Important lesson learned today.
OFB
With regard to Hayden Hackney, if a strong offer came in during the January window, I’d be open to letting him go. Every player has their price, and sometimes it’s the right move for both the club and the individual.
More paper talk about HH:
While I accept that he'll probably have to move on ere long for the good of his career & would wish him well in that future career, the only way I would root for him if, God forbid, he went to the Mags would be if he wore an England shirt, though I suppose that selection for the Three Lions would presuppose success in a black & white striped one...
Pre international break on the back of a defeat by Portsmouth if someone had suggested we would get 7pts from the three games post international break I think the majority of us would have took that
We are still ahead of the maths with the promotion two points per game stat.
We are still the best defence in the league.
Yes there is work to do, it would be good to see McGree getting on the pitch over the next few games, he could be the creativity that makes us tick up top.
Post match interview, Rob Edwards admits he got the team selection wrong, I think when we are due to play a “lesser” team, Edwards plays a lot of his second eleven and we struggle to get a point. The sooner he learns to play his best side each time and leave the “also rans” for when we have injuries/suspension/loss of form.
Browne plays two MOTM performances and gets dropped, in comes Morris, who imho, has not played well this season and only warranted a 4 on today’s performance. Every time Edwards starts with Nypan/Sene/Hansen as our attack, we struggle to get a point.
I am starting to worry, if Edwards doesn’t improve his team selection, and stop trying to be clever for each match, we could end up outside the playoffs.
Come on BORO.
@exmil I was concerned pre-match with the changes, it looked very lightweight up top and so it proved, the irony for me is that if Sene had been held back until later in the game he would have had more success.
In my opinion Morris has been exceptional this season however wasn't at his best today.
I arent convinced RE is wanting to be clever, more likely wanting to maximise opportunities for his squad whilst also wanting to keep things fresh, it has been a tough week which we took 7pts from 9 which is promotion form.
Disappointing result. Disappointing performance
But a draw is better than nothing.
The season has a long way to go
So far it has emerged that defensively the team is very good but creatively the team needs to improve a lot.
A lot will change - I expect the 3 relegated teams to improve. Meanwhile it’s too early to predict who the front runners are likely to be - with the exception of Coventry who are steaming ahead.
Philip of Huddersfield
👎🤔🤔
A big build-up to that game but then a steady let-down.
In fact the whole thing was very ODD. I set off at my normal time but hit a real traffic hold-up which continued from the A19 onto the A66 (apparently due to an accident and a separate vehicle breakdown). Several times I was stationary on the road and for the rest of the time it was stop-start. The consequence of all this is that I arrived late and probably got to my seat after about 10 minutes of playing.
On the walk in, neither me nor the friend with whom I was walking could hear any noise. No chanting, no singing, only a quiet crowd murmur. Very weird.
I got to my seat and it was obvious there was a large crowd. At Half Time the concourse was bursting as though we were playing Sheffield Wednesday on Boxing Day or something similar, rather than Wrexham (to be fair, a large travelling contingent was present in the away end). Not much was going on, football wise, and the crowd didn't seem animated. It was only after about 15 minutes into the game I looked at the scoreboard and realised it was already 1-0 to Wrexham. Obviously we had missed the goal!
The first half was one where it seemed BORO had decided not to turn up. Passing was poor. The ball was never owned but rented for very short periods before Wrexham asked for it back. It was no surprise that RE made four changes at Half Time.
In the second half it seemed as if there was more urgency in the team but it still seemed a disjointed performance. How Keifer Moore missed that header from so near, I will never know. Before BORO scored I think I had come to terms with the reality that this game wasn't going to plan. A win might have been possible in the 10 minutes left plus injury time after HH's header into the net but if BORO had won from there I'm not sure it would have been deserved.
So it is a point. Better than none. And 7 out of the last 9. Still second in the table by two points. But an improvement will be required to stay in that position. Deflating.
@philip-of-huddersfield Interrstingly the table at the same stage last season showed Sunderland top with the same amount of points as Coventry currently have with 28pts, and Burnley and Leeds behind on 23pts. We are two points better off than Burnley and Leeds were at this same stage.
The table changes will happen, can we get to Christmas and still be in and around the top two is the key factor.
As mentioned on here previously its better to look at points total over blocks of games rather than a game in isolation.
We will always get teams who play against us with the low block and it gets frustrating, Sheff Wed did it, Wrexham did it, Portsmouth did it in our last four games but Ipswich didn't, which game were we better in - maybe Mcgree when on the pitch can bring some creativity to unlock that low block.
