Croisière en ville à Grimsby, passant devant Hartlepool, dans une victoire confortable à l'extérieur

Hartlepool United started brightly against Grimsby Town but found themselves behind after just 21 minutes when J. Amaluzor latched onto a loose ball to fire the visitors ahead. The Pool battled hard to find an equaliser in the opening period but lacked the cutting edge to trouble Grimsby's defence regularly. The hosts went into the break trailing by a single goal, still very much in the contest despite failing to create clear-cut opportunities.

The second half proved far more difficult for Hartlepool. A. Cook doubled Grimsby's advantage just two minutes after the restart with a well-taken finish that knocked the stuffing out of the home side. Worse was to follow when Amaluzor grabbed his second of the afternoon just four minutes later to make it Hartlepool United 0-3 Grimsby Town. By that stage, the outcome was effectively settled and Grimsby coasted through the remainder of the match without breaking a sweat.

Hartlepool offered little in response and their lack of attacking threat proved fatal to their chances of salvaging anything from the friendly. Grimsby's defence stood firm throughout, particularly after they'd established their three-goal cushion. The visitors controlled the tempo and dictated the terms as the match wound down, with Hartlepool unable to launch any meaningful comeback.

This was a convincing performance from Grimsby Town and a morale-boosting away win ahead of the new season. Hartlepool will need to regroup and make significant improvements in their next outing if they're to rebuild confidence. For Grimsby, the display suggested they've made promising progress in their pre-season preparations and will travel home satisfied with their afternoon's work.