Hartlepool Boss Chris Turner On The Game

Last updated : 04 March 2010 By Thetashkentterror

Chris Turner
'Pools Director of Sport Chris Turner spoke to BBC Radio Tees after his side's 4-1 win over Carlisle at Victoria Park this evening, Turner suggesting that it was a massive result after some frustrating games for his side recently :



" I think that the result, 4-1 at home, is a massive performance and a massive result for everybody. For the supporters, who turn up week in week out and have had some very frustrating Saturday afternoons. I thought last Saturday was a frustrating one against a good side (Huddersfield), proven again tonight, won away at Tranmere 2-0, they have just won three games on the belt away from home which proves they have the ability of being a top six side in this division.

" I think it is a great result for the supporters, the players and everybody connected with the club. Because it just lifts confidence and morale and it is nice to see the players score and take chances, which we haven't been doing against some of the top sides in the last six weeks.

" Ritchie Jones came on for the second 45 minutes, or just longer than 45 minutes against Leeds and played extremely well. He has got great potential, there is no doubt about it, and it is Ritchie grasping hold of the chalice and really playing well and consistently well, and running at full-backs and running at midfield players, and making the right selection of pass and finishing some of the moves off. Which he did tonight on a couple of occasions and it is great to see.

" It is ironic, I was talking to a supporter last week, midweek, he told me that Tony Sweeney can't head a ball, but I thought he headed that one nicely tonight, and he did against Leeds so that is two in the last three. For me he gives 150% every game for the club and he gets forward and he generally scores eight to twelve goals a season, has the potential certainly to get that. Joe Gamble sits in midfield, gets it, gives it, supplies it, he gives experience which allows people like Tony the freedom to get forward. I think that it is a good combination of players for this level.

" People who know me are always aware that with a two goal lead at half-time the next goal is so vital. Even though we didn't do it, I told the players that what we needed in the first 10 to 15 minutes of the second-half was to put Carlisle on the back foot and look for that next goal. But credit to Carlisle, they came out after half-time and they had a bit of a go at us and pushed us back, they had the wind behind them as well. "



" I was a little bit concerned if they did get the next goal obviously. But fortunately we did score our fourth goal from a great chance for Carlisle. It generally happens to us in games where we have just nearly scored and had a good chance, and then 30 seconds later it is in the back of our net and we are behind again. But tonight it happened for us and Ritchie finished it well and when it went to 4-1 it really had to be a catastrophic ending not to get the right result tonight.

" You don't mind where the goals come from, to score four goals at home is very pleasing when I think in a number of games this season we have threatened to do that, haven't done it and fortunately tonight we have done it. We surprised everybody beating Millwall 3-0 at home, three up at half-time, but you know what it is going to be like at Millwall next week, they are on a rich vein of form, but they were when they came here as well.

" I thought Roy O'Donovan did extremely well tonight, I thought he ran channels, he gets in behind defenders, he gives them a worry because he has got pace. It is intelligent pace, he doesn't just run offside or make unintelligent runs, he does it well. He has got a good touch, I noticed tonight him backing into bigger centre-halves, letting the ball drop, getting hold of it, laying it off and spinning, something that we haven't had at the club for a long time, that blistering pace up the front.

" He gives us a better option once the players get used to him being up there. Little 50-50 balls are dropping in midfield and when we just hook them in behind the centre-halves you have got a centre-forward that is going to latch on to those sorts of chances. Which once again, we haven't had that sort of centre-forward. He is up the road at Sunderland, he is not getting any football up there, I appreciate Steve Black's help and Eric Black's help in allowing him to come here and it is an opportunity for him.

" When he was over in Ireland for three or four seasons he was a constant high scorer, Sunderland took him, Roy Keane, against a lot of other Premier League club's interests. I think a lot of interest comes on the boy who played for Reading whose name escapes me who played in the Irish League. But he has got that eye for goal and that work ethic and that pace. "