Hartlepool United 3 Southend United 0

Mar 7 2010 by James Hunter, Sunday Sun

If things at Hartlepool are looking up, spare a thought for Southend.

Beset by financial problems off the pitch – they have a High Court date this week at which they could be wound up – their on-field situation looks little better.

Pools took control from the word go and Adam Boyd almost broke the deadlock in the 12th minute with a dipping 30-yard volley which keeper Steve Mildenhall had to tip over the bar.

But it was only a temporary reprieve and O’Donovan broke the deadlock on 16th minutes after being put through by a terrific pass from Boyd. Southend defender Jean Yves-M’voto – also on loan from Sunderland – was out of position as Boyd threaded O’Donovan through to clip it over the advancing keeper and in off the underside of the bar.

Southend full-back Simon Francis brought a rare save out of Scott Flinders with a long-range effort but just after the half-hour O’Donovan struck again – with Boyd again the architect.

He lobbed the ball over the defence and as Southend appealed in vain for an offside against Ritchie Jones – who was jogging back towards the halfway line – O’Donovan ran through to slot his shot into the bottom right-hand corner.

Pools continued to dominate and things got worse for Southend in the 82nd minute when Alan McCormack was sent off for a second bookable offence.

And, while Francis rattled the post with a fierce shot from the edge of the box in the last minute of normal time, O’Donovan had the final word.

Sub Denis Behan fed the ball into the left-hand channel for the striker, who hit an early shot from just inside the box which beat Mildenhall at the near post.