Hartlepool vs. Bury

First visit to Pools in bloody ages. Working weekends will do that but a brief rest bite this Saturday, so having tended to the family in the morning (a war museum and a chippy lunch), come 2pm I pointed the car in a south-easterly direction with Madness blaring and set off to Hartlepools. Took up a spot on the hallowed Millhouse terracing doing my best impression of the jolly green giant (not so much in height at 5ft10 but in frame at XL), wearing a plethra of said colour - Green Boneville cag, BH lambswool knit and olive Spezials. Smart look but attracted the odd angry September wasp who thought I was a shrub.

  Today's opponents were the Greater Manchester side Bury, managed by former Poolie targetman Richie Barker. Was pleased he got a good hearty round of applause before the match - the battering ram striker did a cracking job in 2 years at the club. A question mark over Bury's fans though - I'm always skeptical of supporters who can't pronounce their own clubs name correctly.

It was with that 'Burreh' kicked off and straight away looked second best. Their hopes seemed pinned on trying to expose our left-back, who is by trade, a right-back. However a former Premier League right-back at that, Stephen Wright, who was more than comfortable all afternoon.

Nobby Solano pulled the strings in the first half, neat touches, great passing and crossing from the right flank, and generally looked a different class. So when he crept into the middle on 33 minutes, he picked up the ball and danced through the Shakers defence with his tiny Peruvian Paddington bear steps and placed the ball past Bury's keeper. One nil United and well deserved. Could have been two straight afterwards when Colin Nish played a square ball across from an acute angle but Tony Sweeney's tap in was judged to be offside.

Second half there were surprises in store. Burreh come out with Barker's words ringing in their ears and looked a bit brighter, and on a couple of occasions Pools back line and keeps were tested. However this was only for about five minutes, as the game was effectively killed off after 51. Colin Nish, the most unlikely source, bagging the goal. I say unlikely despite the fact he's a forward by trade and wears the number nine, but he's far from impressive - 6ft5 but loses height when he jumps, as strong an Extra Strong mint seconds and has a shocking first touch - he can trap a ball further than I can kick it. But his touch on 51 minutes was bloody good, firing into the roof of the net from outside the six yard area. Two-nil.

If that was a surprise then what happened fifteen minutes from time was a big fat fucking swollen Kinder Egg, when Nish dispossessed the final man and lurched towards goal, long legs lumbering this way and that, drew keeper Carson and coolly slotted home with a fine finish. Time for me and the other Pools fans (who I've heard chant 'Nish, Nish, Nish, plays like fucking pish) to eat humble pie - and we duly did and started chanting 'Colin Van Nishtelrooy' instead. Three-nil. He could have had a hat-trick when a powerful header hit the underside of the bar and bounced clear, but no matter - another three points to Pools, undefeated this season and up to the dizzy heights of fifth. Cue the chant 'WE ARE UNBEATABLE'. Unlike Arsenal. And I'm pleased about that.