PS, admiration for Sunderland who have had an amazing start to their Premier league season.
It’s a very odd feeling at the moment. We’re second in the league and continue to accrue points with just the single defeat this season and yet most games feel like a bit of a grind and a bit disjointed. It almost feels like we’re in an inflated position and sooner or later it will catch up with us.
The questions are whether we are playing to our level or if there is more to come, and will a handful of the teams below us find their feet and apply pressure? It would be prudent to presume that at least a couple will go on a run.
As good as the results have generally been, there can be no doubt that performances - particularly from an attacking point of view - will have to improve if we’re going to maintain our current position.
The Ipswich game will likely prove to be an outlier as there was a side who attacked us throughout and left space for our forwards, whilst missing their own key chances such as the penalty. Most teams will be content to defend against us and look to counter, tactics that we don’t look creative enough to consistently overcome.
I think we’re also stuck in a bit of a bind with the team setup. Playing three at the back ensures solidity but the creativity and width has been sorely lacking. The 4-2-3-1 offers more in theory but I’m afraid our wide players aren’t good enough over the course of a season. Whittaker and Burgzorg will always have moments but too often, and most often , they are ineffective. Silvera falls into the same category and Hansen hasn’t shown enough to even get on the pitch of late.
I feel like whichever system is employed, the wide areas are a problem for us from an attacking perspective.
If we play wingbacks then they need to offer the “wing” bit which probably means moving away from the consistent and reliable Britain and Targett to something more adventurous.
If we’re going to play with wingers then we need upgrades in January.
@andy-r this is a great summary Andy. I guess we need to get used to teams turning up against us with that low block in mind, can we grind out 1-0 wins in them games, or score the early goal and get another couple.
I think putting things into context we huffed and puffed against Sheff Wed but yet get the penalty and the second goal after 15 minutes and it is a different game, yesterday Wrexham get a lucky break with their goal and then blocked and blocked ( yes should have gone two up with Moore ) but we got back into that game and even could have won it ( the brainless boro fan running on the pitch stopped what looked a very promising attack )
For me, Edwards wants to quite rightly keep that solidity at the back and is still tinkering with things up top.
Is there more to come ? You would like to think so - Strelec hasn't got going yet, Conway will score goals, Sene will get his share, Mcree hopefully to return, quickly up to speed and provide some creativity, Nypan started decent but hasn't looked great, can he up his game and I really like the look of Hansen but another who needs to get up to speed - I certainly believe there is more to come but for me, keep that solidity, if you dont concede many you are always in with a shout.
I entirely agree with you about Conway and Browne, OFB. Both are undroppable on current form. AB really solidifies the midfield and frees up Hackney to play in the more advanced role, which I think is what he does best. Browne’s passing is usually accurate, too. Let’s not forget, either, that in his 400+ games for PNE he scored more than 50 goals; as yet, Morris has yet to score in his 50 games in a Boro shirt.
Conway doesn’t score many, but his overall contribution to the team is very strong: yesterday, for example, it was clear that when he gets the ball he holds it up well and it sticks, enabling him to bring others into play; (what a contrast with Sène’s performance!) He’s also an effective dribbler and will create chances. I like him out wide, too, as he is able to get behind the defence, unlike our inverted wingers, who very rarely get to the byline.
The first half was so frustratingly disappointing. Boro looked like a team of strangers. Until now, we’ve largely lauded the depth of our squad. I wonder if yesterday somewhat burst that bubble? The particular combination Edwards put out at the start was really ineffective. It starts to beg the question - if we think Burgzorg, Whittaker, Nypan, Sène (and potentially Hansen) can’t create much, then we’re going to have problems scoring goals all season. I’ve left Strelec out because he clearly needs more game time, and as someone above said, a run in a settled side. Or am I reading too much into a very poor 45 minutes, do you think?
Going forward, does RE make us more expansive, possibly leading to more goals being conceded or stick with what we have been doing? ie making us difficult to score against and we will always score 1 or 2 per game? Maybe the coaching staff realise our offensive limitations and are doing a “Luton” where they often won by the odd goal? Is our predicament a reflection of our relative weak attack or a product of our approach? Or a combination of both? Teams will get wise to us and know that we have few goals in us and put us under pressure by scoring early as happened yesterday. Do we have the personnel to score more or are we stuck with what we have until January?